Tiger was the most notable absence from the final groups at the PGA Championship. After him, it felt odd that Francesco Molinari was out of the mix. He still mustered a T48 finish (72-68-73-75) and will be eager to try out a new course more suitable to him in Colonial.
It’s his Charles Schwab Challenge debut this week as he continues to play a more PGA Tour heavy schedule this year.
He’s 45th in driving accuracy (66.27%) and sixth in sand saves (61.9%). His ball striking stats don’t jump off the page, but they don’t include his performance at the Masters where he contended and finished T5.
After his dominant 2018 that included a runaway win at the AT&T National, a strong finish to win the Open and heroics at the Ryder Cup, Molinari’s still at it in 2019.
He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, took solo third at the WGC-Mexico and has missed just one cut.
It’s too much for me to predict a victory in his maiden trip to Hogan’s Alley, but the way Molinari can stripe it makes me think he’ll have as many birdie looks as any.