Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher will have to rely on a wild card after coming up agonisingly short in his last-gasp bid to qualify automatically for the Ryder Cup.
Press and Journal columnist Gallacher needed to win the Italian Open or finish joint second with just one other player to dislodge Graeme McDowell from Paul McGinley’s European team for Gleneagles next month.
The 39-year-old carded a flawless closing 65 at Circolo Golf to give himself every opportunity, but had to settle for third place, three shots behind South African winner Hennie Otto and just a stroke adrift of good friend David Howell, who denied him with a brilliant 63.
Gallacher will hope he has done enough to earn one of McGinley’s three wild cards, which will be announced tomorrow.
The world number 34 lives just 35 miles from Gleneagles and has recorded seven top-10 finishes there in his last 12 appearances.
“It was a tall order but I am proud of myself the way I have played,” Gallacher said. “I’m delighted with 17 under, it was just a little short but there is nothing I can do.
“I wanted to qualify myself just to take that away. There are four or five guys who are worthy of a wild card so it’s just what Paul sees.”