John Parry’s been on fire this season, and his win at the Italian Challenge Open at Argentario Golf Club was the cherry on top of what’s already been a stellar year.
Coming into the final round in Tuscany with a two-shot lead, Parry held his nerve on yet another low-scoring day, finishing with a tidy three-under 68 to claim victory by a single stroke over South African Justin Walters.
That third win of the season not only hands Parry automatic promotion to the DP World Tour but also cements his place at the top of the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
Now, here’s the thing: this isn’t just any win. It’s a career reviver for Parry, a guy who hadn’t seen the winner’s circle since 2010. So yeah, this one’s special.
“It’s fantastic,” Parry said afterwards. “I’ve got a free hit on the DP World Tour now for the rest of the season where you never know what can happen, and I’ve obviously got next year as well.”
Parry admitted it wasn’t all smooth sailing, especially after taking the lead on day three. “Since I took the lead on day three, it’s been a bit of a grind but I’m obviously really happy.”
But with his eye on the prize and Walters keeping the pressure on, Parry managed to stay in control. “I wanted to try to get to 20 under par, and I thought if I got there someone would have to do very well to catch me.
I wasn’t quite able to do that, and it was only really Justin that was pushing me at the end, so I could keep an eye on his score and play to that.”
For a guy who went nearly 13 years between wins, 2024 has been a revelation. “Because it’s been a while since I’ve won before this year, it gives you that little spark that you can still do it,” Parry said.
“The other thing this season has done is help me to find that consistency. I’ve never won more than once before in a season so to win three times is a goal that I didn’t think was achievable. I’m over the moon.”
But Parry wasn’t the only one lighting it up at Argentario. Germany’s Nicolai von Dellingshausen came out swinging on the final day, carding a six-under 65 to take solo third. Spaniard Angel Ayora was right there too, matching that 65 to finish fourth, just one stroke back.
This result shakes up the Road to Mallorca Rankings in a big way. Parry’s sitting pretty in first place now with 1,499 points, while Neergaard-Petersen slips to second with 1,442.
Ayora’s strong finish bumps him to a season-high sixth place, and von Dellingshausen jumps ten spots to 19th.
Next up on the Road to Mallorca is the Swiss Challenge at Golf Saint Apollinaire, running from September 26-29, 2024.
With Parry on a hot streak, it’ll be exciting to see how he stacks up against the rest of the field as he makes his push toward even bigger things on the DP World Tour.
