Adrien Saddier won his first DP World Tour title on his 200th start as he staged a thrilling back nine comeback to win the Italian Open.
The Frenchman, whose last professional victory was at the 2016 Challenge de España on the HotelPlanner Tour, started the day at Argentario Golf Club one stroke behind compatriot Martin Couvra, who won his maiden DP World Tour title at last month’s Turkish Airlines Open.
The 33-year-old found himself three strokes behind his compatriot at the turn after playing the front nine in one over par, but moved back into contention with birdies at the tenth and 11th to return the deficit to just one shot.
Three holes later he held the lead for the first time after gains at the 13th and 14th. His advantage then increased to three after a birdie at the 16th, his fifth on the back nine, was coupled with a bogey by Couvra on the same hole.
Couvra birdied the last to reduce the deficit to two, but Saddier parred the 18th to come home in just 30 strokes, signing for a four under par round of 66 and becoming the 14th first-time winner on the 2025 Race to Dubai.
“It was a wait,” Saddier said afterwards. “It was a long time to finally have the trophy in my hands, but sometimes you have to work hard and go through dark moments. You have to appreciate the journey and I’m really happy today.
“The first nine was pretty tricky, the other guys started to make some mistakes and I just started playing nicely on the back nine and kept the momentum going until the end. It was my day.
“It was pretty tough, you can have all the thoughts in your head and you try not to think about what can happen and stay in the present. I did that well today, it was a good job.
“It was nice to play with a French guy today, just to chat and relax. He started really well so I just tried to stay in my own way. Then they made mistakes and I made birdies on the back nine and it went my way.”
Both Saddier and Couvra have earned places at The 153rd Open as part of the Open Qualifying Series, and Couvra received the Memorial Franco Chimenti award as the best-performing player born after January 1, 2000. The award was created in memory of former Italian Golf Federation President Franco Chimenti, who passed away last year.
“It’s a dream to play The Open,” Couvra said. “It will be nice to play at Royal Portrush, I think it’s one of the best venues for The Open. It’s really a dream for me to play this one.
“(On the Memorial Franco Chimenti) I’m really proud to be the first player to receive this. It’s such a good prize and such a good event, I’m so proud.
“I just try to keep enjoying life on Tour. I know I’m playing well at the moment. We have some really nice work with my team, I’m just trying to keep enjoying and keep smiling.”
Englishman Dan Bradbury and Scotland’s Calum Hill shared third place on ten under par, with Clément Sordet of France and Germany’s Nicolai von Dellingshausen one stroke further back on nine under.
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