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European Tour: Italian Open Power Rankings

By Mike Randleman

MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 18: Francesco Molinari of Italy walks off the 18th hole during the fourth round of the Italian Open at Golf Club Milano - Parco Reale di Monza on September 18, 2016 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 18: Francesco Molinari of Italy walks off the 18th hole during the fourth round of the Italian Open at Golf Club Milano - Parco Reale di Monza on September 18, 2016 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
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Italian Open
ALBUFEIRA, PORTUGAL – SEPTEMBER 24: Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark celebrates victory on the 18th green during day four of the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Club on September 24, 2017 in Albufeira, Portugal. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /

One of the European Tour’s most recent winners will be looking for more this weekend in Monza. He’s three weeks removed from his maiden victory at the Portugal Masters and comes to a site of past success at Golf Club Milano.

Bjerregaard missed out on a playoff by one at the 2015 Italian Open on the way to tying for third. Last year he was just two shorts worse than 2015 to reach 12-under, but he couldn’t keep up with the birdie barrage and settled for a T20 finish. The 26-year-old Dane hasn’t been over par in any of his eight rounds at GCM.

The big-hitter hit a rough patch en route to missing the cut at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Before that slip up, he collected three top-10s in a row: a T9 at the Omega European Masters, his win in Portugal and a T8 at the British Masters. Given his ability to play well at anything with “Masters” in it, let’s hope he finds a way to get to Augusta in the spring.

First things first, Bjerregaard can threaten the Race to Dubai top 30 with a high finish this week. To do so, he’ll look to keep striping the ball as he has been. He averages over 308 yards off the tee, making him one of the longest hitters in this week’s field, or any for that matter. A 56.12 driving accuracy is concerning, but he’s emerged fine from tougher tests than this. A 70.58 greens in regulation percent this season leaves me to believe Bjerregaard won’t have to rely too much on his short game this week. Proximity to the pin will be the key.

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