The Olgiata Golf Club near Rome is the venue for the fifth event of the Rolex Series and the Race to Dubai.
Located 15 miles north of Rome along the Via Cassia, Olgiata is a tree-lined parkland course. The West course today is 7,523 yards long from the back tees and is one of the few par 73 courses in Italy. Originally built in 1961, it underwent major renovation in 2010 – this will be the third time that it’s staged the Italian Open. The course features undulating fairways, changes of elevation and strategically placed bunkers and water hazards. It’s been compared to Wentworth in its lay-out but the green are very fast, even in the autumn.
Italian Open Winners Since 2000
| Year | Winner | Country | Score | Under par | Winning Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open d’Italia | |||||
| 2018 | Thorbjorn Olesen | Denmark | 262 | -22 | 1 stroke |
| 2017 | Tyrell Hatton | England | 263 | -21 | 1 stroke |
| 2016 | Francesco Molinari | Italy | 262 | −22 | 1 stroke |
| 2015 | Rikard Karlberg | Sweden | 269 | −19 | Play-off |
| 2014 | Hennie Otto | South Africa | 268 | −20 | 2 strokes |
| Open d’Italia Lindt | |||||
| 2013 | Julien Quesne | France | 276 | −12 | 1 stroke |
| BMW Italian Open | |||||
| 2012 | Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño | Spain | 264 | −24 | 2 strokes |
| 2011 | Robert Rock | England | 267 | −21 | 1 stroke |
| 2010 | Fredrik Andersson Hed | Sweden | 268 | −16 | 2 strokes |
| 2009 | Daniel Vancsik | Argentina | 267 | −17 | 6 strokes |
| Methorios Capital Italian Open | |||||
| 2008 | Hennie Otto | South Africa | 263 | −25 | 1 stroke |
| Telecom Italia Open | |||||
| 2007 | Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño | Spain | 200 (3 rounds) | −16 | Play-off |
| 2006 | Francesco Molinari | Italy | 265 | −23 | 4 strokes |
| 2005 | Steve Webster | England | 270 | −18 | 3 strokes |
| 2004 | Graeme McDowell | Northern Ireland | 197* | −19 | Play-off |
| Italian Open Telecom Italia | |||||
| 2003 | Mathias Grönberg | Sweden | 271 | −17 | 2 strokes |
| 2002 | Ian Poulter | England | 197 (3 rounds) | −19 | 2 strokes |
| Atlanet Italian Open | |||||
| 2001 | Grégory Havret | France | 268 | −20 | 1 stroke |
| Italian Open | |||||
| 2000 | Ian Poulter | England | 267 | −21 | 1 stroke |
Ian Poulter and home favourite Francesco Molinari will be both be bidding to win the Italian Open for a third time.
Poulter is 45/1 with Bet365 but won the tournament on the last occasion it was staged at Olgiata. The course has undergone some changes since but the competitions holds special memories for the Englishman as his win in 2000 was his first on the European Tour.
Now 43, Poulter his hoping for a strong end to the season and heads off the Far East and Dubai after he completes in Rome. Ryder Cup points are, of course, at stake and Poulter is hopeful of being involved in Wisconsin next year but he will need to be better than in the BMW PGA Championship last month in which he failed to better 70 in four rounds.
Molinari only lost out by one shot in last year’s Italian Open on the shores of Lake Garda. A general 16/1 to go one better 16 months later, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with if he can recapture the form shown when winning last year’s Open and BMW PGA Championship – he also won the Race to Dubai in 2018. Every event staged in Italy in the next two years will be important with the Ryder Cup due in Rome in 2022.
Edoardo Molinari, the less-famous Molinari brother, won a Challenge Tour event at Olgiata in 2009 and has shown glimpses of his best form in recent months so the 125/1 with Bet365 could be a bit of value.
Sheffield’s Matthew Fitzpatrick could also be worth a second look for each-way purposes – several bookmakers are offering place terms down to eighth place. Fitzpatrick has finished runner-up four times over the last 12 months so is due a change of fortune. He played well at Olgiata on the Challenge Tour in 2014 and has a decent Italian Open record so Ladbrokes’ 25/1 should attract a few punters.
Shane Lowry is an Olgiata rookie but will enjoy the course if it plays like Wentworth.
The Open champion has been playing with plenty of confidence since Portrush and shrugged off slow starts in both the BMW PGA Championship and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to secure a top-20 finish. The Irishman is value at 20/1 with Betvictor.
Local knowledge could help ANDREA PAVAN gain a second win on the European Tour this year at a general 33/1.
Pavan learned his trade at Olgiata and the 30-year-old Tour regular is probably in the form of his life.
In his last six tournaments, he’s only finished outside the top 20 once. He won the BMW International in June and is still based in Rome so will have even more support than the Molinari brothers.
Other big-hitters taking part are Justin Rose, Paul Casey and Danny Willett.
Italian Open Outright Selected Best Odds
Paul Casey 10/1
Justin Rose 12/1
Francesco Molinari 16/1
Shane Lowry 20/1
Danny Willett and Matthew Fitzpatrick 25/1
Matt Wallace 28/1
Tyrrell Hatton, Andrea Pavan and Alex Noren 33/1
Bernd Wiesberger and Erik Van Rooyen 35/1
Haotong Li and Thomas Pieters 40/1
Ian Poulter 45/1
Adri Arnaus, Matthias Schwab, Jordan Smith, Robert Macintyre, Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Joost Luiten 50/1
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 55/1
Martin Kaymer, Rory Sabbatini, Eddie Pepperell, Victor Perez, Joakim Lagergren and Thomas Detry 66/1
Justin Harding 70/1
Paul Waring 75/1
Mikko Korhonen, Marcus Kinhult, Guido Migliozz, Lee Westwood, Andrew Johnston and Sam Horsfield 80/1
(Odds correct at 4.15pm October 8)
