European Tour hits Milan for Italian Open
IN: News | European PGA | Italian Open (2005) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 05 May 2005
The European Tour leaves Asia for the last time in the 2005 season and heads back to Europe for this week's Telecom Italia Open at the Castello di Tolcinasco Golf & Country Club in Milan.
The course is an Arnold Palmer designed layout opened in 1993 and was as the venue for the event for the first time last year. Pencross greens and Fescue / Poa fairways feature on the generally flat layout.
Last year's winner Graeme McDowell, who perhaps surprised with the quality of his play at the Players Championship in the US recently, is here to defend but his form since that great week at Sawgrass has been less than ordinary. He is, however, the second highest ranked player here this week after Angel Cabrera and on that alone, along with perhaps his disclosed form on the course, he deserves consideration.
Angel Cabrera played well early in the season in the US but has lost his way of late and he is playing here for the first time since Augusta. He was fourth here last year which suggests that if he has had time to recharge the batteries fully since Augusta he can contend here. At number 33 in the world, he has some game.
Mark Calcavecchia is the token American in the field as an invite. His form of late has not been great but not bad either with a 12th place at the Players and runner up in Tucson. He has shown a capacity to win when he travels (Korea a couple of years ago, in Australia and of course the British Open) so he should give the tournament organisers some bang for their buck. He does, however, have the distraction of getting married this week following the first round of the event so if he can play at his best given the obvious demands on his time then he deserves the title.
Niclas Fasth has already won this season in New Zealand. His form since then has remained solid and now that he is focused in Europe again I think he has a great chance here. He has had a two week break to refresh rather than head to Asia.
Gregory Havret won his only European Tour event at the Italian Open in 2001 and apart from two missed cuts in Portugal and Spain last month he has played well in 2005. He has had eight top twenties in eleven starts this season and a win here would not surprise.
It's a bit hard to get too confident about many of the others although several are capable of winning.
The Australasians are here in limited numbers with only Stephen Scahill, Terry Price and Gareth Paddison lining up. The Australasians will be back in force next week at the Forest of Arden for the Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters.
