Eight-shot romp
Molinari turns it on for runaway win as Woods finishes fourth
POTOMAC: Francesco Molinari delivered a record performance to win the final edition of the Quicken Loans National.
Molinari holed a 50-foot eagle putt to start the back nine, and he never stopped until he turned the final round into a runaway win on Sunday at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
The Italian closed with an eight-under 62 for an eight-shot victory, matching the largest margin this year on the PGA Tour.
Molinari followed that eagle putt with an approach to two feet on No. 11, one of the hardest parfours on Tour that had yielded only one other birdie in the final round. He made three more birdies and ended his round by missing a birdie putt from eight feet.
No matter. He finished at 21-under 259, breaking the tournament record by seven shots.
“It was a lot easier than I thought,” Molinari said with a wide grin.
“I played great. The start of the back nine was incredible.”
Tiger Woods closed with a 66, his lowest final round in more than five years, and he was never close. Woods tied for fourth, his best result since a runner-up finish at the Valspar Championship three months ago, though he was 10 shots behind.
“I was only four back at the time when I made the turn, and so I thought that maybe if I got on the back nine, I shot 30 – maybe 29 – that would be enough,” Woods said.
“Evidently, I would have to shoot 24 on the back nine. What Francesco is doing back there is just awesome.”
Ryan Armour closed with a 68 to finish second, earning one of four spots to the British Open. The other three spots went to Kang Sung-hoon, who finished third after a 64; Abraham Ancer, who tied for fourth after a 72; and Bronson Burgoon, who had a day he won’t forget.
He played with Woods for the first time and experience larger crowds and louder noise than he had ever experienced. And with a birdie on the final hole for a 67, he tied for sixth to earn his first trip to the British Open.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Burgoon said.