The Tiger Tamer
Golf Monthly|September 2018

Costantino Rocca discusses his Ryder Cup career, including a rather special singles victory in 1997.

Jeremy Ellwood
The Tiger Tamer

Just as Thomas Bjorn helped raise the bar for Denmark, so too did Costantino Rocca for Italy. The now 61-year-old enjoyed many career highs including a BMW PGA victory in 1996, three consecutive Ryder Cup appearances and, of course, that dramatic putt and play-off loss in the 1995 Open at St Andrews. Here, he reflects on his early career and his Ryder Cup memories, including a memorable singles victory over Tiger...

How did you get into golf? 

I started when I was 13 with just one club. We played at night as kids couldn’t play during the day. I worked for ten years in a factory and didn’t have time to play, but when I was 19 or 20 my club at Bergamo gave me the opportunity to go to the Italian Team Championships. I turned pro at 25 to teach because I loved teaching, but I went to Q-School at La Manga and made the cut. I never believed I could do it, but I did.

How quickly did you progress? 

This story is from the September 2018 edition of Golf Monthly.

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This story is from the September 2018 edition of Golf Monthly.

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