Oliver Wilson said he was "proud" of his performance at the Italian Open - despite missing out on the title by a single stroke.
The 27-year-old carded a superb final-round 64 but had to settle for second place as South African Hennie Otto held on to claim his maiden European Tour win.
"I'm proud of myself," said the former Walker Cup player. "To shoot eight under on the last day, I can't complain. Going out six behind, I just went to get second more than anything."
He added: "I got it going (eight birdies on his first 14 holes), but I didn't quite hit it close enough on the last few to put real pressure on him (Otto)."