Andrea Pavan, the two-time DP World Tour winner, made a strong statement on the opening day of the Italian Open presented by Regione Emilia-Romagna.
Playing in his home national open for the 13th time, Pavan dazzled the crowd at Adriatic Golf Club Cervia with a stunning seven-under-par 64, sharing the first-round lead.
Pavan’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. He kicked off his round with four birdies on the front nine, adding three more on the back nine to complete a bogey-free round.
This impressive start is a continuation of his fine form, having recently finished fourth at the KLM Open.
His return to the DP World Tour card for 2024, after securing eighth place on the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca last season, seems to have given him the momentum needed to chase his first Tour win since the 2019 BMW International Open.
Andrea Pavan: “You try (and carry momentum). In this game, it’s tough but you just try your best and sometimes you’re playing well and can carry on.
Sometimes you get the most out of your game, but every week is different.
“I haven’t played here in a long time, so I felt like I didn’t really know the course.
But today was good, I played very well. I was in position and hit it close. The course isn’t very long but you still have to play well.”
Pavan is not alone at the top. Denmark’s Sebastian Friedrichsen and the American Gunner Wiebe also posted seven-under-par rounds.
Wiebe managed a bogey-free round as well, while Friedrichsen tallied eight birdies against a single bogey.
The competition remains tight with Malaysia’s Gavin Green and Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult sitting just one shot back at six-under-par.
Kinhult, who finished runner-up at the KLM Open, continued his strong play.
Italian fans had more to cheer about with Francesco Laporta tied for fifth at five-under-par, alongside Spain’s Adri Arnaus and Adrian Otaegui, Canada’s Aaron Cockerill, American Sean Crocker, and Frenchman Ugo Coussaud.
With Pavan leading the charge, the Italian Open is off to a thrilling start. The home favourite’s impressive form, combined with strong showings from international players, sets the stage for an exciting battle over the next three rounds.
