Scotland’s Scott Jamieson pulled off his own ‘Italian Job’ and heads to Tour HQ this week now inside the cut-off mark for those who’ll retain full 2022 European Tour membership.
Jamieson grabbed six birdies, including five from the third to ninth holes, in a closing four-under 67 and finished in a share of eighth place at nine-under par in the 78th DS Automobiles Italian Open on Rome’s Marco Simone course that will play host to the 2023 Ryder Cup.
The effort is the Florida-based Scot’s best finish since a share of sixth at last November’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa.
Scott Jamieson secures his best Tour result in 10 months with his share of eighth at the 78th Italian Open. (Photo – European Tour/Getty)
Pro golf history was created when Dane Nicolai Hogjaard birdied the last to capture a maiden Tour victory and a week after his 21-year-old twin brother, Rasmus captured the European Masters in Switzerland.
Nicolai posted a final round 71 to win by a shot at 13-under par from Tommy Fleetwood (71) and Poland’s Adrian Meronk (66) who shared second on 12-under par.
Top-Dane Thomas Bjorn tweeted: “Brothers. Twin. Back to Back wins. These two are something else. Amazing achievement. Congratulations Nico”.
Jamieson arrived in the Italian capital lying 133rd on the Race to Dubai money list and now heads to Wentworth and this week’s BMW PGA up 24 spots to be now ranked 109th on the money list.
He said: “I am certainly in a good spot and to finish top-10 would help me out nicely in terms of the bigger picture for me this year.
“It’s been a good week and nice to be playing a bit better. I started playing better in Northern Ireland (ISPS Handa World Invitational) but then got off to a terrible start on day two there at Galgorm to miss the cut.
“I then went to Scotland (Hero Open) and I was on the other side of the draw and it was like four-and-a-half shots harder, and I missed the cut by one. So, I felt my game was good enough to be there at the Fairmont for the weekend.
“Last week was good, playing all four rounds and this week, I drove the ball really well and gave myself a lot of opportunities to make birdie. My iron play still needs some work but I also putted really well this week”.
In fact, Jamieson grabbed 19 birdies over the four rounds and an effort he’s hoping to repeat in this week’s £stg 5.77 Rolex Series event on the ‘Burma Road’ West Course at Wentworth.
Jamieson said: “I drove the ball really well here in Italy and if I can drive it like that at Wentworth, and you do need to drive the ball well, then I should be in pretty good shape.
“That is one of the biggest demands in playing the West Course and that’s getting the ball in play off the tee, so long may that continue”.
And Scott has fond memories of five-years ago when he grabbed a first Tour hole-in-one on day two of the 2016 BMW PGA to win himself a £stg 45,000 BMW M2.
Jamieson, who was driving a Mercedes at the time, was asked if he still had the car.
He said (laughing): “No, I let it go as it wouldn’t fit in the container when we moved to the U.S.”
Fellow Scots Grant Forrest and Calum Hill with 66s shared 34th place on three-under par.
