Italy crowned its 2026 national under-18 match-play golf champions on 19 October, with two very different finals in Lombardy. Alessandro Comparone claimed the boys’ title on the first extra hole, while Fabrizia Salituro took the girls’ championship with a 3&2 victory. The events were staged by the Italian Golf Federation (Federazione Italiana Golf, FIG) and dedicated to the memories of promising young players Andrea Brotto and Roberta Bertotto.
Boys: Comparone wins on the 19th
At Villa Paradiso Golf Club in Cornate d’Adda, Monza and Brianza, 16-year-old Alessandro Comparone of Golf Club Ambrosiano faced defending champion Matteo Manini of Golf Club Le Fonti. Their final remained level through the scheduled 18 holes, and Comparone secured the Campionato Nazionale Ragazzi Match Play — Trofeo Andrea Brotto on the 19th, the first sudden-death extra hole.
The result overturned the ranking established during the 36-hole stroke-play qualifying stage. Manini, 17, had led after rounds of 68 and 68 for 136 (eight under par). Comparone ranked second at 138 (six under), with rounds of 68 and 70. The best 32 qualifiers then advanced to 18-hole knockout matches. Ninety boys competed in the championship, according to FIG. Comparone arrived with an already strong season, having also won the Targa d’Oro and Memorial Lillo Angelini.
Girls: Salituro’s first national championship
At Golf Club Ambrosiano in Bubbiano, near Milan, 15-year-old Rome player Fabrizia Salituro, representing Archi di Claudio Golf Club, defeated Martina Durbano of I Girasoli, a 14-year-old from Turin, 3&2. The score means Salituro was three holes ahead with two holes remaining, so the match ended on the 16th green. It was her first FIG national championship title.
Both finalists had been well outside the top seeds in the stroke-play stage. Each recorded 151 (+7) over 36 holes, entering the draw as the 17th and 18th seeds. Yet both eliminated the top two qualifiers: Anita Marrone had led on 139 (−5), while Gemma Simeoni followed on 144 (level par). A total of 55 girls took part in the Campionato Nazionale Ragazze Match Play — Trofeo Roberta Bertotto.
A reminder of what match play rewards
Across the 15–19 October championships, the winners showed the difference between a low aggregate score and winning one hole at a time. Comparone beat the stroke-play leader head-to-head; Salituro and Durbano advanced from the middle of the qualifying order. Their results underline the depth of the Italian junior game, with finalists representing clubs across Rome, the Milan area and Turin.
Primary sources: FIG boys’ championship report, 19 October; FIG girls’ championship report, 19 October. The accompanying image is an archival view of Gardagolf Country Club elsewhere in Lombardy, not a picture from either 2026 championship.
Read more on this topic
Wenyi Ding misses Race to Dubai play-offs by one place — for a second consecutive year
Wenyi Ding began the Genesis Championship in 70th, shot 280 (−4) for T34, yet finished the Race to Dubai in 71st. Ryan Gerard claimed the last qualifying spot.
Three late bogeys, $402 short: Chad Campbell misses Charles Schwab Cup playoff cut
Three bogeys in his last five holes cost Chad Campbell a top-54 Charles Schwab Cup spot at the Stifel Charity Classic. PGA TOUR reports the margin was just $402, while Tim Petrovic and Henrik Stenson advanced.
From 60th to 53rd: Tim Petrovic's T8 finish in St. Louis keeps his Schwab Cup run alive
Tim Petrovic shot 205 (−8) for a share of eighth at the Stifel Charity Classic, rising from 60th to 53rd in the Charles Schwab Cup and surviving the top-54 playoff cut.
Rory Sabbatini wins Stifel Charity Classic with two eagles and a closing 62
The 50-year-old came from four strokes back to shoot a final-round 62, finish at 14 under and claim his first PGA TOUR Champions title in the Schwab Cup playoff opener.