Staff WriterIf the Italian Challenge Open needed a headline act on day one at Golf Nazionale, it got one in the form of 23-year-old Dutchman Lars van der Vight, who fired a flawless eight-under 64 to lead the field by a single stroke.
The young Dutchman made the course look like a Sunday stroll, racking up birdies as if they were on special offer. His effort left him one ahead of fellow countryman Lars van Meijel and England’s Angus Flanagan, who still has two holes to finish after play was suspended due to darkness.
Van der Vight, starting from the tenth, wasted no time in making himself comfortable, rattling off birdies on his opening two holes. Then, like a man who had decided par was for other people, he strung together three more in a row starting at the fourth. By the time he’d added another at the par-five 18th, he was out in 30. Two further birdies at the first and fourth sealed a bogey-free card that gave him the overnight lead.
“It was pretty good,” Van der Vight shrugged afterwards, in the sort of understated way only a man with an eight-under bogey-free round can manage. “Obviously I got off to a hot start and kept it going throughout the round.
“I hit good shots, made the putts and that was about it. I hit pretty much every fairway and I think that’s key around here. The rough is pretty high in some spots and you can’t really hit driver everywhere so it’s just about keeping the ball in play off the tee and then going from there.”
Playing with freedom
What makes his Italian Challenge Open performance all the more impressive is that Van der Vight is in Italy on an invite. Yet, thanks to a stellar season on the Pro Golf Tour—two wins and six other top tens in just 16 starts—he’s already locked up playing rights on the HotelPlanner Tour for 2026. In other words, he’s got the rare gift of playing without a care in the world.
“It’s been going pretty good this season,” he admitted. “I’m in first on the Order of Merit so I’ve locked up my card for next year already, so it’s bonus golf here for me.
“This week I’m doing the same as I always do. I’m just trying to find my feet out here and see what it’s like.”
The chasing pack
England’s George Bloor also made hay on Thursday, carving out a six-under round that included five birdies on the back nine to sit in third. A large group are lurking a shot further back on five under, including South African Jovan Rebula, England’s Eddie Pepperell, and Spaniard Albert Boneta.
Round one will resume at 8:50am local time on Friday. The second round schedule remains intact, with Van der Vight heading back out at 7:50am alongside Denmark’s Christian Jacobsen, while Callum Farr of England will begin his campaign at 12:30pm.
If the opening day is any indication, the Italian Challenge Open may be less about surviving Golf Nazionale’s snarling rough and more about keeping up with a Dutchman who appears to have left his nerves back home.
