The Marco Simone Golf Club will host next year’s Ryder Cup and as such is a layout most of Europe’s guaranteed and likely team players want to see under tournament conditions.

That’s why the likes of Rory McIlroy Viktor Hovland have made the trip this week, both Italian Open debutants but very much playing with an eye to events 12 months from now.

The tournament itself dates back to 1925 and has been a mainstay on the DP World Tour since its inception in 1971.

Among those to have lifted the trophy are our own Peter Thomson in 1959 with some of the tournament’s earliest champions among the biggest names in the game at the time.

Percy Alliss, father of Peter, was a two-time winner as was Belgian legend Flory Van Donck.

In recent years the event was an elevated Rolex Series tournament from 2017 to 2019 and while not boasting an equivalent purse in 2023 will likely boast its strongest field ever ahead of the Ryder Cup.

RIGHT: Nicolai Hojgaard got into the family habit of winning on the European Tour last year ... He's the one in golf clothes. PHOTO: Luke Walker/Getty Images.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: The tournament was played for the first time at the completely rebuilt Marco Simone course last year and it was a potential Ryder Cup star of the future who took home the trophy.

Nicolai Hojgaard held off Tommy Fleetwood and Poland’s Adrian Meronk by a single stroke, the difficult closing stretch of the course proving the deciding factor.

It was Hojgaard’s first European Tour win and came a week after his twin brother, Rasmus, won his third Tour title at the European Masters in Switzerland.

COURSE: There are big names playing this week but it is the Marco Simone course which will be the star of the show.

Originally laid out by Jim Fazio and David Mezzacane and opened in 1989, very little of the original course remans in what will be seen this week.

When it was announced in 2015 that Italy had been successful in their Ryder Cup bid Jim Fazio’s son, Tom Fazio II, was enlisted (alongside Jeremy Slessor of European Golf Design) to revamp most of the course.

Laid out on a hilly site just 30 minutes from the centre of Rome, the land is less than ideal for golf and nine of the holes feature uphill approaches where players are unable to see all of the flag.

Hosting a professional field last year for the first time since 1994, it was the par-3 7th hole which attracted most of the attention but not for the right reasons.

Players are becoming increasingly familiar with the new look Marco Simone as the Ryder Cup prepares to make its way there in 2023. PHOTO: Luke Walker/Getty Images.

Long at almost 200 metres but boasting a green more in keeping with a hole of much shorter length, it will be interesting to see if any changes have been made this year.

The closing stretch of holes have been made significantly more difficult ahead of next year’s tournament and that proved pivotal in 2021.

Tommy Fleetwood bogeyed two of the last five holes as did eventual winner Hojgaard.

In fact, of the top seven finishers only three avoided dropping at least one shot between the 13th green and the clubhouse, a rare display of difficulty at this level.

PRIZEMONEY: EUR3,000,000

RELATED: So-called expert golf tips for this week

PLAYERS TO WATCH: There’s no shortage of talent gathered for this week’s event and the obvious place to look would be World No.2 Rory McIlroy.

Runner-up at Wentworth and on quite a run the past month, his form is good which means he should win comfortably in a field of this calibre.

But golf is never that simple and there are others who can make a legitimate claim to being a contender this week, chief among them the 2018 Open champion and local hero Francesco Molinari.

The likeable Italian has been in something of a slump since his final round capitulation at the 2019 Masters with just five top-10 finishes across 2021 and 2022 combined.

However, there appears to be a glimmer of light on the horizon for Molinari who was T9 last week after a lengthy break following The Open at St Andrews.

He was T15 there, his best result since January, and with all three rounds in the 60’s at Wentworth will have gained at least a bit of confidence.

RIGHT: Min Woo Lee was up to his usual crowd thrilling tricks last week, and shares the course record here. PHOTO: Luke Walker/Getty Images.

He will have plenty of support this week as the only Italian winner of a major and even if he doesn’t win, a good showing will be an important step towards perhaps regaining the form he is capable of.

Last year’s winner Nicolai Hojgaard and runner-up Adrian Meronk should also start among the favourites, Meronk’s final round in 66 in 2021 bettered by only one player on the day.

The lanky Polish star has played well all year including a maiden win in Ireland in May and will bring good memories to the 1st tee Thursday.

Francesco’s brother Edoardo Molinari played well here in 2021 to finish just three shots out of the lead and despite being at less than his best for much of 2022 will be looking to lift this week.

Australia’s Min Woo Lee opened with a 64 here last year to share the early lead but faded over the final three days.

His 62 on day two at Wentworth last week was his best score as a professional and while he followed up with a lacklustre 70 there may be indications of a good week ahead.

Lee’s talent is the equal of almost anyone in world golf and he is continuing to learn the craft of playing professionally.

72-HOLE RECORD: 263 (-25, Hennie Otto, 2008)

18-HOLE RECORD (Marco Simone): 64 (-7, Min Woo Lee, Henrik Stenson and Kallie Samooja, 2021)

PAST AUSSIE WINNERS: Peter Thomson (1959), Greg Norman (1988), Craig Parry (1991)

AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD: Scott Hend, Min woo Lee, Lucas Herbert, Jason Scrivener, Maverick Antcliff and Zach Murray.

TV TIMES*
Round 1: Thursday (Fox Sports 503 9.30pm – 2.30am)
Round 2: Friday (Fox Sports 503 9.30pm – 2.30am)
Round 3: Saturday (Fox Sports 503 9.30pm – 2am)
Round 4: Sunday (Fox Sports 503 9.30pm – 2am)
*AEST, check local guides