Bernd Wiesberger has won the Italian Open following a superb final round to win by a shot ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick. Going into the final round, Englishman Fitzpatrick was the leader by one-shot and made a confident start at the Olgiata Golf Club in Rome after birdieing the second.
However, Wiesberger, already a two-time winner on the European Tour this year, began his ascent early in the round by scoring a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth and another at the ninth to turn out a front nine score of 31. The ninth was when things began to unravel for Fitzpatrick, with his wild tee shot hitting a cart patch which saw it launch out of bounds – the hole ending with a double bogey.
Wiesberger extended his advantage by birdieing the short 14th and he grabbed another one on the 16th to reach 16-under – enough to be a winning score. Fitzpatrick’s hopes of a first win in 11 months were given a boost when he birdied the 13th and 15th as it went down to a head-to-head showdown with others unable to keep the pace.
Despite poor tee shots on the final two holes, Wiesberger’s short game rescued him and he held his nerve to seal the title, with Fitzpatrick unable to get a birdie on the last.
