Englishman David Horsey gave golf fans such an exciting finish to the BMW Italian Open in Turin on the weekend with a searing late charge on Swede Frederik Andersson Hed, who ultimately took the trophy - but only 2 strokes ahead of the man from Stockport.
After 3 birdies and 6 pars on the front 9 in the 4th round, David's concentration wandered slightly, leading to a disappointing tee shot on the 18th. But his putting was invariably extraordinary. He has stuck with the same C-Groove blade putter since before the Walker Cup 2007, and with regular trips to Phil Kenyon (director of instruction for Harold Swash Putting Schools) he is one of the most consistent performers on the greens of his generation.
His first Challenge Tour title came at the Telenet Trophy in Belgium in 2008, where he birdied three of the last four holes to pip fellow Challenge Tour rookie Wil Besseling of The Netherlands to the title by one shot.
Two weeks later he repeated the trick at the AGF-Allianz EurOpen de Lyon, sinking a 35ft birdie putt on the 72nd hole to deny compatriot Marcus Higley.
A seventh place finish at the 2008 season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final guaranteed Horsey the Number One Spot in the Challenge Tour Rankings that year with record earnings of €144,118, and put the topping on a stunning debut season which had yielded two victories and a further six top-ten finishes.
His reward for securing top billing was a place at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, where he rubbed shoulders with some of the world's greatest golfers.
At the 2010 Italian Open, he finished 4th overall in the Putts per Round Category averaging just 25.3 putts per round.
