Italian golf prodigy Emanuele Galeppini dies in deadly fire at Swiss ski resort

Emanuele Galeppini, a young Italian golf prodigy, met a terrible fate when the New Year just begun. While Galeppini was bringing in 2026 with his friends at a Swiss Ski Resort, a devastating fire broke out, which claimed the life of someone who could have been Italian golf's future.

Galeppini and several others were consumed by a fire that raged through the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana during the early hours of January 1, 2026. According to the Cantonal Police of Valais, the incident took the lives of around 40 people. The 17-year-old prodigy's death from the incident shook the golf world, and the Italian Golf Federation further confirmed Emanuele Galeppini's tragic passing.

The Federation shared a picture of Galeppini in black and white and penned a tribute to the young golfer in the caption of their Instagram post:

"The Italian Golf Federation mourns the passing of Emanuele Galeppini, a young athlete who carried passion and authentic values with him. At this time of great sorrow, our thoughts are with his family and all those who loved him... Emanuele you will forever remain in our hearts."

Take a look at the Instagram post by the Italian Golf Federation:

Apart from the Italian Golf Federation, Emanuele Galeppini's death also broke the heart of PGA Tour pro Tommy Fleetwood. The 2025 PGA Tour FedEx Cup winner shared a heartfelt post on Instagram and mourned the unfortunate death of Galeppini. Fleetwood also stated in the caption that Galeppini's death was a "huge loss".

While the golf world mourns Galeppini's death, it is clear that the Swiss ski resort fire left a deep scar on the sport's landscape by taking away a golfer who had a bright future.

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Who was Emanuele Galeppini? All about the late golf prodigy

For the unversed, Galeppini was a junior golfer originally from Genoa and was settled in Dubai with his family. The late golfer was also a part of the Italian National Team and was set to graduate from the Swiss International School in Dubai in 2027.

Emanuele Galeppini played in events across the Middle East, and the young golfer was making quite a mark in the amateur golf scene. In the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Galeppini's best rank was 2440th. In 2025, the golf prodigy carded several top 10 finishes in tournaments such as the FJT Middle East Championship, the Abu Dhabi Golf Club Open, and the GEM International Amateur Invitational Golf Tour.

Galeppini also made waves after he won the Omega Dubai Creek Amateur Open in 2025. He carded a total score of three over par and edged out his nearest competitor by a two-stroke margin.

Edited by Mitali