BROMANCE IS DEAD
Moliwood dream team over as rivalry hots up in Race to Dubai
TOMMY FLEETWOOD and Francesco Molinari will tee up together again today – but this time competing for the titles of British Masters champion and European No.1.
“We’ll wait and see about the trash talk,” laughed the Southport star.
The Moliwood dream team became the first European pairing ever to win all four matches in the Ryder Cup.
And now back to their day jobs at Walton Heath, the dynamic duo are the top two in the rankings for this season’s Race to Dubai, with six events left.
“It’s going to be a little strange to try to beat each other instead of playing as a team,” said Open champion Molinari. “We can still celebrate each other’s success, but it will be different. It’s back to normal, really. We’re going to go out for dinner one of these nights, but I still need to try to beat him to stay ahead in The Race to Dubai.
“I can’t wait for the trash talk! It’s funny how things are, that of all people, he’s the one right behind me.
“But I need to focus on what I’m doing. I might not talk to him and give him the cold shoulder to see how he takes it!” Despite feeling “jaded”, Fleetwood will play three more events following this week, while Molinari will only tee up twice after revealing he suffered from a bad back at the Ryder Cup. “On Monday, I couldn’t do my shoelaces,” said the Italian. “I’m not a kid like Tommy. I must manage my energies and my body.
“I felt it Saturday morning and just started taking some anti-inflammatories.
“It’s a week where you’re so pumped up with adrenaline that you could probably play on one leg. I can’t blame it on carrying Tommy for two days!”
Fleetwood, who was crowned European No.1 last season, reckons he will be a winner either way in the Race to Dubai. “Somebody else could always come into the mix, but if it was me and Fran it came down to, either way I’ll be more than happy,” he said.
“With the year he’s having, I think he might deserve it.”
Tournament host Justin Rose, who was suffering from illness yesterday, will return to world No.1 with a top-two finish. 12.15pm: Martin Kaymer, Robert Karlsson, Lucas Bjerregaard 12.25pm: Thorbjorn Olesen, Tommy Fleetwood, Francesco Molinari
12.45pm: Danny Willett, Andrew Johnston, Ross Fisher
8.10am: Andy Sullivan, Oli Fisher, Matt Wallace
8.20am: Justin Rose, Paul Dunne, Matthew Fitzpatrick 8.30am: Thomas Bjorn, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood