Eugenio Chacarra secured back-to-back DP World Tour titles and moved a big step closer to earning a PGA Tour card after closing a dominant five-shot win at the DS Automobiles 83° Open d'Italia.
Chacarra took a two-shot lead into the final day at Circolo Golf Torino, where he carded five birdies in his first 10 holes before extending his lead with a stunning 35-foot eagle at the par-five 15th.
He posted a bogey-free 64 with three straight pars to end the week on 24 under, with his winning margin extended as England's Matt Wallace ended his runner-up finish with back-to-back bogeys.
Wallace's final-round 67 saw him finish runner-up ahead of Joaquin Niemann, while a low round-of-the-day 63 from Joakim Lagergren lifted the Swede to fourth, and Spain's Angel Ayora completed the top five at 16 under.
Chacarra's victory lifts him to third in the Race to Dubai standings, trailing only Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy, with the top 10 at the end of the season - not already exempt - earning a PGA Tour card for the following year.
"I'm feeling great, winning's always fun but that's what we work for," Chacarra said. "I'm very proud of how I played and how I managed myself today."
Chacarra and Wallace battled all day, a fight the 26-year-old Spaniard said he relished.
"It was a good fight, two world-class players," Chacarra said. "That's what I've been dreaming of since I was little, to play against those kind of players down the stretch and I'm very proud of how I played and how I managed myself today."
The win also earns Chacarra a spot at The Open next month, live from July 16-19 on Your Site, as the Open Qualifying Series offered the leading player a place in the field for the final men's major of the year.
"I'm very excited [for The Open]," Chacarra added. "I've never played there, I've always dreamed of playing it and been watching on TV since I was little. Excited to be out there, now it's time to celebrate and then we can focus on that."
After missing the cut at last week's RBC Canadian Open, Wallace bounced back in brilliant fashion, posting scores of 69, 62, 67 and 67.
He started with an eagle on the par five first hole to cut the deficit to Chacarra, then followed that up with a birdie on the fourth hole before showing his resilience to cancel out a bogey on the sixth with two further birdies on the seventh and ninth.
Wallace continued to cut the deficit to Chacarra in his back nine, closing the gap to just two shots, with a birdie on the 14th. He followed up with another on the 15th, but Chacarra responded with an eagle, as he honed in on victory.
Wallace has enjoyed a great season so far on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, with this being the Englishman's second runner-up finish of the season, following his tied-second place finish at the Valero Texas Open in February.
"I think it's been 20 rounds in a row under par," Wallace said of his own form. "I'm doing an incredible job with my caddy and staying patient and enjoying golf.
"Like I said, I proved myself already. When I was an amateur, I was one of the best, in America (in college), I was one of the best, and I want to be one of the best players in professional golf, so that's what we're working for."
The DP World Tour heads to Germany for the BMW International Open, held at Golfclub München Eichenried in Munich, with coverage live on Thursday from 11.30am on Your Site Golf. or .
