Italian Open: Rikard Karlberg With Strong Start As Defending Champion
As play got underway at the Italian Open, there were thrills for the locals and a defending champion who doesn’t want to give up his trophy.
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With a boost in the prize money on offer at the Italian Open starting from this year, there was a top class field on hand for the start of action in Monza on Thursday.
Unfortunately for the sizeable crowds in attendance, the weather conditions prevented many of the most high profile late starters from getting more than a couple of holes under their belts on day one though.
Still, for those who did get to complete their opening round as planned on Thursday, the heavy rain that led to the delay played to their advantage with ideal scoring conditions.
The defending champion Rikard Karlberg and Italian hero Francesco Molinari were the two star performers early on, but the stellar play extended far beyond them too.
The likes of Richard Bland, Alejandro Canizares and David Horsey all continued their good form from last week, while Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood, Chris Wood and Rafa Cabrera Bello all started with solid but unspectacular openings too.
What are the biggest stories and takeaways coming out of day one of the Italian Open though? Let’s take a look at three of the leading contenders.
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Rikard Karlberg Chasing Glory Again
As I mentioned while including Karlberg in my Italian Open Power Rankings earlier in the week, although the Swede hasn’t quite been playing at the level that he would have expected of himself of late, there was always a chance that a return to the Italian Open could spur him on.
When the 29-year-old took to the course at the Golf Club Milano on Thursday, the memories of his victory last year were clearly fuelling him to find his best golf. The Swede put on a great display of ball striking as the soft conditions allowed him to take aim at the pins and his putting took care of the rest.
Karlberg only had one blemish on his card for his opening round thanks to a bogey on the eighth hole (his penultimate of the day), but immediately bounced back to close with an emphatic eagle on the ninth and an opening round of 64.
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Francesco Molinari Offers Home Crowd Hope
Plying his trade primarily on the PGA Tour now, it’s not often that Francesco Molinari can be seen on the European Tour but when he returns to the continent for his home tournament there should never be any doubt about his determination to put on a strong performance.
Molinari won the Italian Open for his first tour victory way back in 2006 and after a strong start on this occasion he’ll be hoping to do so again this weekend. Molinari went around Monza in a bogey-free, six-under-par round of 65 on Thursday giving him a strong foundation to build upon.
Molinari finished second at the French Open in his last regular European Tour start this season, and has racked up three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour on the season too. Molinari’s not at the peak of his powers that twice saw him on winning European Ryder Cup sides, but he knows what it takes to get across the line. After Joost Luiten’s win last week, who knows, maybe there’s something in the air for local winners?
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Weather Dictating Play So Far
A weather delay is never a good way for a tournament to begin, but after only a handful of players had gone out on the course for their opening round on Thursday, that’s exactly what the Italian Open organizers were forced to deal with.
Play was suspended for just under five hours in total, ensuring that there was no chance of the entire field getting through their opening rounds on the original schedule.
More than adding to the strain of trying to squeeze extra golf in on Friday, there was a more instant impact of the weather too. With the course left soft after heavy rain, the combination of balls stopping dead when they pitched on the green and lift, clean and place lies being enacted meant that scoring conditions couldn’t be any easier for the players who did get around on Thursday.
(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Italian Open – Day 1 Leaderboard
1 Rikard Karlberg – 64 (-7)
2 Francesco Molinari – 65 (-6)
T3 Robert Karlsson – 66 (-5)
T3 Adrian Otaegui – 66 (-5)
T5 Alejandro Canizares – 67 (-4)
T5 David Horsey – 67 (-4)
T5 Jason Scrivener – 67 (-4)
T5 Romain Wattell – 67 (-4)
T5 Jamie McLeary – 67 (-4)
T5 Richard Bland – 67 (-4)
T5 Rhys Davies – 67 (-4)
T5 Daniel Im – 67 (-4)
T5 Federico Zucchetti (A) – 67 (-4)
Play will resume for the completion of round one and the second round action at 7.30am local time.
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