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Credit: @TheOpen - Official Twitter account of The Open
Since missing the cut at The Players in May, Molinari has now played six tournaments. His results? 1st, 2nd, T25, 1st, T2, 1st. His only finish outside the Top-2 was the now-notorious U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. He now boasts a Claret Jug, the Champion Golfer of the Year title and a spot on the European Ryder Cup team.
He's always gone about his business with suave and class, but now he is world class.
The Most Open Open
Of course, any golf major is up for grabs at the start of the week. If you're in the field it's because you're a great golfer. But great golfers were falling thick & fast on Friday: World Numbers 1, 2 and 5 Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas & Jon Rahm, Masters Champions Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson, two-time Open Champion (and the last Open winner at Carnoustie) Padraig Harrington and plenty more. World No. 3 Justin Rose made the ultimate clutch-putt on the 36th hole for a birdie to make the cut.
But, come Sunday, all that drama felt like a lifetime ago. The big name casualties were long forgotten; replaced by bigger names atop the leaderboard. Tiger Woods was of course the headline, reigning champ Jordan Spieth was tied for first and Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose were amongst those in hot pursuit. It was anybody's game.
To start the final day, three Americans were tied for first- Spieth, Kevin Kisner & Xander Schauffele- with another Ameican, Kevin Chappell, in second. Spieth entered the day as favourite, but was +3 at the turn. His overnight co-leaders were both +4 at the turn. Whilst Schauffele and Kisner ended on +3 for the day and -6 for the tournament, Spieth fell further to a +5 round and -4 tournament. A hungover Eddie Pepperell led a European charge in the morning; surging thirty places up the leaderboard with a 67 to finish the week on -5. Fellow Englishman Justin Rose had gone from last-gasp birdie to make the cut to title contender with a tournament-low 64 on Saturday. His eagle on the 14th was followed by his fourth consecutive 18th-hole birdie to reach -6 for the tournament and finish his round as the clubhouse leader.
But then, as you well know, TIGER WOODS TOOK THE LEAD. The golfing world erupted as Tiger topped a major leaderboard on the final day. But, as you well know, a double-bogey at the 11th, followed immediately by a bogey at 12, derailed the 14-time major champ. His birdie at the 14th offered a small glimmer of hope, but playing partner Francesco Molinari birdied the same hole to take the lead. The Italian was bogey-free for the weekend and suddenly the favourite. He only needed par at the last, but in typical Molinari fashion he made a walk-off birdie to become the first Italian ever to win a golf major.
Behind Molinari, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy made it a promising-looking leaderboard for Team Europe as they finished T2 with Kisner and Schauffele. Pepperrell tied for sixth with Tiger and Chappell (-5), whilst Spieth's collapse left him at T9. Fleetwood's flawless Friday 65 was his only sub-par round, but it was enough for a -3 T12 finish.
Why We Love Molinari
Call me old fashioned, but I was delighted to see Molinari lift the Claret Jug. Not because I had tipped him on Friday and forecasted his bogey-free weekend (Ok, maybe slightly because of that), but because he's a really, really likeable guy. He's a joy to watch on the golf course and comes across as a true gentleman off the course. He's also a European in the form of his life just two months before a Ryder Cup. In fact, he's just broken a run of five American major wins.
I understand the hype around Tiger and the desire to see Rory win another major, but Molinari's win is good for golf. Not only would he be a great icon and role model for younger golfers, but he could also make golf popular in Italy, where it is a largely unknown quantity.
Congratulations, Francesco Molinari!
Written by Joe Carabini
