In a whirlwind of birdies and an electrifying eagle, Antoine Rozner blitzed his way to a course-record 62 at the Adriatic Golf Club, propelling himself into a gripping four-way tie atop the leaderboard heading into the final round of the Italian Open presented by Regione Emilia-Romagna.
The Frenchman’s journey from the brink of missing the cut to commanding the leaderboard was nothing short of remarkable.
Starting early in the day, Rozner’s spectacular performance saw him carding an astounding nine-under-par round, setting a formidable clubhouse target of ten under par.
His front nine was steady, punctuated by birdies on the third, sixth, and seventh holes, setting the stage for a dramatic back nine surge.
Rozner’s momentum surged further as he navigated the back nine with surgical precision, amassing birdies and culminating in a breathtaking eagle on the 15th hole.
His six-under-par back nine left the field in awe, with his scorecard finalized hours before the final groups teed off.
Antoine Rozner: “Out of all the birdies I’ve made this week so far, the one on 18 yesterday was huge.
I bogeyed 17 to be out of the cut line and I had no other choice but to hit the pin, make the putt and that’s what I did.
I got back this morning with the mindset of having nothing to lose. The conditions were lovely, the greens were pure. I took advantage of it, it was an amazing day.
“In my game it was just holing putts. I struggled a little bit on the greens during the first two days.
Today, I was just rolling it very nicely. It was really nice. I trusted myself a bit more on the reads and committed a little bit more to my lines, that was a big difference to the mindset and hopefully I can bring that in tomorrow.”
Joining Rozner at the pinnacle of the leaderboard are seasoned competitors Marcel Siem of Germany, showing resilience after recovering from hip surgery, and Shubhankar Sharma, the 2018 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, alongside Danish newcomer Sebastian Friedrichsen. Each poised at ten under par, these contenders promise a fiercely competitive final day in Emilia-Romagna.
Not far behind, Adrian Otaegui, fresh from his recent triumph at the Volvo China Open, looms just one stroke off the lead at nine under par.
Meanwhile, local favourite Gregorio De Leo and a spirited pack including Joel Girrbach of Switzerland and England’s Andrew Wilson, share sixth place at eight under par, ensuring a dramatic chase for the coveted Italian Open title.
Beyond the glory of lifting the Italian Open trophy, the stakes are raised with two spots up for grabs in The Open, courtesy of The Open Qualifying Series.
With Sharma and Siem already securing their spots at Royal Troon, the battle for these coveted exemptions intensifies among the contenders vying for Major Championship glory.
As the tension mounts and the Adriatic Golf Club awaits the final showdown, golf enthusiasts worldwide brace for what promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the Italian Open.
