May18 Roccasnrsbow

Costantino Rocca, Italy’s most successful golfer, today begins a new chapter in his colourful career: he makes his European Seniors Tour debut and he couldn’t have chosen a better place to do it… making his seniors’ bow in the Sharp Italian Seniors Open at the historic Circolo Golf Venezia.

“For any Italian golfer to play on home soil is very special and it will be no different for me in Venice. I was not fortunate enough to win the Italian Open on The European Tour in my career so maybe I can put that right with a Seniors’ victory in Italy,” said Rocca.

“After 15 years on Tour, and not having that much time off, I stopped playing in October and started again in April. I felt I needed the time to relax and to prepare for the next part of my career and this break has helped me a lot mentally.

“However, I will not be relaxed when I play tournament golf again; I will be trying as hard as I ever did on The European Tour. When you get on a golf course with the idea of winning, nothing changes in your mind. The desire to win is just as strong.”

Rocca, 50 in December last year, is a true stalwart of European golf, having graduated through the Challenge Tour before going on to win five times on The European Tour and play in three consecutive Ryder Cups (1993, ’95 and ’97).

He remains the only Italian to have featured in the biennial contests against the United States and is fondly remembered for his crucial singles win, by 4 and 2, over Tiger Woods at Valderrama, which helped Europe win the 1997 Ryder Cup. Two years earlier at Oak Hill, Rocca won both his foursomes matches playing with Torrance.

Rocca’s greatest individual success came in 1996 when he won the PGA Championship at which helped to erase some of the disappointment felt at losing a play-off to John Daly in the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews.

Photo: By Getty Images