Oh brother! Francesco takes bragging rights
He had been overshadowed by his brother on Scottish soil. Not now, though. Francesco Molinari becoming Champion Golfer of the Year after triumphing at Carnoustie at the end of a dramatic final day in the 147th Open Championship definitely gives him the bragging rights now on older brother Edoardo, even though he claimed both the Scottish Open and Johnnie Walker Championship here in 2010.
On an afternoon that will long be remembered, it looked at one point as though Tiger Woods, having feared his career could have been over not so long ago due to chronic back trouble, might write one of the greatest sporting tales as he turned for home tied for the lead. His hopes of a 15th major title and first since 2008 were undone, though, as his game became scrappy on the back nine.
With the clubhouse target of five-under having been set by Eddie Pepperell after the Englishman came hurtling through the field on the back of a best-of-the-day 67, Justin Rose and Rory Mcilroy then burst into Claret Jug contention after both eagled the par-5 14th. Rose hit the flag with his second and was left with a tap in; Mcilroy roared with joy after knocking in a long putt.
For the fourth day in a row – anincrediblefeatonthetoughest finishing hole in golf, even allowing for the fact it wasn’t baring its normal set of teeth due to the fast-running conditions – Rose birdied the last to move ahead of Pepperell. That the Olympic champion got himself in the mix was a remarkable effort bearing in mind his three there on Friday had got him into the weekend by the skin of his teeth.
After closing with four pars, Mcilroy, pictured, matched Rose’s total. The 2014 winner was unable to convert a 20-foot birdie effort at the last, missing on the left of the hole. You had a feeling that might be costly in the final reckoning and so it proved. This was Molinari’s day and the 35-yearold from Turin wasn’t going to be denied his finest hour.
Three shots off the overnight lead, held by defending champion Jordan Spieth, as well as two other Americans, Xander Schauffele and Kevin Kisner, Molinari was steady as a rock as he reeled off 13 straight pars. He was on course to “do a Nick Faldo”, the Englisman having made 18 pars in the closing circuit to win at Muirfield in 1987. That would have only got Molinari into a play-off here. He needed birdies over the closing stretch and got them at the 14th and 18th.
By the time he converted a five-footer at the last, Schauffele was the only man who had a chance of catching him. A poor club decision by Spieth at the par-5 sixth – he sent a utility club straight into a bush when he initially pulled out an iron – was the root of a double-bogey 7. After regrouping, the 24-year-old was still in there with five to play but finished poorly. Kisner, who had earlier dropped three shots in two holes on the front nine, and another American, Kevin Chappell, also still had chances as things got down to the business end but came up short, too.
Schauffele, who was playing in this event for only the second time, was tied with Molinari on seven under as he stood over a birdie putt from around ten feet at the par-3 16th. He couldn’t convert that, though, and then dropped a shot at the next after carving his second shot to gorse bushes.
Molinari was on the practice putting green by then just in case Carnoustie was going to get its fourth play-off in a row in this great championship. There was no shoot-out required on this occasion, though.
Molinari’s success in the Angus sunshine was no surprise. He had come into this event in the form of his life. He had overtaken halfway leader Mcilroy then left him trailing in his wake to win the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May
– his fifth European Tour triumph. He then won the Quicken Loans National on the PGA Tour a few weeks later. Throw in two second-place finishes in the same spell in both the Italian Open and the John Deere Classic, as well as a top-25 finish in the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, and no wonder he proved attractive before the off here at 28-1.
In closing with a 69, he finished with an eight-underpar 276 total, winning by two shots from Rose (69), Mcilroy (70), Kisner (74) and Schauffele (74). Woods (71) finished a shot further back alongside Pepperell and Chappell (73), while Spieth (76) had to settle for a share of ninth position with Matt Kuchar (72) and Tony Finau (71).
“To go the weekend bogey-free, it’s unthinkable, to be honest,” said Molinari, whose previous best performance in this major had been joint ninth in similar fast-running conditions at Muirfield in 2010. “So I’m very proud of today and playing with Tiger was another challenge because of the crowds