| -14 R MacIntyre (Sco) M Fitzpatrick (Eng) - McIntyre won at first play-off hole; -13 V Perez (Fra); -12 R McIlroy (NI); -11 L Herbert (Aus), A Rai (Eng); -7 K Kitayama (US); -8 T Hatton (Eng); -8 J Campillo (Spa), O Bekker (SA) |
| Selected others: -6 E Pepperell (Eng), J Smith (Eng); -5 S Jamieson (Sco), T Lewis (Eng); -1 F Molinari (Ita) |
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Robert MacIntyre beat Matt Fitzpatrick on the first play-off hole to win the Italian Open.
McIntyre had 10 birdies in a closing seven-under-par 64.
McIntyre led by three but bogeyed 14 and 15 as Fitzpatrick's eagle on 12 drew him level.
Finding water on 16 ended his hopes of catching up to 12 under.
Victor Perez needed a par at the final hole to join MacIntyre and Fitzpatrick in the play-off, but had to settle for a third-place finish.
MacIntyre's only previous victory on the World Tour was at the Cyprus Showdown in November 2020 but this was more significant because it was at the Marco Simone Club, which will host the 2020 Ryder Cup.
MacIntyre's victory earns him crucial Ryder Cup points and he will have high hopes of becoming a member of the European team in Rome next year.
MacIntyre spoke to Sky Sports after his victory.
The Scot, who was as high as 42nd in the world rankings 18 months ago, went into this week in 112th spot after only one top 10 finish this season.
I was down and out for a bit. I didn't know what I was doing, didn't know where to go, but we spoke to the right people, and I've hit two of the perfect golf shots into the last there.
After his stunning front-nine play as a series of magnificent approaches yielded four 'kick-in' birdies, the Scot looked to be wobbling on the back nine as a poor drive on 14 and a missed putt resulted in bogeys.
A big drive at his 72nd hole helped him get his four at the last, as well as a crucial up and down for a bogey at the 16th.
I hit a bad shot that I thought was against the wall, but we dug in. Never give up, that's my attitude. MacIntyre said that he punches back when he gets punched.
Fitzpatrick struggled on the greens early on as he parred his first 10 holes, but his second shot at the par-five net hit the pin and he holed a six-foot eagle putt on the 11th.
The Englishman looked in control of the tournament as he stood on 14 under par on the 17th tee, but a terrible tee shot on the final hole cost him the title.
Fitzpatrick's ball went way left into rough on the first play-off hole, and he appeared to be disturbed by the click of a camera.
MacIntyre got up and down from the edge of the green with his three-foot putt as he was unable to reach the green in two.
The world number two's round got off to a bad start as he double bogeyed the first after a wild drive and a three putt, but a back-nine surge of three birdies in four holes from the 12th suddenly had him only a shot behind MacIntyre and
After a fine recovery shot on the par-four 16th, which found the lake on the par-four 16th with him unable to rescue par, he missed from eight feet on the 17th.
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