The 2017 Italian Open will now be staged at the Golf Club Milano, the venue of the tournament for the past two seasons.
The fifth event in the European Tour’s new Rolex Series was originally scheduled for the Royal Park I Roveri course in Turin, but after discussions with the Federazione Italiana Golf, a switch to Milan has been made. The date of the tournament – October 12-15 – remains the same.
Set in the Parco di Monza to the north of Italy’s second largest city, Golf Club Milano is one of Italy’s most prestigious courses. Wending its way through relatively flat terrain, each hole is flanked by mature trees, helping give them shape and definition.
The venue produced some of the most memorable scenes in Italian golfing history last year when Ryder Cup star Francesco Molinari pipped the then Masters Champion Danny Willett to the title in front of thousands of ecstatic fans.
The home hero recorded a closing 65 to get to 22 under and beat Willett by one shot, becoming the first Italian to win his national Open twice since the event became part of the European Tour in 1972.
The 2006 champion also became the first Italian to win any European Tour event twice, his 2016 victory coming a year after Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg beat two-time Major champion Martin Kaymer in a play-off at the Milan venue to claim his maiden European Tour title.
Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer of the European Tour, said: “We are delighted to be returning to Golf Club Milano, one of Italy’s great golf courses, which produced a dramatic finale last year with Francesco’s triumph.
“With the tournament now being part of our Rolex Series and with the field competing for a prize fund of $7 million, I am certain that another thrilling chapter in the history of Italian golf will be written in October.”
