Austria’s Bern Wiesberger added the Italian Open to his Made in Denmark and Scottish Open victories in 2019. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

BERND Wiesberger claimed his second Rolex Series title of 2019 and third European Tour victory of the season with a hard-fought victory in the Italian Open.

The Austrian started the day three shots behind overnight leader Matthew Fitzpatrick, but carded a bogey-free final round of 65 to finish one shot clear of the Yorkshireman on 16-under.

Wiesberger, who now has a realistic chance of ending the season as the European No. 1, said: “It’s been a great summer for me. I’ve had a lot of good golf shown and a lot of progress after coming back from the last year.

“I’ve won three times this year and it’s been the same every time, I’ve just really enjoyed my time and I’m positive to be back out there because I know how tough it was when I had to withdraw from these great events.

“I’ve played really well in the right events in Ireland and the Scottish and here this week which helps getting up there in the Race to Dubai. I feel excited about what is ahead of us in these last four events.”

Wiesberger posted three consecutive birdies from the fifth hole followed by a further gain on the ninth.

And he went to the top of the leaderboard when Fitzpatrick, who had birdied the second, hit it out of bounds on the ninth leading to a double bogey.

He looked comfortably in control on the back nine with birdies on the 14th and 16th holes.

But Fitzpatrick staged an impressive fightback with three birdies in his final six holes, however the former Ryder Cup player could not find another on the last as he came up one stroke short.

That meant Wiesberger became the fifth player to win multiple Rolex Series titles after his maiden win in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, in July.

Wiesberger joins John Rahm, Justin Rose, Alex Noren and Danny Willett as multiple Rolex Series winners.

The 34-year-old now leads the European Tour’s Race to Dubai with just six events remaining, having also won May’s Made in Denmark following seven months on the sidelines in 2018 due to a wrist injury.

Fitzpatrick signed for a round of 69 for a total of 15-under as he finished runner-up for the fourth time this season, having also come second in the Honma Hong Kong Open, the BMW International and the Scandinavian Invitation.

A disappointed Fitzpatrick said: “To lose by one is obviously very disappointing.

“I think I’ve played well when I’ve been up there on a Sunday, just other people really keep grinding and I keep coming up from behind.

“It is what it is. It’s still a great week, I’m here to win and not here to just make up the numbers.”

American Kurt Kitayama finished third on 12-under after a 71, a shot clear of Middlesex’s Andrew Johnston (68), Scot Robert MacIntyre (71) and another Austrian in Matthias Schwab (66), who shared fourth on 11-under.

Francesco Laporta posted a final round 68 to finish as the leading Italian player in a three-way share of seventh place.

•For the final results in the Italian Open click here.

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Rory McIlory admitted if he could have one last round back it would be his first appearance at Crans-sur-Sierre when the rookie lost a play-off. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

NEWLY-crowned FedEx Champion Rory McIlroy has had many incredible highs in his stellar career… but if he could take one tournament back, it would be the Omega European Masters of 11 years ago.

The Northern Irishman was playing his rookie European Tour season and while he had put in some excellent performances, the then 19-year-old had yet to claim that maiden win.

After three days at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club he held a four-shot lead and while that had been narrowed on Sunday, he stood over a five-foot par putt on the last that would have seen him lift the trophy.

His effort slid by and Frenchman Jeff Lucquin went on to win the play-off and claim his only European Tour title.

The four-time Major winner and Ryder Cup star has gone on to savour some sensational moments over the years, earning €36million in prize money in Europe alone since 2007.

After the high of last week at East Lake in Atlanta when he claimed the $15million prize, his next target is to reclaim the World No. 1 spot, starting with a positive performance in Crans Montana.

McIlroy, the current World No. 2, said: “I had a wonderful opportunity to win my first event on Tour here.

“I was leading going into the last day, had a one-shot lead playing the last and wasn’t able to make par from there.

“I was beaten in the play-off. It’s still to this day the one event I think of that I would like to re-do – get a mulligan.

“The first time I was here I fell in love with the place, the people, the atmosphere. I’m glad that it worked out this year that I could be here.

“I would like to give myself another chance at least,” said McIlroy, who saw-off World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, who had put Rory to the sword in the WGC Fedex St Jude Invitational in Memphis last month, when the two went head-to-head in the last group in Georgia, on Sunday.

“I think Brooks (Koepka) has got about a three-point lead on me. I don’t know if that’s attainable with the tournaments I have left.

“I saw somewhere that there are more world ranking points on offer here than there have been for eight years,” added McIlroy, who was keen to prove a point by beating Koepka to claim his second FedEx Cup after his victory in 2016.

“Wentworth is obviously big for world ranking points. There’s a WGC coming up. There’s still a lot to play for. That’s my focus for the rest of the year, getting closer to that number one spot.”

Matthew Fitzpatrick is driven by two targets of his own as he goes in search of a third consecutive win at the Omega European Masters.

The Englishman is aiming to become the first player to win the title three years in a row and match the great Seve Ballesteros as a three-time winner of the event in the Swiss Alps.

Another victory at the breathtaking Swiss venue would also ensure the five-time European Tour winner has been victorious in every full season he has been on Tour – and in what could be a good omen, he has Ballesteros’ former caddie Billy Foster on his bag.

