Guido Migliozzi Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Watch: This Guido Migliozzi stinger approach shot is outrageous

Matt Smith — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 18:12:11 +0000

There’s nothing hardcore golf fans freak out over more than a good stinger. Tiger Woods is the godfather of this cool shot but there have been many others before and after who have perfected the knockdown, including Phil Mickelson, Gary Woodland, and Scott Stallings. Well, you can now add Guido Migliozzi to that short list.

We’re used to seeing this shot off the tee, but the Italian star pulled it off on an approach shot during the second round of the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. And when we say the three-time DP World Tour winner pulled it off, we mean he hit one of the most outrageous shots you will see in 2023.

With wind howling off the water, watch as the 25-year-old hits an absolute bullet to a back pin, nearly holing the shot. He (happily) settled for a tap-in birdie and a share of the 36-hole lead with fellow countryman Francesco Molinari:

Oh @guidomigliozzi ? #ADGolfChamps | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/QYCBAvnNEk

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 20, 2023

“Oh, there’s a ball flight . . . this is just sublime!” Yep. Even Tiger Woods would agree.

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Guido Migliozzi claims stunning French Open victory

Matt Smith — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 18:40:54 +0000

By Matt Smith
Guido Migliozzi took a high-stakes risk on the final hole to claim a sensational victory in the DP World Tour French Open at Le Golf National outside Paris. The Italian provided one of the most incredible moments of the 2022 season, making a stunning birdie on the 18th.

The 25-year-old was in great form all day, making nine birdies — including five in a row from the sixth — without a single dropped shot at the 2018 Ryder Cup venue.

He saved the best until last when, tied for the lead and staring down an 18th hole which statistically counted as one of the most difficult par fours in the Tour’s history, Migliozzi cut a courageous faded five-iron into the final green which came within inches of finding the cup for an incredible eagle two.

He knocked in the five-foot putt for the first of only two birdies at the final hole all day, equalling the course record of 62 for a 16-under, and becoming just the second Italian winner of the event after Costantino Rocca in 1993.

Rasmus Hojgaard, who had led the tournament after each of the opening three rounds, finished a shot back on 15-under par after a three-under 68, while Paul Barjon shared third place with Thomas Pieters and George Coetzee on 11-under.

“From 2019 it’s been a long, long road to here,” said Migliozzi. “I played very, very solid last year and went very close to a win. I was looking for it. This season has been weird. I’ve had a lot of expectation from me. I was playing great tournaments, majors, Masters. My plan was very high but I was just not playing great. Then I started to practise in another way and I’ve worked really hard and here I am now holding a trophy and it’s beautiful.

“My main goal was to have a great tournament, have a good week, just keep my tour card and work hard to get into the final tournaments. I was just in a good vibe on the course. I was enjoying my golf and it was a beautiful day. My girlfriend was with me and my coach as well. I was just enjoying everything. And today golf gave back to me something. It was one of those days that was beautiful to live.

“The shot at the 18th was something incredible. I went for it and it paid off. My caddy was not happy. It was not the real strategy but I felt I could try.”

Højgaard added: “Obviously there’s a lot of good stuff out there. it was a few silly mistakes over the last two days that cost me the win this week, but I’m happy with where my golf is heading towards. I’m striking the ball good and I’m putting nice. I’ve enjoyed it this week.

“I just have to take the positives from this week. It obviously stings a little bit at the moment but later tonight I’ll be looking back and I’ve got a lot to be proud of.”

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Watch this Euro Tour pro get the luckiest bounce you’ll ever see on the 18th hole at St. Andrews

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 21:18:23 +0000

Mark Runnacles
Guido Migliozzi got one fortunate bounce on the 18th hole at the Old Course on Sunday.

By Ryan Herrington
For centuries, it’s been understood by any golfer playing the 18th at the Old Course at St. Andrews: Don’t go right! The short (by today’s standards) par-4 finishing hole has arguably the widest fairway in golf, as long as you play to the left toward the R&A Clubhouse. But with The Links road that runs to the right and parallel to the hole being out of bounds, a shot that begins to fade down that line can ruin the end of a round before you can smile for pictures on the Swilken Bridge.

Guido Migliozzi looked like he was about to learn this the hard way on Sunday at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The 24-year-old Italian was out of the running for the title but trying to secure a top-20 finish that would keep him inside the top 15 in the Race to Dubai standings. He was coming off a bogey on the 17th hole to sit at three-under for his round when he pushed his tee shot on the 18th. When the ball hit the pavement and bounded forward, Migliozzi’s fate seem secured. Same with the second and the third bounces. But then, well, it sort of has to be seen to be believed:

“Uh oh. One bounce, two bounce, three… it’s back in bounds!” ?@guidomigliozzi‘s drive on 18 remarkably stays in bounds! #DunhillLinks pic.twitter.com/mS0k5ETFkw

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 3, 2021

When you think of the Golf Gods, it’s usually for some cruel twist of fate that they played. But apparently, they can giveth as well as taketh away.

Migliozzi took advantage of their generosity, as he got up and down for birdie to close out a final-round 68 and secure a T-17 finish.

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Guido Migliozzi, 22, wins Belgian Knockout, second European Tour win in 20 starts

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 05:08:38 +0000

ANTWERPEN, BELGIUM – JUNE 02: Guido Migliozzi of Italy celebrates his victory on the final green on the final day of the Belgian Knockout at Rinkven International GC on June 02, 2019 in Antwerpen, Belgium. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

By John Huggan
In truth, Guido Migliozzi looked more and more like the winner of the second Belgian Knockout as soon as the 22-year old Italian took out last week’s winner in Denmark, Bernd Wiesberger, in the quarter-final of this hybrid stroke-play/match-play event. A solid 11th in the 36-hole qualifying, world No. 203 Migliozzi — already a winner at the Magical Kenya Open in March — was under par in each of his six nine-hole matches at the 6,924-yard Rinkven International club near Antwerp en route to his second victory in only 20 European Tour starts.

In the last of those, Migliozzi was a comfortable four-stroke winner over Challenge Tour player Darius Van Driel, who celebrated this 30th birthday with a best-ever finish on the main Old World circuit. Former Walker Cup player Ewen Ferguson from Scotland took third-place with a bogey-free four-shot victory over Frenchman Gregory Havret (runner-up behind Graeme McDowell in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach) in the playoff for third and fourth places.

“I’m feeling very good,” said Migliozzi, whose clinching victory was marked by a series of enormous drives that were lacking in accuracy only on the final hole. “I managed my game 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. He (Van Driel) played very solid. We played together on the Challenge Tour and it’s been a great match. He’s a good player.”

The immediate financial reward for the new champion was the biggest share of the $1.12 million, but surely more important for the big-hitting Migliozzi will be moving inside the top 100 on the world rankings — just the latest stepping stone in a career that has long shown enormous promise. Before turning professional in 2016, the former Italian Boys champion represented his home nation in the World Amateur Team Championship and the Continent of Europe in the St. Andrews Trophy match against Great Britain & Ireland.

In the three years since the Vincenza native left the amateur ranks, he has achieved multiple wins on the satellite Alps Tour, become the first client of pop star Niall Horan’s Modest Golf management group, claimed the 16th card at last year’s European Tour Qualifying School and has now moved up to 21st place on the Race to Dubai. Only one rookie, another two-time winner in American Kurt Kitayama, is ranked higher. Heady stuff indeed. With, no doubt, more to come.

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