Molinari ignores prowling Tiger to be Italy’s first champion

‘Frankie’ stays steadfast as star names fall away Victory gives Europe a lift ahead of Ryder Cup

Molinari’s success was all the more remarkable as he achieved it in the presence of Woods

With one of the great, and certainly most disciplined, final rounds in the Open Championship, Francesco Molinari repelled one of the great leaderboards to win his and Italy’s first major.

Tiger Woods, Rory Mcilroy, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth – none of them were a match for the unassuming 35-year-old from Turin, who some will claim is a “robot”, but is, in fact, rather more consistent and reliable.

This was another crazy Sunday at Carnoustie, this Angus links which does not so much have a penchant for drama as a junkie’s addiction to the stuff.

Granted, the ridiculously clinical nature of Molinari’s closing stretch did not afford this spectacle the mania of 1999 with Jean van de Velde and all that, or indeed, the most recent championship here of 2007, when Padraig Harrington double-bogeyed the 18th before winning in a play-off, but by then everyone’s emotions here were in ribbons anyway.

Molinari, who lives in London with his wife and two children, actually had the temerity to birdie the 18th, that monster of a par four, for a 69 and an eight-under-par total. That basically took it out of the reach of the American Xander Schauffele, who ended up two shots behind in a tie for second with Mcilroy, Rose and his fellow American Kevin Kisner.

While the rest of them blew leads, Molinari, a West Ham United fan, continued to bubble, recording a remarkable 16 pars and two birdies on a day when the wind played havoc. What made his success all the more remarkable was that he achieved it in the presence of Woods, just when he was contending once more on the final day of a major.

As Woods stormed into the lead around the turn and the galleries went into apoplexy, certain they were bearing witness to a very special piece of golfing history, Molinari remained steadfast and carried on reeling off the pars.

On Twitter, his brother Edoardo – with whom he played with in the 2010 Ryder Cup – was imploring him to retain his composure. It was like asking the tide on the nearby North Sea to carry on going in and out. Molinari, the metronome, had been in high-pressure situations with Woods before, most notably in the final singles match of the 2012 Ryder Cup.

“Frankie”, as he is known, kept his cool on that occasion to ensure the half point which completed the Miracle of Medinah and here he was again; puffing his cheeks now and again, but in the main, sending tee-shot after tee-shot down the fairway and then approach after approach into the green and, when missing, allowing his radically improved short game to do the business.

There were no bogeys on his scorecard and none of the other 79 players who made the cut could claim the same. It was such as deserved victory in every facet and, although he is not a household name, it was far from unexpected on the range. He has warranted his new standing as world No6.

Molinari, always one of the best ball-strikers on the European Tour, has been red-hot since May, when he fended off Mcilroy down the stretch at the BMW PGA Championship. In his last two starts, he has won the Quickens Loan National – which Woods himself promotes – and was second at the John Deere Classic last Sunday.

Naturally the question will be, “What will this do for Italian golf?” Yet just as importantly in the short term is what this means for Europe. This ended America’s stranglehold of the majors, ending their proud streak at five, and that will please Thomas Bjorn, the Europe captain, as much as the fact that Molinari has guaranteed himself a berth in September’s match in France.

Anybody for another Woods-molinari rematch?

In truth, this duel was contested by multitudes. With overwhelming favourite Spieth double-bogeying the par-five sixth and making a hash of defending his title – the 24-year-old finished with a 76 to come ninth – and fellow overnight leaders Schauffele and Kisner also throwing away shots like confetti in the breeze, so many loomed into contention.

One of these was Eddie Pep-