Norway's Andreas Halvorsen is taking inspiration from countrymen Viktor Hovland and Kristoffer Reitan as he adjusts to life on the DP World Tour.
Halvorsen secured promotion to the DP World Tour after recording a tied second-place finish in the Kolkata Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour in March.
The 28-year-old had received a medical exemption for six events during the 2024 Road to Mallorca, before ending the campaign 40 Ranking points outside of the promotion places. As a result, he had six events of the 2025 campaign to gain the 40 points he needed to graduate.
He made a seamless start to life on the DP World Tour, coming joint-sixth at the Hero Indian Open two weeks after his promotion, but has made the cut just once since then.
Halvorsen looked back to his best at the Italian Open on Thursday, though, as he made seven birdies and two bogeys in an opening 65.
He has set his sights on following in the footsteps of Ryder Cup star Hovland and Reitan, who earned his maiden DP World Tour title at last month's Soudal Open.
"We have always done pretty well with junior golf and amateur golf. It had never really translated to pro golf until Viktor," Halvorsen said.
"It’s really cool seeing him doing it and now Kristoffer do it too. It gives you the belief and confidence that there are players who can do it, myself included.
"It’s really fun to see what (Reitan) has done and I’d love to follow and get to that position. He’s now going to be able to get into those big events as well, and I hope to do the same and get into them too."
Halvorsen produced a stunning par save from 17 feet at the first in round one before picking up his first shot of the day from more than 20 feet on the third.
Further birdies followed at the fifth and seventh before he sandwiched a fourth gain at the ninth between bogeys on the eighth and tenth.
He bounced back well, sending his tee-shot at the short 11th to six feet and rolling in the birdie putt.
And after draining from more than 20 feet for the third time of the day at the 13th, he made another birdie on the 16th to reach five under par.
Halvorsen said: "Everything kind of worked today, which was really nice. I hit it good off the tee and hit a lot of nice shots into greens too.
"It was a pretty stress-free round, especially off the tee, it’s important with the thick rough. A stress-free day."
