In Shenzen, Guido Migliozzi came close to victory in the Volvo China Open, finishing with a total of 199 (65 67 67, -17) strokes, just one stroke behind the winner, Adrian Otaegui, who finished with 198 (67 66 65, -18) strokes. The DP World Tour event, reduced from 72 to 54 holes due to weather conditions (the “moving day” was canceled), provided excitement and turnarounds in the final 18 holes.
At the Hidden Grace Golf Club (par 72) course, Migliozzi from Vicenza climbed from 3rd position and, after his fifth birdie of the day (six in total), reached the top at the 16th hole (par 3). However, he suffered a costly bogey at the 17th hole (par 5) before finishing strong with a birdie from long distance.
Guido Migliozzi, results
With this result, the 27-year-old from Vicenza has improved his chances of qualifying for the Paris Olympics, with the qualification deadline set for June 17. Otaegui, the Spanish golfer, secured victory with a bogey-free round of 65 (-7), with crucial birdies on the 16th and 17th holes. This marks Otaegui’s fifth career victory on the DP World Tour and his first since October 2022 (Andalucia Masters).
“I am extremely happy. I have been waiting for this victory for a long time, and it came from behind. I never looked at the leaderboard, just taking it shot by shot. My short game supported me,” said the Spaniard, whose victory also secured him third place in the special Asian Swing standings, earning one of the three spots available for the PGA Championship, the second men’s Major of 2024 scheduled from May 16 to 19 in Louisville, the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The other two spots went to the Swedish Sebastian Soderberg, who finished third in China with 200 (-16) after leading the first two rounds, and the Japanese Keita Nakajima.
For Migliozzi, this is his best result of 2024 so far, following his 13th place in the Dubai Invitational last January and 16th place in the Porsche Singapore Classic. After a challenging 2023 season (with only one Top 10 finish, 10th place in the BMW International Open), the Venetian golfer has bounced back in China with a strong performance, recording 20 birdies and 3 bogeys (one per round). His last victory on the circuit was at the Open de France in September 2022.
As for other Italians in China, Matteo Manassero had a strong finish, climbing 35 positions to finish the tournament tied for 23rd place with a score of 208 (72 69 67, -8), alongside Lorenzo Scalise. Andrea Pavan finished 35th with 209 (-7).
Edoardo Molinari and Filippo Celli finished 50th with 211 (-5) strokes each.
Otaegui’s victory earned him $382,500 out of a total prize pool of $2,250,000, while Migliozzi earned $247,500 (€230,543.03), moving from 81st to 26th in the Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour’s Order of Merit, where Manassero currently holds the 14th position.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login