Date: September 17, 2012
Author: Omnisport

Fernandez-Castano too strong in Italy

Spain&aposs Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano produced a superb final-round 64 to win the Italian Open by two shots from South African Garth Mulroy. The 31-year-old from Madrid began his final round at Royal Park I Roveri one shot behind Mulroy, but wasted little time in taking a share of the lead with a birdie at the first hole. Birdies from Mulroy at the fourth and fifth saw him take a two-stroke lead, but he bogeyed the sixth and relinquished the lead to Nicolas Colsaerts briefly when the Belgian eagled the par-five eighth after a superb approach left him with a four-foot putt. The eighth was where Fernandez-Castano began his charge, and he birdied four consecutive holes to move into the outright lead. Mulroy would not go away, however, and birdies at 13, 14 and 15 had things all tied up once more. But the overnight leader would live to rue a bogey at the par-four 17th, and when Fernandez-Castano birdied the final hole he was two strokes clear on 24 under overall. Mulroy was in outright second on 22 under, with Frenchman Gregory Bourdy and Italian Matteo Manassero tying for third on 20 under the card. Colsaerts and Martin Kaymer headed a group of four men in a tie for fifth place on 18 under, which also featured Spain&aposs Pablo Larrazabal and Englishman Gary Boyd. The victory was Fernandez-Castano&aposs sixth European Tour win, and his second Italian Open triumph after he took out the event in 2007.