This year’s European Amateur Championship was won by Italian Luca Cianchetti in a thrilling final. At the end of regular play, Cianchetti and Norwegian Viktor Hovland tied the lead at 16-under-par. Cianchetti recorded rounds of 72, 68, 65 and 67. Hovland matched the total with rounds of 67, 72, his record-breaking 63 and a final round of 69. In an exciting play-off, Cianchetti finally prevailed on the seventh play-off hole to keep the trophy in Italian hands, only 12 months after compatriot Stefano Mazzoli lifted it in Slovakia.
Over the three aggregate play-off holes, Cianchetti birdied the first hole with a long putt and bogied the second. Both players pared the third and had to carry on in a sudden-death play-off. On the first sudden-death hole, the fourth play-off hole in total, both players made par. On the fifth, Hovland hit his second shot to one and a half metres and Cianchetti to around seven metres from the hole. Cianchetti, holed his long birdie putt to put the pressure onto Hovland, who also sank his putt to carry on. On the sixth play-off hole, Hovland hit a good drive, whereas Cianchetti found the rough on the left. Finding himself behind several trees, Cianchetti had to lay up. His third shot from around 100 metres stopped two meters below the hole. Hovland hit his second shot five to six metres past the hole and went on to leave the first putt 20 centimetres short. The Italian holed his putt and the marathon play-off continued.
On the seventh play-off hole, hole No.10, a par 3, Cianchetti found the middle of the green, five meters form the hole, whereas his opponent missed the green to the left by 50 centimetres. Hovland then left his approach two metres short. The decision was made, when he missed the following par putt and Cianchetti two-putted for victory.
Bronze medalist Simon Zach (CZE) thrilled the gallery with an ace on the 10th hole on the Sea course at the Estonian Golf & Country Club, which helped him to finish six strokes under par for the day and -14 for the tournament.
2016 European Amateur Champion Luca Cianchetti (Photo by Joosep Martinson / Estonian Golf Association)
"This was an exceptional experience, the more so because this was my first play-off experience on a grand stage. But today I think my key to victory was my playing partner, who put up a brave fight until the very end", said Cianchetti. He also thanked his other teammates, especially Stefano Mazzoli for his inspiring win last year.
"The course was great, it was challenging enough, and in fact on the first day I could only manage par," said the winner, who now has an invitation to next year’s The Open Championship. "Playing in the European Championship is a very great privilege and to win is truly extraordinary," he rejoiced.
Estonian Golf Association President Marko Kaljuveer said: “This competition was a four-day promotional event for golf and at the end, the European Champion was decided in a duel. I’m so pleased that so many people came along to watch and stayed right until the end."
