Some 156 players from 31 countries are set to compete for a total of 3.25 million dollars in prize money in a competition that also sets the stage for the Ryder Cup, which will be hosted by Italy for the first time on the same course from September 29 to October 1.
The stunning Marco Simone Golf & Country Club is located just 17km from the heart of Rome, and Italy will become the seventh nation outside of the United States to host the Ryder Cup, joining England, Scotland, Spain, Ireland, Wales and France.
The venue was built in the 1980s under the ownership of fashion designer Laura Biagiotti and her husband Gianni Cigna, when 150 hectares of rolling Roman countryside was transformed into a prestigious golf course.
A redesign in 2018 was led by European Golf Design in cooperation with Tom Fazio II.
In the Italia Open, 16 Italian players will be led by 2023 Ryder Cup Europe Vice Captain Edoardo Molinari and Guido Migliozzi, who is hoping to earn a place in the Europe team in September.
He will play the first two rounds with Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, the defending champion.
Italy's biggest golf tournament will be preceded Wednesday by the Rolex Pro-Am golf tournament, an appetite whetter involving sports and showbusiness celebrities.
ANSA
