Italian Open Final scores: Francesco Molinari was drenched in champagne on the 18th green after becoming the first home winner of the Italian Open for 26 years at Castello di Tolcinasco.

Molinari carded a brilliant final-round 65 for a 23-under-par total of 265, four shots clear of Sweden's Jarmo Sandelin and Denmark's Anders Hansen.

The 23-year-old, who claimed the first prize of €233,330, was engulfed by family and friends after he holed a seven-foot birdie putt to spark massive celebrations from the home crowd.

"It's amazing, really unbelievable," said Molinari, who dropped only one shot all week with a three-putt on the fourth hole of his first round.

"I would not have thought about winning so early in my career. I was hoping to give the Italian supporters some joy soon, but I was not thinking about this year.

"I was quite nervous after I three-putted the 12th for par, because I saw Jarmo Sandelin was also 20 under par, but when I saw the next leaderboard on the 16th I was two clear so I knew it was going well for me.

"I want to thank all the people supporting me, it was like playing in a football stadium."

Molinari's elder brother, Edoardo, won the US Amateur title last year, and Francesco added: "I think we are equal now. I had to win something to catch him. We are 1-1 now and need to score some more goals."

Molinari was not even born when Italy last enjoyed a home victory in their national open, when Massimo Mannelli won by five shots in Rome in 1980.

He began the day tied for the lead with England's Benn Barham, but was never headed from the moment he eagled the par-five first for the second time this week.

Birdies at the sixth and ninth took him to the turn in 32 and kept him just in front of the chasing pack, led by Sandelin and Hansen.

Sandelin could also celebrate securing his card for next season with his third top-10 finish of the season.

The extrovert Swede won five times on the European Tour between 1995 and 2002, and played in the Ryder Cup at Brookline in 1999, but lost his card last season and had to regain it at the qualifying school in November.

"I think this week is the best golf I have ever played," insisted Sandelin. "1999 is not even close. I have more control over all the elements of the game now.

"I was on tour for 10 years without a coach, doing my own thing, and I decided I needed to make some major changes.

"I started to work with (renowned coach) Robert Baker 18 months ago and it has produced results. Hopefully this is the start of a new era for me."

(British unless stated, Par 72)

265 (23 under) - F Molinari (Ita) 68 65 67 65 (233,330).

269 - J Sandelin (Swe) 69 68 67 65, A Hansen (Den) 70 67 66 66.

270 - S Kjeldsen (Den) 63 70 69 68.

271 - B Teilleria (Fra) 69 68 65 69.

272 - B Dredge 67 69 68 68, P Archer 66 67 68 71.

273 - M Warren 69 68 70 66, A Tadini (Ita) 66 72 67 68, G Houston 70 70 65 68, P Fowler (Aus) 68 67 68 70.

274 - A McLardy (Rsa) 67 69 72 66, S Jeppesen (Swe) 67 71 67 69, D Drysdale 67 64 73 70, N Colsaerts (Bel) 70 68 64 72. 275 - J Bickerton 69 69 71 66, B Sutterfield (US) 70 70 69 66, G Havret (Fra) 66 68 73 68, D Griffiths 70 68 69 68, J Lomas 67 68 71 69, R Jacquelin (Fra) 70 67 68 70, T Moore (Rsa) 71 67 67 70, B Barham 65 68 67 75. 276 - A Butterfield 66 68 74 68, A Bruschi (Ita) 68 70 69 69, S O'Hara 72 68 67 69, M Roe 69 66 71 70, R Green (Aus) 67 69 68 72. 277 - F Valera (Spa) 69 70 70 68, A Rocha (Ita) 68 66 72 71, R McEvoy 71 69 66 71, P Gustafsson (Swe) 70 67 68 72. 278 - L Slattery 69 71 69 69, E Canonica (Ita) 69 69 70 70, D Bransdon (Aus) 69 69 69 71, M Crespi (Ita) 71 67 68 72, G Bourdy (Fra) 66 70 69 73, H Otto (Rsa) 69 68 67 74, M Carballo (Arg) 67 70 66 75. 279 - S Webster 70 69 72 68, M Foster 69 67 74 69, I Woosnam 70 66 73 70, L Westerberg (Swe) 69 65 74 71, S Struver (Ger) 70 65 73 71, A Wall 70 65 73 71, D Lynn 71 69 68 71, M Fraser (Aus) 71 66 70 72, S Luna (Spa) 72 68 67 72. 280 - M Persson (Swe) 69 71 70 70, R Gonzalez (Arg) 74 65 70 71. 281 - J Hepworth 66 71 74 70, S Fernandez (Arg) 68 67 75 71, C Nilsson (Swe) 70 69 71 71, M Kirk (Rsa) 66 72 70 73, P Dwyer 73 67 67 74, (x) M Delpodio (Ita) 67 69 70 75. 282 - F Henge (Swe) 72 67 71 72. 283 - G Orr 73 67 71 72, S Scahill (Nzl) 70 67 71 75. 284 - R Gomez (Arg) 67 70 73 74, T Whitehouse 70 68 72 74. 286 - L Oosthuizen (Rsa) 67 68 75 76. 288 - A Maestroni (Ita) 72 67 74 75, S Dodd 69 67 73 79. 289 - R Bland 71 67 77 74. Ret: C Hanell (Swe).