Robert MacIntyre threw down a Ryder Cup marker by beating Matt Fitzpatrick in a play-off to win the Italian Open. The tournament's venue, Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, will play host to the Ryder Cup in little over a year — and it will witness high drama if the final day of the Italian Open is anything to go by.
Ad Rory McIlroy and Fitzpatrick were in the field to get a sighter, as well as to win, and they were expected to fight things out after starting the final round at the top of the leaderboard.
DS Automobiles Italian Open'It is a big motivation' — Molinari has sights trained on home Ryder Cup spotA DAY AGO But it was MacIntyre who surged from three behind overnight leader Fitzpatrick to force a play-off and out-duel the US Open champion to claim a brilliant win — his second on the DP World Tour.
MacIntyre went on a blitz midway through the front nine, with three birdies in a row from a combined putting distance of under six feet as he peppered the flags in stunning fashion.