Traditional celebrations of drinking from Claret Jug are on hold so hero can taste more glory

Molinari can taste even more success with the coaching team behind his development into a world-class player.

He has reaped the rewards of working with swing coach Denis Pugh, putting coach Phil Kenyon and performance coach Dave Alred, who is famous for his work with former England rugby star Jonny Wilkinson.

Ahead of the WGCBridgestone Invitational, Molinari admitted it has taken a lot of hard graft to go from being a player who won four times in 10 years to triumphing three times in six events.

He said: “It’s just a lot of work from the guys around me. They probably believed already before the recent results, they believed in me more than I ever did.

“[They saw] the potential to win Majors and the potential to be in the top 10 of the world.

“Now they are pushing the limits even more so hopefully they will help me achieve even more in the game.

“It has taken a long time for them to keep telling me and help me achieve things that would show to myself I was actually that kind of player.

“For me the key has always been results but also when you go out on the course and you’re playing with some of the best players in the world you confront yourself with them.

“I think a few years back I always felt like they had something I didn’t have.

“Now it feels like I can play with them and I don’t feel intimated in any way. I feel like I can compete with all of them.”

But his Open playing partner Tiger Woods admits letting a 15th Major title slip from his grasp will “sting for a while”.

After undergoing spinal fusion surgery in April last year, the 42-year-old was unsure if he would ever be able to play golf again, let alone at the top level.

But Woods has recorded four top-10 finishes in 12 events this season and had several chances to win – most recently at Carnoustie where he led by a shot with eight holes to play.

Woods began the final round four shots off the pace but as the leaders stumbled in the toughest conditions of the week, a front nine of 34 was enough to take the 14-time Major winner into the lead.

However, Woods then ran up a double bogey on the 11th and dropped another shot on the 12th before eventually finishing three shots behind playing partner Molinari. “I went from just hoping to be able to play the Tour to feeling I can win again.” A tie for sixth place means Woods can bounce back at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, this week. He said: “I’m excited to be back. I tried so hard to get into this event because it’s special to me.”