Justin Walters fell just one stroke short of forcing a play-off on Sunday as he closed the Challenge Tour’s Italian Challenge Open with a six-under-par 65.
It was a bogey-free effort from Walters, who made five birdies on the front nine as he turned in 30. But he was able to make just one more on his way home, missing out on opportunities offered on all three of the par-fives on the back nine.
At 17-under-par for the week, he was one shot behind the winner, John Parry of England, who regained his playing privileges on the DP World Tour with a third victory of the season on the Challenge Tour. Walters was one shot ahead of third-placed Nicolai von Dellingshausen of Germany.
For Walters, the biggest consolation for the narrow miss in Italy will be the 53-place jump on the Road to Mallorca rankings on the Challenge Tour. He will rise to 42nd on the list, and, with four tournaments left ahead of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final which features the top 45 players, he takes a step closer to perhaps being able to regain his playing privileges on the DP World Tour.
JC Ritchie rounded out a solid week with a second-successive 68 taking him to 10-under for the week and a share of 12th. He will climb to 63rd on the Road to Mallorca, and has some work to do if he is to play in the final.
Wilco Nienaber had a disappointing finish with his level-par 71 seeing him slip to a share of 42nd on four-under-par. He is projected to go down one place to 22nd on the Road to Mallorca.
Louis Albertse, who already has status on the DP World Tour for next year thanks to his third-place finish on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit last season, finished in a share of 44th after his closing one-under 70 took him to three-under for the week. He is projected to climb three places to 57th on the Road to Mallorca, and a decent finish on the Challenge Tour could get him a batter category of eligibility on the DP World Tour.
