The scene changes (from Portugal to Greece) and two team members change, but the result is the same and Italy wins back-to-back the title offered by the Confederation of Professional Golf (formerly PGA of Europe). And it does it great.
If a year ago in Portugal he had finished with a total score of 22 strokes under par, 13 behind Germany, in the wind of Costa Navarino he reaffirmed his superiority going on to win by six strokes over the seconds. Again the Germans, who tried today by reducing the disadvantage to just three shots (there were nine after two rounds) in the middle of the race.
But the response of the Azzurri in the second leg was decisive. As team captain Michele Reale says: «It was a complicated day, the Germans started off like a bomb». Then a 5 iron printed in the auction at 10 and again the ball in the flag at holes 11 and 13 for three birdies that gave new vigor to the team.
For him a total of 218 (75-72-71) and the satisfaction for the good game found in the final. Andrea Rota (score of 216, 70-71-75) underlines: «We made the difference in the first two days with strong winds, today the easier conditions allowed the teams that were behind to attack more.
And here we knew how to manage well ». The pro from Bergamo was part of the team that finished second in Portugal two editions ago. And with him on the podium then was Gregory Molteni (219, 72-74-73), then twice in the winning team.
CPG International, results
Not bad for players who are practically full-time Maestros (to enter the championship you must have played no more than four games in any tour in the last two seasons). Michele Reale teaches golf in Monticello (Como) but never stops practicing: he won the Italian PGA Masters Championship in 2022 and attempted the road to the European Senior Tour (reaching the final qualifying stage where twentieth place was not enough , with only five cards available).
Andrea Rota teaches at the Sport Indoor of Mozzo (Bergamo): for him only a few pro-ams and the championships of the Association (“however, even if I play little, when I take the field I manage to be competitive”, he said).
Gregory Molteni continues to train “to follow high-level amateurs by showing them playing skills that are always up to par”. The one that has just concluded is the annual appointment of the Confederation of Professional Golf, which includes 43 national PGAs that go beyond European borders ranging from Canada to Nigeria, representing 12,600 Professionals.
PGA Italiana has been part of it since 1990. In addition to the competition, we meet for the future of golf. The Annual Congress was an opportunity for discussion and exchange between national delegates, awaited by a rich menu of meetings and workshops aimed at sharing ideas, progress, new ways to improve their organization and golf in general.
The president of PGA Italiana Filippo Barbè took part, and at the end of the race and the works he expressed his double satisfaction. For the success of Italy and for the many innovations expressed by the congress. “Great participation and many topics on the table,” he said.
«Interesting and indispensable for involving a new and younger audience are the new ways of communicating and using the game, from multimedia driving ranges to apps with captivating programs for kids. Going down this path also means having people within the national PGAs who have skills more suitable for these methods”.
And again to improve the performance of the Associations, good governance today also involves self-analysis tools and the identification of success factors. Conducted by Filippo Barbè, an interesting exchange with Eduardo Celles, first coach of the Spanish Jon Rahm, number one in the world.
