The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Molinari still looking to improve his overall game
Race to Dubai winner not setting any targets – just to be a better player
Francesco Molinari believes it would be counter-productive to set himself any targets for 2019 after capping an extraordinary season by winning the Race to Dubai.
Molinari became the first Italian player to win a major when he claimed the Open Championship at Carnoustie, which followed victory in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and a maiden PGA Tour title in the Quicken Loans National.
The 36-year-old then became the first European player to compile a perfect 5-0 record in the Ryder Cup victory at Le Golf National, having already teamed up with Tommy Fleetwood to make history as the first European pair to win all four of their matches together.
And Molinari’s status as European number one was officially confirmed at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday as soon as Fleetwood was unable to claim the victory he required to overhaul his good friend.
“We’ve had a chat with the rest of the team and the goal is going to be to improve my golf, to improve physically, to improve putting; so to try and be a better player,” said Molinari.
“And if the results are going to show it, great. If not, I still want to finish next season feeling like I’m a better player.
“I was feeling a better player this year before all of the wins happened.
“Obviously the wins give you maybe validation, but at the end of the day you need to work on yourself and improve.
“Look at what Danny (Willett) did in winning on Sunday.
“He obviously went through a tough spell after winning the Masters and fair play to him, because he’s worked really hard.
“I played with him in Italy this year in the last round and you could see he was definitely on the up. So fair play to him and well done.
“And I need to do the same. I need to work on the things that I think I need to improve and just keep getting better, and then results will follow.”
Molinari is well aware that expectations of him will be much higher next season, when the world number six will be expected to challenge for more major titles.
“Obviously I’ve seen it a little bit the last few months after the Open and when I say that I need to be ready for that, I just mean that I don’t need to get sucked in with the things that come from the outside,” he added.
“We go back to being processoriented more than outcome-oriented and just get better day after day. Simple as that.”