Molinari made to fight for his win by Willett

HALF of Europe’s Ryder Cup team signed off their competitive preparations for Hazeltine yesterday and such was the collective level of performance captain Darren Clarke must have been watching at home wearing a broad smile. All six finished in the top 20 at the Italian Open, with Masters champion Danny Willett leading the way by shooting 66 for a 21-under par total and forcing the very best out of the eventual winner, Francesco Molinari (pictured). Willett showed just why he won his major when he holed a nerveless 12ft putt on the closing hole in front of a record crowd for the event who were all cheering on the local hero. How was that for perfect preparation for what he will face in Minneapolis next week? On this occasion, however, Molinari held firm, holing a good putt of his own to win by one stroke. But Willett believes the experience will stand him in good stead for the Ryder Cup. He said: ‘I’m sure it’s going to be 100 times worse in America but it’s been a little bit of a taster. It’s been good to play under that pressure and be in contention.’ Of the other Ryder Cup men, Rafa Cabrera-Bello was 14 under, Matt Fitzpatrick 13 under and Andy Sullivan, Chris Wood and Martin Kaymer all 12 under. Meanwhile, South Korean Chun In-gee won her second career major after a record-breaking victory at the Evian Championship in France. The 22-year-old maintained the four-shot lead she held overnight as she set the lowest 72-hole score at a major with 21 under par to claim victory ahead of compatriots Ryu So-yeon and Park Sung-hyun, who finished tied for second. REIGNING champion Gordon Shedden won the final race of the day at Silverstone ahead of Mat Jackson and Rob Collard to set up a thrilling British Touring Cars Championship showdown at Brands Hatch next month. Scot Shedden now sits second in the championship table on 267 points, 11 behind leader Sam Tordoff and two ahead of third-placed Matt Neal. Collard is fourth, with Jackson fifth. Ashley Sutton had earlier been controversially stripped of his second win of the season after his team were excluded from race one for a ‘technical infringement’.