Daniel Vancsik wins BMW Italian Open

Argentina’s Daniel Vancsik fired a scintillating final round of 65 to win the BMW Italian Open by six shots from John Daly, Raphael Jacquelin and Robert Rock.

Daniel Vancsik
Fergus Bisset
By Fergus Bisset
published

Argentina’s Daniel Vancsik fired a scintillating final round of 65 to win the BMW Italian Open by six shots from John Daly, Raphael Jacquelin and Robert Rock.

The 32-year-old began the last round one shot clear of Roope Kakko of Finland, but his lead rapidly extended as he birdied four of the first six holes racing to the turn in just 32 shots.

Vancsik kept his foot to the floor on the back nine and strolled home six shots clear of the field. "My putting was fantastic," he said. "I played more aggressive and thought if I got to six or seven under on the day the tournament is for me.”

It was a second European Tour title for Vancsik after he claimed the Madeira Islands Open of 2007. It was an upset for the form-books as, prior to this week, Vancsik hadn’t finished in the top-10 on the European Tour for over a year and his World Ranking had slipped to 420. But, the Argenitian played with the composure of a proven winner through the week and never looked like being threatened during the final 18-holes. With the win he climbed to 44th in the Race to Dubai.

John Daly, playing in his second European Tour event of 2009 finished strongly, coming home in 31 for a closing 66 to climb into a share of second place with Raphael Jacquelin of France and England’s Robert Rock.

BMW Italian Open Royal Park I Roveri, Torino, Italy May 7-10, purse €1,297,620, par 71 1    Daniel Vancsik (Arg)    68    65    69    65    267    €216,660 T2    John Daly (USA)        69    69    69    66    273    €96,940 T2    Raphael Jacquelin (Fra)    67    70    68    68    273    €96,940 T2    Robert Rock (Eng)    72    65    68    68    273    €96,940 5    Thomas Aiken (RSA)    68    70    66    70    274    €55,120 T6    Thomas Bjorn (Den)    71    67    68    69    275    €42,250 T6    Francesco Molinari (Ita)    68    69    73    65    275    €42,250 T8    Julien Clement (Sui)    70    67    69    70    276    €25,805 T8    Robert Dinwiddie (Eng)    72    67    68    69    276    €25,805 T8    Alastair Forsyth (Sco)    73    68    67    68    276    €25,805 T8    Roope Kakko (Fin)    71    64    68    73    276    €25,805 T8    Gareth Maybin (NIR)    64    70    70    72    276    €25,805 T8    Peter O’Malley (Aus)    74    68    64    70    276    €25,805      Note: Players in bold signifies Titleist ball usage only

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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