One hundred years after its first edition, the Italian Golf Open opens a new chapter in its long history. The one that begins Thursday at the Argentario Golf Club in Porto Ercole, in the province of Grosseto, is an edition without top players and without a declared favorite, but not without charm. It is the first after the Chimenti era and comes with the Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone now archived, a sign of a transitional phase, almost a year zero for Italian golf, hoping it will be a compelling and spectacular tournament. And perhaps that it can finally be tinged blue. Competing for the title, two spots for the prestigious The Open and a three-million-dollar prize pool, will be a patrol of top international players from the top of the Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour rankings, the world's second-largest circuit. Among the most anticipated names are England's John Parry, currently fourth in the Race and number 109 in the world, Norway's Kristoffer Reitan, sixth and number 99 in the ranking, New Zealand's Daniel Hillier, eighth and 173rd, France's Martin Couvra, ninth and 142nd, and South Africa's Shaun Norris, who occupies tenth in the Race and 92nd in the world ranking. Alongside them, 15 Tour 2025 stage winners and five former Italian Open winners will take the field: defending champion Marcel Siem, Ross McGowan, Bernd Wiesberger, Rikard Karlberg, and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño. Italy, however, has been waiting nine years for a new triumph. Since Francesco Molinari lifted the cup at the Milan Golf Club, no Italian has managed to stand on the top step of the podium. The baton of the “after Chicco” could pass to Guido Migliozzi, one of the spearheads of the movement, or to his brother Dodo, who is growing steadily. But surprises from other Italian protagonists, such as Francesco Laporta, Gregorio De Leo, Renato Paratore, Andrea Pavan or Filippo Celli, cannot be ruled out.