If there is one photograph that reminds the golf world of Italy’s affable Costantino Rocca then it’s the shot taken on the final day of the 1995 Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Needing to birdie the last on the Old Course to force a play-off with American John Daly, Rocca holed out from the infamous ‘Valley of Sin’.

As the crowd jumped to their feet roaring with delight, Rocca slumped down on his knees before throwing both arms joyfully skyward.

The photograph now appears on the front cover of Rocca’s autobiography that was officially launched today within the exhibition area at the BMW Italian Open.

“The photograph of me at the British Open in 1995 sort of defined my career on the European Tour,” said Rocca.

“Of course, the picture reminds me of happiness and also sadness.  I went on to lose the Major but holing that putt was a big moment for me in my career.

“I am very pleased and also very proud of the book.

“Of course, the book is all about my golfing life from when and how I got started, and even though it’s in Italian, it is very to read.”

And there’s a story on Seve Ballesteros that Rocca retells in his book.

“I put in the story about when Seve hit this woman on the left breast when we were playing in Munich,” said Rocca.

“The lady looked in a lot in pain and she asked who the player was that hit the ball, and someone said it was Seve.

“She said:  ‘Oh, I am very lucky’.  Seve then came up to her and was very nice to her and all of a sudden she had forgotten about her pain.”

Rocca was born in 1956 in Bergamo and turned professional at age 21.

He has won 14 times in his professional career – five wins on the European Tour, two Senior Tour wins and seven other victories.