British Open: Francesco Molinari beats loaded field for first major win
The British Open leaderboard was crowded right to the very end, but Francesco Molinari rode a flawless final round to his first major victory at Carnoustie.
This British Open looked like it may take well into the Carnoustie evening to be decided. No fewer than seven players held at least a share of the lead on Sunday afternoon, including Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and a hard-charging Tiger Woods.
In the end, however, it was Francesco Molinari who hoisted the vaunted Claret Jug, as he put together a flawless final round to claim the title of Champion Golfer of the Year.
Molinari, 35, didn’t do anything spectacular compared to the first three days of action at Carnoustie. As winds kicked up near 30 miles per hour on the shore of Scotland, scoring became more and more difficult. Wedges and short irons were traded in favor of hybrids on approach, and suddenly, “par” was a much nicer word.
That’s exactly the approach Molinari took on Sunday, and really, through the weekend. He went bogey-free for the final 37 holes of the 147th Open Championship, and watched as every other contender faded away.
His playing partner, Tiger Woods, made the turn in 2-under par to hold a share of the lead. A double on 11, followed by bogey on No. 12 quickly pushed the 14-time major winner out of contention.
More from Pro Golf Now
- Golf Rumors: LIV set to sign Masters Champion in stunning deal
- Fantasy Golf: Grant Thornton Invitational DFS Player Selections
- Brutal return leaves Will Zalatoris looking towards 2024
- Stars You Know at World Champions Cup Starts Thursday at Concession
- Fantasy Golf: An Early Look at the 2024 Masters Tournament
The same happened to Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele, the final pairing playing Sunday’s round in a combined 8-over-par. Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy made valiant efforts, but both fell just short in the end.
Molinari, on the other hand, played what I like to call “aggressively safe”. He comfortably remained at 6-under for almost the entire day, always within striking distance, but never risking a big number on the card.
He made his first birdie of the day on No. 14, the par-5 that played the easiest of the entire tournament. Then, on the final hole, he stuck his wedge shot to about five feet – inside Tiger’s ball – and casually drained the putt.
Molinari was two clear of the field with only Schauffele left in contention. He punctuated the moment with a fist pump that was equal parts joy and relief. The British Open was finally his.
The Italian star has been building to this moment for years, and it was the culmination of several months of top-notch golf. From May’s BMW PGA Championship, to the Quicken Loans National just three weeks ago, Molinari has found a new level of golf at this later stage of his career.
Next: Betting Odds for the 2018 British Open
Carnoustie can make a mess out of even the world’s best golfers, and it did that to several on Sunday. Francesco Molinari rose above, and broke through for his first major championship, as well as the first for his home country of Italy.