NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head men's golf coach Ray Kralis has announced that Italy native Pietro Pontiggia has been signed to a National Letter of Intent.
A native of Bologna, Italy, Pontiggia has attended the Manzoni - Scientific High School of Applied Sciences.
"Pietro has enjoyed a long run of success on every level, and he has proven he can go low on the biggest stages," said Kralis. "He has been well coached and it shows. His swing is very strong fundamentally and generates plenty of speed. He is highly motivated and performs equally well in the classroom, so I anticipate a smooth transition to the DI level and look for him to have an immediate impact on Redbird Golf."
As a junior golfer he won the U12 Italian National Championship with rounds of 76 and 75, and a few years later he took third at the U16 National Championship.
He had a fifth-place finish at the 2018 Doral Publix Junior Golf Classic with rounds of 77-69 in the international event held in Miami, Florida. He also took 21st in the 2020 Italian Amateur Stroke Play Championship, an event that included all ages of golfers in the country. He was also a semifinalist at the 2019 Italian National U16 Match Play Championships.
In 2021 he has recorded four top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the 2021 Conca d'Oro where he finished with scores of 68, 71, and 67. He also took eighth at the 2021 Italian Team Championship Qualifier with rounds of 71, 69 and 72.
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