Everyone who wins on The European Tour International Schedule is entitled to believe, for that week at least, he is the Main Man. Being the best ahead of 155 of your peers makes you the Head Honcho. But no-one ever felt more like the ‘Big Cheese’ than Mathias Grönberg.
For, as well as the 183,330 euro (£127,172) first prize and the relief of ending over three winless years, the 33 year old Swede’s victory in the 60th Italian Open Telecom Italia saw him receive one of the most unusual prizes of the season, namely his weight in cheese from one of the tournament sponsors, Grana Padano.
Moments after receiving the glittering trophy, Grönberg marched to the Cheese Pavillion, balanced tentatively on the scales, and was informed that 90kg of their finest fromage was now his.
The path to the cheese tent was a well worn one for the man whose last victory on The European Tour came in January 2000 in the South African Open. Every day on his way to and from the practice ground he popped in for a nibble and also indulged on the abundant platefuls available in the Players’ Lounge.
It accounted, in part, for the reason his weight had risen by four kilos from the statistic given at the beginning of the year. “Yes it is slightly more,” said a reddening Grönberg. “It is difficult not to do that here with all the great Italian food.”
Still, an extra four kilos onto their sponsorship budget was not a bad return for Grana Padano, whose shareholders were understandably twitchy during the final round as the sturdier silhouettes of Ricardo Gonzalez and Colin Montgomerie loomed on the horizon.
Gonzalez, in fact, led by a shot going into the final round before a double bogey six at the seventh marked the beginning of the end of his challenge. The Argentine’s closing 70 saw him fall back into a share of second with Spain’s José Manuel Lara and Montgomerie, both of whom climbed into the joint runners-up spot with excellent 65s.
It was a score matched by Grönberg who showed it was not just the local dairy produce he was intent on feasting upon. In total during the week, he gorged himself on the immaculately presented Gardagolf layout, claiming 20 birdies and two eagles in total.
His second eagle three, at the 514 yard 11th hole in the final round, was his most significant thrust of the week. After a run of four birdies in five holes from the third, the pitch in from 30 feet propelled him to the top of the leaderboard, his advantage strengthened by the fact that, at exactly the same time in the final group, Gonzalez was running up his double bogey six.
After a consistent 2001 season where he finished 16th on the Volvo Order of Merit, Grönberg’s appearances worldwide in 2002 numbered barely in double figures, preferring to spend time at home with wife Tara and their first child Lars. But with family life settled and his appetite for golf returning, Grönberg’s visit to Italy was already his ninth tournament of the season and he showed the hunger for success had come with it.
When he won the Smurfit European Open at The K Club in 1998, it was by ten shots and a similar desire to press home his advantage surfaced on the back nine on Sunday at Gardagolf. When a bogey four at the short 14th gave a glimmer of hope to the chasing pack, Grönberg immediately quelled the uprising with birdies at the 15th and 16th.
Although Gonzalez birdied the 16th, Lara birdied the 15th and eagled the 16th and Montgomerie, making his first competitive appearance of the season in Europe, birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th, none could do enough to prevent Grönberg succeeding.
They had played well, battled bravely, but had to be content with second. Hard cheese, lads.
Scott Crockett
