Migliozzi’s second win in remarkable debut season

Guido Migliozzi claimed the second win of his remarkable debut season on the European Tour at the Belgian Knockout yesterday.

The Italian won the Kenya Open earlier this year for his first triumph on a top-tier tour and defeated Dutchman Darius Van Driel by four shots in the final in Antwerp to make it two victories in three months.

Scotsman Ewen Ferguson made it to the semi-finals but was defeated by Migliozzi before going on to beat Frenchman Gregory Havret in the play-off for third.

After 36 holes of stroke play on days one and two and the first three rounds of nine-hole medal match play on Saturday, there were eight players remaining from the field of 144 on day four.

England’s Matthew Southgate was among them but he lost to Van Driel in the last eight, where Migliozzi beat Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.

Van Driel beat Havret in his semi-final but never looked likely to challenge Migliozzi in the showpiece match after a two-shot swing on the fifth.

Migliozzi had birdied the first but dropped a shot on the third before picking it back up on the fifth, where a three-putt from Van Driel produced a bogey.

Migliozzi said: “I’m feeling very good – I managed very well this afternoon, all the shots.

“It’s been great playing like this with such great players. I’m playing solid and I will try to continue this quality in the future.”

Van Driel also bogeyed the next before both men made gains on the seventh and eighth, with Van Driel bogeying the last to drop to one over against Migliozzi’s three under.

The Italian’s potential return to the European Tour is a remarkable story that saw him end his initial plans to go professional when he broke his hand after falling off a banana boat when he was 18.

He returned to the game in 2015 and last season won the Euram Bank Open on the European Challenge Tour.

“It’s a great week,” said Van Driel, aiming to become the first player to win a European Tour event on his birthday since Ernie Els at the 2004 World Match Play.

“Best birthday present it could possibly give me, except for the win of course.

“My whole family is here so we’ll probably have some drinks and have dinner afterwards.

“I knew he was long (with the driver) but you’ve got to hit it straight and that’s what he did on four out of the five holes.

“That put some pressure on me and forced me to make birdies. It didn’t happen but I gave it my all. He played great.”

In the play-off, Ferguson made birdies on the second, fourth and seventh to beat Havret by four shots.

Guido Migliozzi with the Belgian Knockout trophy.