Renato Paratore wins British Masters but misses out on bogey-free record

Italian impresseson European Tour’s full return

Renato Paratore of Italy receives a guard of honour from his fellow pros after winning the Betfred British Masters at Close House, near Newcastle. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Not since the Romans built Hadrian’s Wall has a native from the Italian capital produced anything so impressive in these parts. Step forward Renato Paratore, who, after laying some solid foundations over the first three days, added the final building blocks to his own masterpiece in the shape of a Betfred British Masters victory at Close House, near Newcastle.

The 23-year-old, who is the first Italian to claim the title since Baldovino Dassu did the trick at St Pierre in Wales in 1976, set out in the final circuit at the Northumberland venue bidding to become the first player to win on the European Tour by going bogey-free for 72 holes since Swede Jesper Parnevik in the 1995 Scandinavian Masters.

After producing a couple of brilliant up and downs, notably at the first thanks to a Phil Mickelson-style flop shot, there was no hiding Paratore’s disappointment when his run came to an end on the 63rd hole of the week after missing the green at the ninth where tournament host Lee Westwood had taken a quintuple-bogey 8 earlier in the day.

However, the smile was back on Paratore’s face as he secured an impressive three-shot victory from Danish teenager Rasmus Hojgaard, pictured inset, having hit the front in the second round and never really looking as though he was going to relinquish the lead in an event marking the European Tour’s full return from the Covid-19 lockdown and being staged behind closed doors.

It was the Dubai-based player’s second success on the circuit after landing his breakthrough at the age of 20 in the 2017 Nordea Masters. It’s a long way off, but, on this evidence on a testing course, there is nothing to stop Paratore being in the reckoning for the 2023 Ryder Cup on home soil in Rome along with the 2018 Open champion, Francesco Molinari.

“I am really, really happy,” he said after signing off with a 69 to finish with an 18-under total to land a pay-day worth £187,000 in the first of six events on a new UK Swing. “I played really solid. I did not expect to win in my second event [he tied for 15th behind Marc Warren in the co-sanctioned Austrian open] after lockdown, but I have worked really hard the last year.”

Paratore FaceTimed his mum Cristina as he came off the 18th green after a laptop had been set up on a plinth before receiving a guard of honour from some of his fellow players. “It was amazing,” he said of that. “It was a really good sensation and these are the moments I love.”

After a promising start by both David Law and Calum Hill, the Scottish title challenge had already fizzled out before a flat final day. Having started bogey-bogey, Hill looked to have ignited his round with three birdies in five holes from the third but had to settle for a 73, which left him in 27th on six-under.

He’ll take positives, though, from playing well in the opening two rounds, as will Law, even though a closing 72 left him in joint-39th on three-under alongside Richie Ramsay (71). Scott Jamieson signed off with a 75 for two-under, four ahead of Grant Forrest (74).

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