Golf, Italy is full: 9 Italians on the DP World Tour next season

Two more! Filippo Celli and Renato Paratore join the seven Italians who will have a full card for the DP World Tour next year and thus bring the contingent of Italian athletes in the top European golf circuit to nine. It is the highest number ever reached in the history of the European Tour, founded in 1972. Celli and Paratore gained their pass in Spain, finishing the Qualifying School final in second and eleventh place. Both Roman, they join the Molinari brothers, Francesco and Edoardo, Guido Migliozzi, Matteo Manassero, Francesco Laporta, Andrea Pavan and Lorenzo Scalise, with the latter four promoted this year thanks to the results obtained on the Challenge Tour.

It is certainly just a coincidence, because this is the result of years of work, but it is striking that the record achievement comes just over a month after the historic Ryder Cup in Rome. The president of Federgolf, Franco Chimenti, is satisfied: «Italian golf closes 2023 in the best possible way. Never in the 51 years of the circuit’s history have so many Italians managed to have a full ‘card’ on the most important European tour. This result represents a source of pride for me, in a year that will remain in the annals and which reached its peak with the Ryder Cup. The Italian movement is growing strongly and this is proof of it. I am convinced: in 2024, the year of the Paris Olympics, we will have great satisfaction. Congratulations to Celli and Paratore, two talents with an assured future in whom I have always believed. After a complicated period in terms of results, we are returning to our levels. And we want to continue to grow.”

The Qualifying School took place at Infinitum Golf, on the Lakes Course (par 71) and the Hills Course (par 72), and was won by the German Freddy Schott with 401 (68 63 75 66 64 65, -27 ) shots, who preceded Celli (403, -25). In third place with 405 (-23) the Belgian Matthis Besard, the Dutch Darius Van Driel and the Danish Sebastian Friedrichsen and in sixth with 406 (-22) the Englishman Tom Lewis and the New Zealander Sam Jones. The first 33 will have the full “card”, category 18, for the DP World Tour 2024 and category 5 for the Challenge Tour 2024, the others classified from 34th to 78th place will receive category 8 for the Challenge Tour and the category 21 for the DP World Tour with fewer chances to play. Finally, those who did not make the cut after 72 holes will benefit from the 15 category for the Challenge Tour which allows for little chance of attendance. In addition to Celli and the saver, Pietro Bovari and Aron Zemmer had also guaranteed the right to participate. The former finished in 64th place with 422 (71 66 71 71 70 73, -6) and will be able to start his professional career on the Challenge Tour, while Zemmer missed the cut.