SUNDAY APRIL 6, 2014 – NH COLLECTION OPEN
• His first European Tour International Schedule victory in his 25th European Tour event.
• Could move into the top 165 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 258th.
• Moves to €168,040 in The Race to Dubai.
• This victory beats his previous best European Tour performance of tied fourth in the 2014 South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni.
• Becomes the fifth first-time winner of the 2014 season. They are: Morten Ørum Madsen (South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni), George Coetzee (Joburg Open), Jason Day (WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship), Patrick Reed (WGC – Cadillac Championship) and Marco Crespi (NH Collection Open).
• In his rookie season on The European Tour, after graduating from the 2013 European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage.
• Is the first rookie to win on The European Tour since Peter Uihlein at the 2013 Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI.
• Graduated from the 2013 European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage. Is the first Qualifying School graduate to win the year after graduation since Branden Grace at the 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
• Aged 35 is the oldest rookie on The European Tour this season. At aged 35 years and 152 days is the oldest rookie to win in European Tour history.
• Is only the second Italian rookie to win in European Tour history. The first was Matteo Manassero at the 2010 CASTELLO MASTERS.
• The ninth different Italian to win in European Tour history and the first Italian first-time winner since Matteo Manassero in 2010.
• Becomes the 16th different winner from the 16 events so far this season.
• Italy becomes the eighth different country to produce a winner this season.
OTHER FACTS
• Becomes the 42nd different rookie to win in European Tour history.
• Becomes the 36th different qualifying school graduate to win the year after graduation in European Tour history.
• Becomes the 20th Italian victory in European Tour history.
• This victory continues Italy’s run of consecutive winning years on The European Tour to five, dating back to the 2010 season.
• Gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2015 season.
• Gains a place in the 2015 Volvo Golf Champions.
• Gains his largest European Tour prize of €100,000.
• Becomes the seventh European Tour win of the 2014 season by a former Challenge Tour player. They are: Morten Ørum Madsen (South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni), Thomas Björn (Nedbank Golf Challenge), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), Pablo Larrazábal (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship), Stephen Gallacher (Omega Dubai Desert Classic), Ross Fisher (Tshwane Open) and Marco Crespi (NH Collection Open).
• Becomes the 336th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player.
• Becomes the 133rd former Challenge Tour Member to win on The European Tour.
• Gains his ninth victory as a professional.
