Enjoyed a stunning 2010 season, having stepped up to The European Tour after winning the 2009 Challenge Tour Rankings, with two victories and a Ryder Cup debut. Clinched the Barclays Scottish Open in July 2010 and then won the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in August to force his way into Colin Montgomerie’s European Team as a wild card pick. Contributed a vital half point with his younger brother Francesco in the third session fourballs at The Celtic Manor Resort and finished the season 11th in The Race to Dubai. The year before he dominated the Challenge Tour with record earnings of €242,979 and three victories, ensuring an immediate return to The European Tour. Also made history in 2009 by taking Italy to a first victory in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup with Francesco, a few days after he captured Japan’s most lucrative event, the Dunlop Phoenix. Enjoyed an illustrious amateur career, grabbing golfing headlines around the world in the summer of 2005 as the first European player to win the US Amateur Championship since 1911. Turned professional in the summer of 2006 after finishing his engineering degree at the University of Torino and made a blistering start to the 2007 Challenge Tour, winning twice in five weeks en route to finishing 16th in the Rankings to earn a first season on The European Tour. Struggled to cope with the step up in 2008, but bounced back in sublime style the following two campaigns.