Italian Open 2023: Course and current form stats

• Marco Simone Golf Club will host 2023 Ryder Cup

• Defending champ McIntyre in good shape

• Victor chasing second title of season

After five months travelling across Australia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Singapore, Thailand, India, and more recently the Far East, the DP World Tour has finally arrived on its 'home continent' of Europe.

Not including a handful of visits to the United States, the next six months will be devoted to tournaments in either mainland Europe or the British Isles.

And there is no more significant a venue than Marco Simone Golf Club, host of this week's DS Automobiles Italian Open.

In less than five months' time, all eyes will return to Marco Simone when it stages this year's Ryder Cup.

This will be the third straight year that Marco Simone has hosted the country's national open, and European Ryder Cup skipper Luke Donald will be keeping a close eye on the form of those hoping to secure a spot in his final dozen. The result of this week's tournament might even influence his choice of wild cards.

For the first time in the history of the Ryder Cup, the captain of Europe will have six wildcard picks - that's exactly half the team.

Marco Simone Golf Club is located approximately 10 miles north-east of Rome city centre.

Designed by Jim Fazio and David Mezzacane, the course opened for business in 1990 and four years later staged the Italian Open for the first time.

Course Characteristics

Marco Simone is a parkland course where water comes into play on nine holes, ranging in shape from ponds to streams.

Fairways change direction on around half of the holes, with some of the dog-legs more abrupt than others.

With tree-lined fairways, and an undulating layout from tee-to-green, the focus will be more on accuracy than length, while the ability to scramble effectively around these sloping putting surfaces will also be important.

This will be the 80th edition of the Italian Open which was first contested in 1925.

Latest betting for this week's DS Automobiles Italian Open

Stroke Averages

Lowest 10 At Marco Simone (2021-22)
Average .... (Rounds)
68.63: Victor Perez (8)
69.00: Mikko Korhonen (8)
69.13: Nicolai Hojgaard (8)
69.25: Scott Jamieson (8)
69.50: Edoardo Molinari (8)
69.67: Adrian Meronk (6)
69.83: Jorge Campillo (6)
70.00: Rasmus Hojgaard (8)
70.00: Tapio Pulkkanen (8)
70.00: Johannes Veerman (6)
Min. No. of Rounds = 6
Only those entered this week are included in table

Latest betting for this month's PGA Championship

Five To Watch

Nicolai Hojgaard: Winner here in 2021 when just 20 years old. His highest finish this year came on the PGA Tour, when he was runner-up in the Dominican Republic.

Rasmus Hojgaard: The other half of the young Danish twins. Rasmus has only competed in two events since early February, but finally appears to have shaken off the shoulder injury which curtailed his schedule.

Joost Luiten: Three podium finishes from his last six starts. The 36-year-old Dutchman is a six-time winner on Tour, most recently in 2018.

Robert MacIntyre: The defending champion who arrives in Italy on the back of two successive top-10s in the Far East. Currently 10th and 11th in the two tables used to determine European qualification for this year's Ryder Cup.

Victor Perez: The world No 66 Frenchman is already a winner on the DP World Tour this year. That victory came in Abu Dhabi during January. He was third at Marco Simone last year.

Latest betting for this year's Ryder Cup match in Italy

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves