Can Molinari’s move to La La Land end his slide?
What on earth would possess a 37-year-old man to move with his wife and two school-age kids from London to Los angeles at the height of a pandemic? Is this a midlife drama or a full-blown crisis?
this week, Francesco Molinari will end his seven-month exile from tournament golf and begin to answer one of the great summer sporting mysteries. Instead of the easy journey to Wentworth for the BMW PGa Championship, the popular Italian will be motoring 300 miles across the Nevada desert to play in Las Vegas, as he begins a fresh start with what he hopes will prove a fresh mind.
So, what’s been eating Frankie? It’s two years ago almost to the day that passengers boarding the busy Eurostar to London from Gard du Nord stopped what they were doing and applauded Molinari’s arrival on the platform.
On the previous afternoon in Paris, he had become the first European golfer in history to win five points out of five at a Ryder Cup. It came at the end of a season in which he’d won the European tour’s flagship tournament at Wentworth, achieved his first victory in america and become the Champion Golfer of the Year by beating tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy down the stretch at Carnoustie.
at the end of that year he cemented his London love affair by moving across town to a new home in St John’s Wood. against that background, it’s a little difficult to understand the relocation to La La land at the height of a world in turmoil.
Somewhat predictably, the move has proven a logistical nightmare, and helps to explain why he is the last of the world’s top 70 golfers to return following the end of lockdown. he had hoped to return at the USPGa Championship in San Francisco in august but that major and one more came and went with him on the sidelines.
Inevitably, the speculation mounted. ‘I see a lot of questions, I didn’t hang up the bag,’ he posted on social media. ‘I took a break to manage a life change with my family.’
at the age of 38 next month, it’s a long way back. Up next month is the Masters, the scene of another life- changing event for the man from turin. the last edition will always be remembered for tiger’s victory, but it was a tournament in Molinari’s grasp during his allconquering run.
When he fell apart on the back nine, the magic disappeared along with the green jacket. Since then, he hasn’t registered a single top ten finish worldwide.
Perhaps that explains the willingness to take such a long break, and opt for a drastic change of scenery. a mid-life drama or a crisis? Let’s hope by the time he gets to augusta he’s shown it is the former.