Bob MacIntyre pips Matt Fizpatrick in play-off to win Italian Open

Bob MacIntyre celebrates a birdie putt on the 13th hole in the final round of the DS Automobiles Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

Bob MacIntyre landed his second DP World Tour title after holding off US Open champion Matt Fitzpatick and FedEx Cup winner Rory McIlroy in a thrilling final day in the DS Automobiles Italian Open.

The 26-year-old from Oban signed off with a sensational seven-under-par 64 at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome - venue for next year’s Ryder Cup - to finish in a tie with Fitzpatrick on 14-under after the Englishman came home in 32 for a closing 67.

Both players birdied the par-5 18th to end up a shot ahead of Dundee-based Frenchman Victor Perez (66), with McIlroy one further back after a 68 that included four birdies in the last six holes but also a costly bogey after finding water with his tee shot at the 16th.

After being put off by a noise near the 18th tee, Fitzpatrick pulled his drive at the first play-off into the rough and then pushed a 5-wood right of the green, meaning it was advantage MacIntyre as he followed a fine drive by then finding the apron with another confident blow in a pressure situation.

Matthew Fitzpatrick with his caddie Billy Foster during the final round of the DS Automobiles Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf Club. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

Fitzpatrick’s pitch left him with a 12-footer, but he couldn’t convert that for a birdie, leaving MacIntyre to hole from around a foot to clinch his title triumph following a lovely chip.

“This means everything,” said a smiling MacIntyre of adding to his breakthrough win in the Cyprus Showdown in 2020. “I was down and out about two or three months ago - I didn’t know what I was doing and didn’t know where to go.

“But we spoke to the right people and I started working with Simon Shanks. I mean, I’ve hit two perfect golf shots into the last there.

“There’s so much hard work gone into this. Mike [Thomson, his caddie], Stuart [Morgan, his performance coach], my family, my friends - absolutely everyone.

Rory McIlroy greets fans during the final round of the DS Automobiles Italian Open. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

“About three weeks ago, we started doing Decade (a course management system) with Scott Fawcett and we stuck to that to the absolute number the last couple of weeks. My approach play has gone up a notch and it’s showed today.”

MacIntyre, who started the day three shots behind overnight leader Fitzpatrick, burst out of the blocks by holing from 24 feet for an opening birdie before making a great par save from sand at the second.

As McIlroy, who was in the final group with Fitzpatrick and fomer Scottish Open champion Aaron Rai, opened with a double-bogey 6 that stemmed from a wayward tee shot, the Scot then produced an iron play masterclass on his outward journey.

His approach at the third was sent to nine feet for a second birdie of the day before a second shot from 187 yards was spun back to three feet at the fifth, moving him into a share of the lead with both Fitzpatrick and Perez on 10-under.

He was even closer with another approach that spun back nicely at the sixth and was even closer again with his tee shot at the short seventh after it landed at the top of a ridge and rolled down over a second one for a tap-in to make it three birdies in a row.