Royal Golf La Bagnaia

On 2 October 2021, more than 100 professional players and amateurs gathered at the Royal Golf La Bagnaia to participate in the long-awaited Pro-Am of 2021.

Some of the best Italian professional players were present, including Jacopo Vecchi Fossa who set the course record last year, finishing the first day of competition with 62 strokes.

The competition included both a team ranking and a single ranking for professionals.

Among the PROs, the Milanese Federico Zucchetti, also with a background on tours, won the Pro-Am by completing the 18 holes in 68 strokes. Behind him Patrick Actis Alesina, Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, Rocco Sanjust and Adrea Perrino, all with 69 strokes.

For the team classification, the team made up of Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, Matilde Trocchi, Andrea Squarcetti and Bruno Riffeser Monti has kept faith with the prediction, winning with 130 total strokes.

“I thank all those present for the beautiful day of golf spent together – said Bruno Riffeser Monti during the award ceremony – It was a competition that combined fun with competitive spirit and was made possible with the support of the companies that have decided to support the our daily sponsorship but also the people who worked with commitment and passion for the success of the event. “

Numerous awards have been made available by the companies that have supported La Nazione.

A special thanks to all the sponsors of the race including: Bisonte, with its leather products, Acqua di Fiesole, with natural creams, Banfi, which gave away magnums. Also Banca Arval, Locman and the La Bagnaia olive oil.

Golf Digest magazine honoured 7 IMG designed and managed courses in the category of “Best Golf Resorts” in its prestigious 2021 Editors’ Choice Awards. Golf Digest is one of the world’s most respected and widely read golf publications, and its annual awards helps identify the best golf resort experiences across the globe.

IMG Golf Course Services clients named in the 2021 Golf Digest “Best Golf Resorts” category include:

• La Bagnaia Golf & Spa Resort (Italy)
• Garden City Golf Club (Cambodia)
• Vinpearl Nam Hoi An (Vietnam)
• Vinpearl Phu Quoc (Vietnam)
• Le Touessrok Resort & Spa (Mauritius)
• Michlifen Resort & Golf (Morocco)
• Dreamland Golf Club & Golf Hotel (Azerbaijan)

Paul Burley, Senior Vice President, IMG Golf Course Services, commented: “This is excellent recognition for our resort clients and partners that offer world class stay and play experiences at their properties. Our global portfolio features some of the most stunning clubs & resorts in the world, and these venues are a great example of that. We look forward to international travel resuming in the near future, so golfers once again have the opportunity to experience these magnificent resort destinations”.

IMG Golf Course Services is a global leader in the design, development, marketing and management of world class golf courses. For more than 25 years, the group has set the standard for excellence in golf course design and golf club management. IMG’s golf course services team currently provides a diverse range of management and marketing services to more than 20 award winning clubs and resorts.

Ahead of the opening in October of this year, golfers can now enjoy a tantalising glimpse of the new golf course at Sicily’s Verdura Resort, part of Rocco Forte Hotels.

Viewers can plot their way along the spectacular new par-four hole – and you can almost smell the ocean breeze along the coastline.

The new signature ninth hole on the East Course is part of the major renovation project – scheduled for completion in October with nine of the holes ready for play in August – as world-renowned golf architect Kyle Phillips returned to the site of his original design in Sicily to work his magic again.

The result is a remarkable success with the new hole offering those trademark, incredible views across the Mediterranean, while asking some serious questions of accuracy, strategy and distance control with a slight dogleg design.

The tee shot demands careful placement to avoid water on the left and right, while a fairway bunker lurks on the right side. Once that is safely negotiated, an undulating green is guarded by two bunkers, which requires an approach shot with enough loft to clear more water and hold the green – and all with the beach and the lapping waves just a few steps away.

Phillips said: “The drama of the coastline has been improved, so we have made the most of it.

“That ninth hole is an example of what happened and how we have managed to make a fantastic new hole out of it. We have certainly made the most out of what was available to us and we’re proud of what has been achieved.”

The extensive renovation will see a number of new features and modification of the course route, so some of the hole numbers have been adjusted. But this has allowed for the restoration of previous favourites and also some exciting new additions.

Phillips said: “One of the things that we didn’t have before – but we have now – is a double green, a bit like some of those huge greens at St Andrews. It will be the new eighth hole (par five) and the new 10th hole (par four) which will share a green.

“It was something I had pondered at one time before. But Sir Rocco is a golfer, we were out there walking one day and talked about doing it and he was excited about it.

“The green is absolutely massive and could be very interesting if you are putting on the wrong part of it!”

He added: “It is new, fresh, the result is great and I think it will be really well-received. I expected it to turn out well but it’s definitely reached the level we were striving for.”

The resort – home of the European Tour’s Rocco Forte Sicilian Open – boasts a wealth of exclusive luxury facilities that have helped establish the venue as one of the world’s elite golf and lifestyle destinations and is nestled in 230 hectares of stunning Mediterranean landscape on Sicily’s southern coast.

Part of the IMG Prestige network, the resort is famous for offering guests an unforgettable five-star golf experience in one of the most beautiful settings in world golf, and was recently named as a recipient of Golf Digest magazine’s coveted ‘2020 Editors’ Choice Award for the Best Resorts in Continental Europe’ for the fifth year in a row.

Verdura Resort features 203 rooms and suites, all with a sea view, which offer a perfect solution for family holiday. In addition, the venue is set to add to its luxury accommodation portfolio with 20 new modern and spacious private Rocco Forte Private Villas open on May 13, each with its own private swimming pool and affording unparalled panoramic views of the Sicilian coast and Mediterranean.

