Molinari credits performance coach Alred’s methods for his rise to British Open glory
Francesco Molinari’s road to major success started with a coffee. When Molinari met elite performance coach Dave Alred at the start of 2016, the Italian golfer was ranked 78th in the world. Fast forward two years and Molinari is now ranked sixth and has won three of his past six tournaments, including last month’s British Open.
“I was looking for a different figure in my staff,’’ Molinari, 35, said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press.
“I was looking for someone who could help me get more out of my training, out of my practice. We had some common friends that got us in touch.
“So we just met in London for a coffee and we started chatting. I was curious to know more about him and what he did and he was curious to know more about me and my character and my way to approach golf and I think we both realised we were a good match and we started shortly after.’’
Alred had worked with some of the biggest names in sport, including other golfers such as Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington, and has been labeled “a genius’’ by rugby World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson.
Alred’s work centres around what he calls “the ugly zone’’ and making something that has become comfortable, uncomfortable, with practice sessions that most closely resemble the strains of competition.
“He’s helped me in many ways,’’ said Molinari, who was speaking from Akron, Ohio, during the Bridgestone Invitational.
“I had a very good team around me already but we were probably missing someone like him, someone who does what he does. He makes my training sessions more interesting, more ugly — like he says — and just more productive.’’
That culminated in Molinari becoming the first Italian golfer to win a major when he clinched the claret jug at Carnoustie on July 22.
Playing alongside Tiger Woods, who caused a stir by taking the lead in the final round of a major for the first time in nine years, Molinari was overlooked for much of the final day.
But, having gone the entire weekend without a bogey, Molinari finished with a five-foot birdie putt to win the world’s oldest major championship.
“It was nice to see Tiger back,’’ said Molinari.
“It was nice to be alongside him and it made that day even more special for me to win alongside one of my models and idols. It was even more special.”
Molinari, whose older brother Edoardo won the 2005 US Amateur and played with him in the 2010 Ryder Cup, comes from a country known more for football and skiing than golf.
He was 12 and watching on TV when Costantino Rocca lost in a play-off to John Daly at the 1995 British Open at St Andrews. That inspired Molinari to take up the sport and he hopes his win will have an even bigger impact, especially with Rome set to host the Ryder Cup in 2022.
“I think the coverage in the Italian press has been great so hopefully a lot of young kids will get interested in golf and will try to play at least once,” added Molinari.
“I’m obviously trying my best to help golf be more popular in Italy so I really hope it makes a difference and I’ll keep doing what I do to try and inspire the new generation.’’
Rocca was one of the first people to text a message of congratulations to Molinari, who hopes his victory goes someway to making up for Rocca’s narrow defeat.
“He was super nice,’’ Molinari said. “Hopefully I can see him at some point in the next few weeks to chat to him.”