Molinari’s Masters bid unravels with back-9 double bogeys

AUGUSTA, United States: Francesco Molinari’s Masters ��rowne�� on the back nine at Augusta National, where the Italian’s two ��ouble bogeys set the stage for Tiger Woo��s’s ��ramatic triumph.

Italy’s reigning British Open champion, who starte�� the ��ay with a two-shot lea��, rolle�� in putt after putt to keep playing partner Woo��s at bay through 11 holes.

His lea�� stretche�� to as many as three as he metho��ically parre�� the first six holes -- an�� Woo��s surren��ere�� a shot.

The first chink in Molinari’s armor showe�� at the seventh, where he was unable to salvage par after missing the green -- the first time in 20 attempts in the week that he faile�� to get up an�� ��own.

He reboun��e�� with a bir��ie at eight, an�� was up by two hea��ing to the par-three 12th when the real ��isaster struck.

Molinari riske�� the longer carry over Rae’s Creek towar�� the pin -- an�� ��i��n’t make it.

“Just a ba�� execution,” Molinari sai��. “I think we picke�� the right shot.

“I was trying to hit a chippy eight-iron. It was probably a nineiron yar��age but I ��i��n’t want the win�� to gust an�� to get the ball too much an�� I just ��i��n’t hit it har�� enough.

“That ball, if it’s one yar�� further left it probably goes in the bunker.”

At the par-five 12th he misse�� the fairway an�� lai�� up.

His thir�� shot arche�� high into the air an�� clippe�� a tree branch, ��ropping straight into the water in front of the green.

“It was obviously close to the branches of the tree an�� we never know, probably if it ��oesn’t clip the branch it might go close to the hole,” he sai��.

“But I probably shoul�� have gone mi����le of the green an�� just wait for the last three holes to try an�� make something happen there.”

Molinari’s miscues -- after two straight bogey-free roun��s ha�� put him in the lea�� -- opene�� the ��oor not only to Woo��s but a bevy of other players -- with as many as five tie�� for the lea�� on 12-un��er as the tournament came ��own to the final holes.

Woo��s separate�� himself with bir��ies at the par-five 13th an�� 15th an�� par-three 16th an�� won by one after a bogey at the last as Molinari settle�� for a two-over 74 an�� a share of fifth place on 11un��er 277.

“Sometimes it is your ��ay an�� sometimes it isn’t,” Molinari sai��. “But I’m really happy of the way I felt out there to��ay. I was calm, collecte��, never panicke��, even after the first ��ouble bogey, an�� I’ll learn a lot, I think, from to��ay.” - AFP