Max Kennedy shot a closing three-under 68 to move inside the top 25 and to the head of the Irish quintet contesting the weekend at the HotelPlanner Tour’s Dutch Futures where Italian Filippo Celli completed an incredible weekend with victory.
Kennedy got off to a hot start in the final round, birdieing three of his first seven holes, but he couldn’t maintain the pace and played the final 11 in level-par, dropping a shot on eight and finally picking it back up on the last.
His tied 23rd finish was enough to see him climb one place in the Road to Mallorca rankings to 26th, three behind Liam Nolan who shot a final-round, two-under 69 to claim a share of 36th.
In between them on the leaderboard in Holland was Jonathan Caldwell who could only manage a closing one-under 70 to finish tied for 29th.
Jack Madden closed out his week with a two-under 69 to end the week in red figures at -1 and sharing 47, while Dermot McElroy finished on +1 and tied for 55th.
But the week belonged to Celli, who birdied three of his final four holes to seal a maiden HotelPlanner Tour title.
The Italian, who started the day with a one-stroke lead, signed for a closing six-under-par round of 65 to finish on -15 for the week, two shots clear of German Hurly Long, who had earlier set the clubhouse lead on 13-under.
Having made three birdies and an eagle on the front, Celli held a three-shot lead as he made the turn. However, bogeys on 10 and 14 dropped the 24-year-old back to 12-under and into solo second.
After picking up a shot on 15 to move level with Long, the Italian produced a pinpoint approach on the par four 17th to set up birdie before he closed out his round with a sixth birdie of the day on the 72nd hole.
“It’s tough to describe the emotions,” he said.
“I was waiting for this moment for a long time, but it’s finally arrived, and I am very happy, especially after the first two rounds. Shooting 15 under over the weekend is very good, so I am very proud of my effort.
“The front nine gave me believe in myself to stay patient on the back nine. I had two bogeys, but I just kept in the present and to finish birdie-birdie helped massively.”
Celli arrived at The Dutch in good form with three top five finishes in his last four starts on the Road to Mallorca, including a runner-up at the Interwetten Open.
After opting to take a week off during last week’s Vierumäki Finnish Challenge supported by Finnish Golf Union, the Italian felt his maiden victory was coming.
“I didn’t know when this was going to come but I’ve been playing very well the last month,” he added.
“Last week I didn’t touch a club and took a break after a lot of tournaments. This week I asked my coach to come and check a couple of things but everything was heading the right way.”
Celli jumps six places to third on the Road to Mallorca Rankings following his victory, and the 24-year-old is eager to finish the year strong with six events before the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A.
“I am very happy but I think there’s six more tournaments so I will try and focus on every week and finish as high as possible on the Rankings,” he said.
“Obviously, golf is very frustrating so I will just focus on being present and as patient as possible.”
Frenchman Oihan Guillamoundeguy and Scotsman Daniel Young share third on ten under par, one shot ahead of American Chase Hanna, Belgian James Meyer de Beco and Scot Euan Walker.
Scotsman David Law remains top of the Road to Mallorca Rankings, with Guillamoundeguy still holding second place. Young moves up three places to fourth, ahead of Englishman Joshua Berry, who drops to fifth.
The Road to Mallorca now heads to Sweden for the Dormy Open at Upsala Golf Club from August 28-31.
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