Italian Open: Englishman Ross McGowan wins first title for 11 years

-20 R McGowan (Eng); -19 L Canter (Eng), N Colsaerts (Bel); -18 S Heisele (Ger); -17 A Arnaus (Spa), D Burmester (SA), J Caldwell (NI), M Kaymer (Ger), K Reitan (Nor)
Selected others: -12 L Westwood (Eng); -11 J Donaldson (Wal); -9 M Wallace (Eng)
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Englishman Ross McGowan ended an 11-year wait for a European Tour title with a one-shot win at the Italian Open in San Vigilio di Pozzolengo, Brescia.

He birdied two of his last three holes to finish on 20 under, one clear of Canter and Nicolas Colsaerts.

It came 11 years and 15 days after he claimed his first European Tour victory at the Madrid Masters.

There were eight players within one shot of top spot before McGowan holed a spectacular bunker shot at the 16th to knock Canter – still seeking his first European Tour title – out of the lead for the first time in over 72 hours.

Canter, runner-up at last month’s Portugal Masters, responded with a birdie from six feet on the par-three 17th but McGowan holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the final green for a one-under 71 at the Chervo Golf Club.

“I hit the ball terrible today but luckily the putter kept me in it again,” said McGowan, who has not finished in the top 150 on the Race to Dubai since 2010, and needed to graduate from the Qualifying School in 2015 and 2017.

“The tee shot on 16 was a shocker, the second shot wasn’t much better and then I holed the bunker shot so I think that was the one that gave me a bit of belief. Then to roll that putt in there at the last was magical.”