Away from golf, guests can enjoy an extensive array of other luxury sports and lifestyle facilities, as well as the opportunity to sample a wide variety of gastronomy, wine, history and culture.

Guests can also take advantage of the Unlimited Golf package until November 21, 2021, which includes an unlimited number of rounds, daily full breakfast, and €100 F&B credit per stay. Complimentary additions also include shared buggies, use of the driving range and spa facilities.

The IMG managed Royal Golf La Bagnaia has announced that the 2021 Pro-Am will take place on Saturday 2nd October. After a successful event in 2020, the Club is ready to provide all Professionals and Amateurs with an unforgettable experience in the heart of Tuscany.

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Nestled in the heart of the enchanting Tuscan countryside, and located just 12 km outside of Siena, La Bagnaia’s 18-hole championship golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and provides one of the best golf experiences in Europe. The course plays to a par of 71, measures 6600 yards from the back tees and is set on magnificent rolling Tuscan hills offering incredible views of the surrounding landscape and the medieval city of Siena in the distance.

Golf facilities include a practice range and world-class short game centre. The Clubhouse was originally an old farmhouse which has been renovated with great care and respect for the authentic Tuscan style.

The Pro-Am will be limited to a total of 35 teams and the golf course will also be reserved on Friday 1st October for the practice round. The entry fee is EUR125.00 per player and includes tournament entry, refreshments on arrival, welcome pack, lunch and a prize-giving cocktail at the end of the event.

Brodie MacDonald, General Manager at Royal Golf La Bagnaia commented: “Last year’s event was a huge success with a total of 124 players, including European Tour player Lorenzo Gagli, Alessandro Tadini and Jacopo Vechi Fossa, last year’s winner and course record holder who is currently having a great season on the Alps Tour. The feedback from all guests was exceptional which inspired us to repeat the event in 2021. La Bagnaia is a unique venue and is located in a region with so much history and beauty. We’re confident that any Professional or Amateur joining us for the event will have a wonderful experience.”

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. The company manages some of the world’s greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global entertainment, sports and content company.

Ryann O’Toole, in what is her 228th event and 11th season on Tour, won the first title of her career at the 2021 Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open at Dumbarnie Links in Fife, Scotland. The event is managed by IMG.

A visibly emotional O’Toole, who played in the 2011 Solheim Cup back in her rookie year, said at her Champion’s press conference, “Words cannot describe what I am feeling right now. It didn’t seem real. It seems very surreal, and definitely a dream come true. I can’t believe it’s taken this long to win but it’s finally here.”

At the start of the final day, few would have predicted that O’Toole would be the one holding the trophy at the prize giving ceremony, given she was perhaps the least decorated of the players on the star-studded leaderboard which included three Major Champions, six LPGA winners and seven LET champions.

And yet, it was the Californian who serenely edged three shots clear of the field with a blemish-free -8 under par taking her to -17 without a moment where she looked anything other than a seasoned winner.

O’Toole’ love of links golf has come through during the week although she explained this wasn’t always the case, “I think regardless, winning over here, I guess take it back to my first year, second year on Tour and playing my first British Open and learning what true links was. I felt like I got my butt kicked at Royal Liverpool. It blew. One of the rounds got called for the day. I had never played in anything like that, and I remember hitting tee shots that just flung across, like those aren’t going to work here. And after that I was like, wow, there’s so much to learn and change and grasp on this style of golf and after that, I fell in love with it, how to hit a really low tee shot, how to play the contours of the green and the course and I just feel like I love this style of golf and to have this be my first win, it seems fitting.”

Tied second was Major winner and two-time Olympic medal winner Lydia Ko, whose heroic -9 par final round proved not quite enough to take her second title of the year. Alongside Ko in second place, finishing with a 66, was the impressive Thai teenager, Atthaya Thitikul, the current leader on the LET’s 2021 Race to the Costa del Sol.

Thitikul, who spent much of the week saying she didn’t like links golf seemed to soften when asked if she was beginning to become a little more fond, “Yeah, of course, just a little bit more, not that much for sure, because you know, like links is tough for sure. Links is tough!”​

Past Champion and double Major winner Ariya Jutanugarn finished fourth while England’s Charley Hull’s  solid final round of -3 saw her finish fifth ahead into the final Major of the year at Carnoustie next week.

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Hull commented, “I think overall, having a good finish here, that gives me good momentum heading into next week. This was a great golf course leading up to Carnoustie. This is a true links and we know what Carnoustie is like. I’m super excited for next week and learn from this week and take the positives and work on the things that I feel like needs to be worked on and have fun out there and see what happens.”

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Kelsey MacDonald finished on -7, T15 and was the leading Scottish player, winning the Jock MacVicar Leading Scot Trophy, created to honour legendary golf journalist Jock MacVicar, an ardent supporter of the event, who passed away earlier this year aged 83.

Also this year we are pleased to announce that the Royal Golf La Bagnaia has received the prestigious nomination of the World Golf Awards ™.

The World Golf Awards ™ celebrates and rewards excellence in golf tourism, world-class courses and golf destinations.

The categories are as follows:

Italy’s Best Golf Club 2021
https://worldgolfawards.com/…/italy-best-golf-course/2021

Italy’s Best Golf Hotel 2021
https://worldgolfawards.com/award/italy-best-golf-hotel/2021

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