Gregory Havret became the second successive rookie winner of the Italian Open yesterday when a closing three-under-par 69 for a 20-under-par 268 total earned him the title by a shot from Britain's Bradley Dredge.
After regaining the lead he had lost to Germany's Sven Struver the previous day, the 24-year-old Frenchman never looked back and his three back-nine birdies earned him the $150,000 first prize.
By contrast, the experienced Struver perished with a triple-bogey on the 12th when he went into a pond twice en route to a 76.
It was Welshman Dredge, also seeking his maiden tour title, who took over and he might have won but for another untimely double-bogey.
Last spring, he double-bogeyed the last in the Great North Open to hand the title to Andrew Coltart, his ball ricocheting off a spectator's shoulder. This time it was the par-four fifth where he hooked into bushes and lost a ball.
Dredge still had his best Tour finish, closing with a 69, two shots ahead of four players - defending champion Ian Poulter, fellow Britons Mark Roe, who made his 2002 card with his finishing 66, and Shaun Webster, and Spain's Diego Borrego.
Ireland's Ronan Rafferty finished with a 72 for a 278 total, after making his first cut of the 2001 European Tour.
Havret's finish elevated him to 56th in the rankings and put him in the field for next week's Volvo Masters in Jerez.
He admitted he had felt the strain over the closing holes.
"It was very, very hard," said the former French amateur champion. "I have never known this kind of pressure before. But it feels so good and it will be great to be in the Volvo Masters.
"I didn't expect to win in my first season and my goal was just to keep my card.
"My heart was racing over the last four holes, but I want more of this, that is why we play golf."
Poulter was one of those who pushed the Frenchman, striking a hole-in-one with a seven-iron at the 170-yard 14th that put him in contention to win back-to-back tournaments.
Extraordinarily, his playing-partner the previous day, Scot Raymond Russell, also recorded an ace at the 14th.
Roe's finish made him 111th of the 115 qualifiers for next year's cards. His late escape was welcome but not crucial, he insisted.
"My viewpoint has not changed," said Roe, who plans to retire before the 2003 season.
"It made no difference whether I made the card or just played fewer events. My priorities lie with my wife and children."
Webster's finish was not quite enough to seal a card and there was disappointment, too, for Briton Alastair Forsyth, in a battle last year with Poulter to be rookie of the year, who was bumped from the top 115.
Australian Scott Gardiner, who missed a flight to the event and could not get there in time for the start, also lost a qualifying spot and will have to go to tour school.
