In a day that the attending spectators would have hoped for an Italian winner, it was Frenchman Julien Quesne who climbed to the summit of the leaderboard after a stunning back nine, to claim the 70° Open d’Italia Lindt at Golf Club Torino.
The 33-year-old started the day four shots off the overnight lead held by Marcus Fraser, and his challenge looked to be over after a double bogey at the second. However, the winner of the Open de Andalucia in 2012, would show tremendous reslience and bounced back with birdies at the fouth and sixth. After completing an even par front nine of 36, the Le Mans born player would unleash a quite brilliant barrage of birdies on the back nine. After picking up shots at the 10th and 11th, Quense would sensationally birdie three of his final four holes to set the target at 12-under.
Moments after Quense set that total, 54-hole leader Marcus Fraser, who was at 12-under, three-putted the 15th, before dropping another shot at the 16th. Eventually, the Australian would settle for a final round of 74 and a tie for eighth place.
In the end, none of the remaining players on the course could match that total, and Quense’s final round of 67 was enough to see him clinch a second title on the European Tour.
“I am very proud of this back nine. My attitude was very good this week and I think this is the key,” Quesne revealed. “To enjoy a second win on The European Tour is like a dream for me.
”After my double bogey I just kept calm. I was thinking the winner would be 15 under and I was only five under. I thought 'just keep working and we will see what happens'.
”Then, when I got to the 16th green I looked up at the leaderboard and realised that I was just two shots off the lead and I knew that I still had a chance. I made a great putt there from five metres to save par and to make two birdies to finish was very special. When I made the birdie on 17 I thought that if I could get to 12 under then I would have the chance at least to get into a play-off. You never know in golf, so I am proud that I kept the attitude the way I did because I always knew that I was never out of the tournament.
”I am surprised to be here. The flags were very difficult all week so it was very difficult to make birdies and easy to make some bogeys.
”It was also really special to have my family with me – they make me stronger when they are with me and it is an amazing feeling to be able to celebrate here with them.”
Quesne moves up to 41st in the Race to Dubai after this victory, with the top 60 qualifying for the lucrative DP World Tour Championship in Dubai at the end of the season.
As for his goals for the remainder of the season, Quesne said: “I have had a great season this year – it has been a very consistent season with six top tens before this week and now it has become an amazing season. I can now play so many of the biggest events at the end of the year and try to finish as high as I can on The Race to Dubai.”
David Higgins and Steve Webster finished one shot back of Quesne at 11-under, and it’s a second place that takes Higgins to 111th in the Race to Dubai. The top 100, after the Perth International in a few weeks will retain their playing rights for 2014, and the Irishman will be hoping to make it through in order to avoid a 14th visit to Qualifying School.
“I was very lucky on the last, I hit an awful tee shot but got a good lie in the fairway bunker,” said the 40-year-old. “You still have to play the shot and I did and got the putt so I was delighted.
”I thought 'How many chances am I going to get of maybe tying for the lead?' so I said 'come on, you've got to at least give it a good run and be positive with it', and it went right in the middle.
”I had good practice rounds at the start of the week and I am proud of myself for taking that into the competition itself. I haven't had a finish like this in 17 years so I am delighted. I can do it and I just have to do it more often I guess.”
For two-time European Tour winner Steve Webster, he can take positives from a largely pain free tournament after having battled with a wrist injury all year. “It's the first time I have played for four months without pulling out of a shot or feeling 70 per cent so hopefully this is a big turning point for me now.”
Home fans had placed their hopes upon Francesco Molinari, who became a member of this course when he was just eight years old. However, the 30-year-old two-time Ryder Cup player would unfortunately succumb to a final round of 74, with a back nine of 39 seeing him fall from a contending position into a tie for 16th at seven-under.
Next week, the European Tour travels to Scotland for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which is always among the highlights of the schedule each year.