FANTASTIC FRANKIE
Flight of fancy as Molinari takes the Open title
FRANCESCO MOLINARI insisted he would keep his feet on the ground after winning the Open by two shots yesterday – not least because the presentation ceremony meant he missed his flight home.
“I had a flight at nine to get back home, so I think that’s gone,” he said.
In a stunning finale to the 147th championship at Carnoustie, a bogey on the last by the 35-yearold Italian could have meant a five-way play-off. Instead, Molinari hit his approach to within five feet and coolly holed the putt for a birdie to finish eight under par and two clear of the field – although there was a nervous wait to see if overnight leader Xander Schauffele could catch him.
“I couldn’t watch Xander play the last two holes,” Molinari said. “That’s why I went to the putting green, because I
probably would have felt sick watching on TV. So big credit to my wife who watches me all the time – I don’t know how she does it.”
Molinari’s victory made him the first Italian to lift the Claret Jug – or in fact any Major – and gave Europe’s Ryder Cup team a boost after Americans had won the previous five Majors. However, if it had not been for Lewis Hamilton winning the German Grand Prix, Molinari joked nobody back home would have noticed.
“If Ferrari had won, they’d probably get the headlines,” Molinari said. “But to look at the names on that Claret Jug, what can you say? They’re the best golfers in history and to be on there is incredible. From someone like me coming from Italy, not really a major golfing country, it’s been an incredible journey.”
The newly-crowned Open champion was at least congratulated by Azzurri legend Alessandro Del Piero, no stranger to taking their nation’s footballers to major honours.
“You have written an unforgettable page for Italian sport and for our country,” the 2006 World Cup winner said on Twitter.
By contrast, the whole world would have taken notice if Molinari’s playing partner – who had briefly led the competition before a double-bogey on the 11th – had instead gone on to win.
In the end, though, Tiger Woods had to make do with the consolation of having daughter Sam and son Charlie at the back of the 18th green for the first time at a Major championship.
“I told them I tried, and I said, ‘Hopefully you’re proud of your pops for trying as hard as I did’,” said Woods.
“It’s pretty emotional because they gave me some pretty significant hugs there and squeezed. I know that they know how much this championship means to me and how much it feels good to be back playing again.
“I’ve won a lot of golf tournaments in my career but they don’t remember any of them, so this was a chance for them to understand what I was doing early in my career.
“The only thing they’ve seen is my struggles and the pain I was going through. Now they just want to go play soccer with me. So that’s next – man, it’s just such a great feeling.
“I know that not winning is going to sting for a little bit, but given where I was to where I’m at now, I feel blessed.”