Renato Paratore is happy to be going into his national open in a relaxed mindset, safe in the knowledge that he is well on track to realise his objective of making a full comeback to the DP World Tour.
The Italian is this week taking a break from the HotelPlanner Tour, where he has already won twice so far this season to help him reach the summit of the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
His back-to-back wins in the United Arab Emirates in April – his first titles since becoming a two-time DP World Tour winner with victory at the Betfred British Masters in 2020 – mean a third would secure automatic promotion to Golf’s Global Tour.
So, with an immediate return to the DP World Tour appearing an inevitability, Paratore is embracing being one of 19 homegrown players in the Italian Open field at Argentario Golf Club.
“At the moment it has been a really good year,” he said.
“I’m happy for the wins, my last one was in 2020, so it’s a good feeling. I’m in a good position going into this tournament, I’m going to enjoy it.”
Paratore understandably arrives in Italy full of optimism, having finished no worse than a tie for 39th in his five starts since his stunning double in the desert earlier in the year.
It is a far cry from the heartbreak he suffered in 2022, when he lost his DP World Tour card by one place on the Race to Dubai Rankings and then missed out on regaining it through Qualifying School again by one spot.
Having started the year outside the world’s top 650 after losing his full DP World Tour playing privileges last season, he now finds himself 268th and full of confidence in his game.
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"The goal right now is to win the Order of Merit (on the HotelPlanner Tour)," said the 28-year-old, who is still targeting improvement in his long game.
"I have a lot of tournaments to go, and I’m excited for that.
"It would be a great feeling to come back to the DP World Tour. I love the atmosphere, the tournaments."
The picturesque Argentario Golf Club 😍 #ItalianOpen pic.twitter.com/5DDqV80NfP
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 25, 2025
Paratore is making his 14th appearance at the Italian Open, in which he first played as a 15-year-old amateur.
While he has struggled to be at his best in the event, he is hoping its long-awaited return to Tuscany can help him enjoy a good result.
“I really enjoy this tournament,” he said.
“A lot of my friends will come here, and my family too.
“This place is always in my heart, so it’s going to be a good feeling.
“We came on holiday here during my childhood, so I have good memories. You feel a little weird when you see the places you went to when you were young, it’s a really nice feeling.”