Italians Mazzoli, Barbieri thrive at Orlando International Amateur under Binaghi

Stefano Mazzoli (left) is all smiles walking off No. 18 with Italian national team coach Alberto Binaghi after winning the Orlando International Amateur on Dec. 30 at Orange County National in Winter Garden, Fla. ( Tracy Wilcox )

Europeans amateurs are doing well in in Florida events over the Festive period. Following the success by Norwegian and Swiss competitors at the Junior Orange Bowl, comes news of more European domination in America.

FROM GOLFWEEK.COM

By Allen Etzler

WINTER GARDEN, Florida: Walking off the 18th green at Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge, Alberto Binaghi put his arm around Stefano Mazzoli and the two embraced, smiling ear-to-ear.
It was a similar scene hours earlier when Binaghi, the Italian national team coach, hugged Alice Barbieri and kissed her cheek after a tap-in par putt, though the emotions were a bit different.
Mazzoli’s tap-in par putt clinched a runaway, four-stroke victory at 11 under in the Orlando International Amateur.
Barbieri’s tap-in par putt wasn’t enough to clinch a victory on the women’s side, as she fell in a one-hole play-off to Ariadna Fonseca after both finished the third round Wednesday at 3 over.
Mazzoli was the star of the inaugural tournament, and Barbieri had a strong performance, but the two Italian national team-mates who joined him in competition, Michele Ortolani (2 over) and Luca Cianchetti (3 over), more than held their own with T-17 and T-21 finishes, respectively.
“I’m very happy because we had one player win and one player almost win,” Binaghi said. 
“They all played well, especially Mazzoli, even though he didn’t score as well today, because he was so far ahead he didn’t want to (risk a blow-up). I was also impressed with Alice. She played very well the last two rounds. For us, it means a lot to come here because Italy is a small country in the world of golf, so it’s make it special for me.”
The 18th for Mazzoli was one of the few holes throughout the three-day tournament that Binaghi got to be a part of, as the former professional spent much of the event operating as Barbieri’s caddie. Even though Barbieri isn’t on the Italian national team like Cianchetti, Ortolani and Mazzoli, Binaghi, who also trains Matteo Manassero, acts as her personal coach throughout the year.
With Barbieri living in Florida and attending nearby Rollins College, she doesn’t get to work with Binaghi as frequently as do the men's players. So, when she found out about the OIA, she jumped at the opportunity to have the guys come stay with her while they competed in the previous week's South Beach International Amateur and the OIA.
“It was so great having (Binaghi). It was his first time on the bag for me the whole tournament,” Barbieri said. “It definitely helped me out a lot because he knows my personality and my tendencies a lot. I tend to overreact and overthink, and he kept me calm and positive, especially today on the back nine when I started to lose my patience a little bit on the greens.”
She impressed Binaghi with her focus and iron play, hitting all 18 greens in regulation on Tuesday and making up a two-stroke deficit on the final day to force a playoff.
“That’s something you don’t see quite often,” Binaghi said. “Unfortunately she didn’t make enough putts to win. We needed one putt less and we’re on top of the podium. But I think it’s important to spend time as a caddie for a player you coach. You can spend time on the driving range on the carpet, and that’s OK. You can build a good swing, but you can’t build a good player. I wanted to help her with how to think and see how she thought on many shots.”
Barbieri was one of the few players in the field living in the U.S. with no college golf experience. She moved to Florida from Monaco when she was 13 to pursue golf as a career, but received advice that, if possible, she should keep her college career separate from her golf career. 
So after attending IMG Academy and working with coach David Leadbetter, she set out on the amateur and mini-tour circuits, chasing her dreams.
However, the one thing Barbieri probably has missed out on was the opportunity to play on the national team. Because she doesn’t play in Europe as much, she said, it is difficult to get recognized or move up the rankings to get in position to play for the team.
But during the winter months, weather precludes Binaghi and his players from spending much time outside playing golf in Italy. The Italian national players are mainstays in Florida during this time of year, though.
So, when Binaghi and Co. crossed the Atlantic shortly before Christmas, Binaghi took advantage of the time and played a practice round with Barbieri before she played in the Dixie Amateur.
“It was like a little reunion for us,” Barbieri said. “We didn’t really work on much. We just played and worked on focusing on hitting good shots.”
For Mazzoli, the OIA is his second-biggest amateur victory. In August, he earned an exemption to the 2016 Open at Royal Troonby winning the European Amateur. Binaghi said the OIA was the eighth victory of the year for an Italian men's national team player, with seven individuals winning events.
Binaghi has caddied for Manassero multiple times in the Open, and knows Royal Troon well. He is not sure whether he will caddie for Mazzoli in his first major tournament.
“I don’t know what we are going to do," Binaghi said. "I think I can help him, but I don’t know if he wants to use me or someone else."
Italians have long been known for their treatment of amateur golfers and newly-turned professionals, and Barbieri said these golfers are no different. Not all golfers will turn into the next Manassero or Francesco Molinari, but they all get treated as if they will.
“All of these players will turn professional,” Binaghi said, “and we will try to help them get as far as they can.”

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