Fitzpatrick, from Hallamshire GC, in Sheffield, said: “I’m definitely thinking about winning again. Having won here the last two years, it is a big thing for me.

“I absolutely love coming to back this place, I have since I first came here in 2014. I try to win at least once every season. Obviously, winning five seasons in a row would also be a big deal for me.

“There is a stronger field this year. Also, the course has had a few changes to it. But if I can play my own game and play the way I’ve played in this place, there is no reason I can’t get a good result.

“I think he (Billy Foster) is feeling the pressure more than me. He’s interested in seeing how I play and how I see the course.

“We’ve got a good relationship and had a good season so far,” added Fitzpatrick.

The stellar field also includes a man who is hoping home comforts can inspire him to a second victory in the mountains.

Sergio Garcia lifted the trophy in 2005 and has never finished outside of the top 20 in five appearances.

The Spanish Major winner is so taken with the stunning surroundings that he owns a house just 100 yards from the Ballesteros-designed golf course, where he has spent the last week with wife Angela and daughter Azalea.S

Garcia, the 2017 Masters winner, said: “It’s always fun to play here in Crans. We live here some part of the year so it’s nice to sleep in your own bed and be at home.

“We’re excited for it, of course it looks really nice and the views are always unbelievable. We’ve been here for just over the week so we’ve done a little bit of practice and it’s nice to have Angela and Azalea with me.

“I’ve always enjoyed these kind of golf courses – tight, not particularly long but you have to drive the ball well and you have to be accurate. That’s usually the courses that I thrive on.

“There’s no doubt it is the Seve Ballesteros golf course so it’s good to be here and we always remember him.

“It’s a shame that he’s not with us but it’s nice to be playing here at his designed golf course and hopefully we’ll make him proud.”

For live scoring from Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, click here.

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ERIK van Rooyen birdied the last to overcome Matthew Fitzpatrick in a thrilling final day battle and win his first European Tour title at the Scandinavian Invitation.

The South African was last season’s European Challenge Tour Graduate of the Year. Van Rooyen arrived at Hills Golf & Sports Club having finished second three times on the European Tour – twice on the 2019 Race to Dubai.

The 29-year-old entered the final day in Gothenburg with a one-shot lead but was caught by Fitzpatrick and local hero Henrik Stenson. He then led by two at the turn and stretched that lead to three on the back nine.

Fitzpatrick – the 2016 champion – was tenacious in producing a birdie-birdie finish in his 64 and when Van Rooyen bogeyed the 17th, the players were tied at 18-under.

Van Rooyen then made a gutsy closing birdie from 15 feet on the par five last to match Fitzpatrick’s 64 and get to 19-under, securing his maiden win which moved him inside the top 10 on the Race to Dubai Rankings.

Van Rooyen said: “It’s too good, it’s hard to describe. I was so nervous on 18. On 17 I was fine, I just didn’t hit that putt hard enough and then I asked (caddie) Alex, ‘what are we at?’ and he told me that Matt went birdie-birdie.

“I’ve been putting so well and to hole that one to win my first one is pretty cool. I’ve gone close a bunch of times and every time I’m in contention the question gets asked.

The new champion was quick to praise his caddy for his part in the breakthrough victory after runners up finishes at the Trophee Hassan II and the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in the spring.

Van Rooyen said: “I’ve got to credit Alex, he’s been unbelievable and ever since he’s been on the bag since February. I’m just so proud of myself and Alex and everybody, I’m over the moon.

“Our job today was just hit one shot at a time and commit. I didn’t know where I was at until 16 – I saw I had a three-shot lead, and I knew when I made bogey on 17 it was going to be tight.”

Yorkshire’s Fitzpatrick, who missed out on the last Ryder Cup team after making his debut in 2016, was left bemoaning a lack of luck in his last round.

Fitzpatrick said: “I didn’t put a foot wrong, I didn’t really miss a shot. I hate to say it, but I had no luck out there. I was playing some really good golf, it was nice to be in the mix again.

“I’m really comfortable with where my game is at, another second place so hopefully we’ll have one better later this year.

“I was playing really well and that helps massively. If you’re grinding for pars and struggling to try and stay in it that makes it a bit more difficult, but I just felt really comfortable out there.

“Well played Erik, it’s a great final round to start out with the lead, shoot that, and win by one.”

Stenson thrilled the home fans with a hole-in-one at the sixth in a closing 66 that moved him to 14-under alongside South African Dean Burmester – who carded the same score.

The Swede took advantage of the par-five third and then produced maybe the highlight of the week with his one bounce ace at the sixth sending the crowd wild and moving him into a share of the lead.

Stenson admitted he was not at his best. He said afterwards: “I had a couple of good holes, one in particular, but all in all, I didn’t have my sharpest game.

Describing his ace Stenson added: “Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the bottom of the pin. I hit a very nicely struck seven-iron and it was flying straight at it, so I had my hopes. It was kind of sitting down in a bowl and going straight at it.

“I don’t think all of the crowd could see it either, some seemed more excited than others. It wasn’t until we reached the front of the green that I realised it was in.”

Welshman Jamie Donaldson, American Sihwan Kim, France’s Alexander Levy, Australian Wade Ormsby and home favourite Sebastian Soderberg were in a share of fourth on 13-under.

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