John Parry returns to the scene of arguably the most important win of his career when he tees it up this week at Argentario GC for the Italian Open.
The Englishman is a two-time winner on the DP World Tour but his victory here last year at the HotelPlanner Tour’s Italian Challenge Open was a life-changing one for Parry.
A winner at the Vivendi Cup in 2010, Parry would not taste victory again in a European Tour group event for nearly 14 years, lifting the trophy at the Delhi Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour last March.
Another win would follow at the Blot Open de Bretagne and when he triumphed in Monte Argentario in September, his trio of victories saw him earn automatic elevation to the DP World Tour.
Since then he has won the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open - and the Opening Swing in the process - and enters this week fourth on the Race to Dubai Rankings.
All that would have seemed a long way away when he arrived here nine months ago and the 38-year-old is delighted to be back on a happy hunting ground.
“It’s always nice when you feel like you know how to play the course before you’ve gone out,” he said.
“At least I have a good game plan, I know that. Last time here, I tried to be quite aggressive off the tee. The fairways are quite tight and the rough was high, but the greens aren’t very big so it was trying to leave yourself as many wedges, so that will be the plan this week.
“It gives you a positive feeling (winning here before) and you know the course suits you. I know if you play well, then the course suits everyone but definitely good memories and I know how to play here.
“To win three times in a year and put yourself in position a lot, any sort of competition and being under pressure, you know how to handle it. The more you get there, the more you understand what to do.”
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As well as the trophy being up for grabs this weekend, there are also two spots at The Open available for the top two players not already exempt who make the cut.
Parry has played his home Major just once before in 2022 and would love to take it on again at Royal Portrush.
“That is a great thing to look for and hope you get in to,” he said.
“It’s one of those things that after Sunday you see how it sits, when you’re out there you just want to get on with the tournament.
“It would be amazing to play at Portrush. I’ve got a few friends over that way as well, so it would be really special to get in.”
