Guido MigliozziBeat Rasmus HojgaardThe Open de France was won by just one shot after the Italian produced nine spectacular birdies to tie the course record of 9-under 62 in Sundays final round.
It was Migliozzi, 25,s third European Tour victory, his first in three year, and one he will treasure for a long time.
Migliozzi was one shot ahead Hojgaard who had two more holes to play when he finished at 16-under 268. To force a playoff, Dane, 21 years old, needed a birdie to the par-4 17th.
Hojgaard was leading after posting a stunning 62 in the opening round. He then teed off to the rough. Hojgaard landed his approach shot perfectly, but needed a 48-foot putt for birdie. He finished with a 3-under 68 and 15 under overall. Hojgaards round on Thursday was not good and he trailed by six strokes after round 2. It was a bitter ending to the tournament.
Frenchman Paul Barjon(70), South African George Coetzee(71) and Belgian Thomas Pieters(70), who failed to put pressure on a wide-open green last day, finished four shots behind Hojgaard in third place at 11-under.
Hojgaard was a slim overnight lead of one shot ahead of Coetzee. He had a terrible start Saturdays third round and ended it with a 3-over 75. That round saw the end of the damage with a quintuple bogey on hole 2.
He put those bad memories aside as he started his final round by making a birdie at No. 2 and an Eagle — his first tournament birdie — on the next. He bogeyed Nos. 8 and 9 as Coetzee – a five time European tour winner – moved level at 13 under.
It was then Migliozzis time to shine, as he shot up with five consecutive birdies on Nos. 6-10 to stay within one shot at the joint-leaders at halftime, along with Pieters and Barjon.
After a triple-bogey on 15th, Coetzee was forced to fall back. Finally, Migliozzis constant pressure finally got to Hojgaard.
The coronavirus pandemic meant that the tournament was not held in the last two years.
