Captured his fourth Challenge Tour title with victory in the 2012 ECCO Tour Championship hosted by Thomas Björn and Mercedes-Benz, which helped secure a return to The European Tour via eighth place in the Challenge Tour Rankings. That was the fourth time he has won promotion to The European Tour via the Challenge Tour, but he has only retained his playing privileges at the top tier twice, in 2005, when he finished 98th on the Order of Merit, and 2006, when he was 110th. The passionate AC Milan supporter led the 2005 Celtic Manor Wales Open after 36 and 54 holes before finishing joint fifth, and impressed on home soil in tying for eighth spot at the 2006 Telecom Italia Open. Started playing golf as a six year old under the supervision of his father, Carlo, who was an Italian International for seven years. Won the Italian Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 1994, and professional highlights include winning the Italian Professional Championship for the first time in 2002 at Is Molas, Sardinia, his play-off victory in the 2004 Costa Rica Open and triumphing in the 2010 Credit Suisse Challenge.