Wow, what a weekend of golf! The 2018 Open Championship (British Open) concluded on a windswept Sunday after two days of incredible swings of momentum and loads of golfing drama.
When the dusk settled over Scotland’s Carnoustie famed golf links Sunday night, only one golfer out of the field of 72 played the final 18 holes without a single bogey. Heck, he didn’t have a bogey for the entire weekend!
You’ve seen those t-shirts which have a picture of the British royal crown saying, “Keep Calm and Carry On”, right? Italy’s Francesco Molinari did just that by keeping his blinders on and his emotions in check all weekend. Playing in the same pairing with the boisterous “Tiger Woods Show” during Sunday’s final round, Molinari tamed the winds, the noisy fans of Tiger Woods, and played the front nine in even par with nine consecutive pars.
I think Molinari’s new nickname should be “Par-machino”. OK, that may be a little cheesy (ha ha), but Molinari was, by far, the steadiest golfer in the field this weekend at the Open Championship.
Meanwhile, his playing partner, Tiger Woods, whipped the crowds into a frenzy as the 42-year old legend rolled in two birdies on the front nine to roar back from four shots off the pace to stake a one-shot lead the turn at 7-under par. Third round leaders Jordan Spieth, Kevin Kisner, and Xander Schauffelle started the day at 9-under par but quickly faltered as Carnoustie’s famed 20 miles-per-hour winds took their toll.
Woods eventually found the gnarly rough several times on the back nine and faded late. Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy mounted late charges to post 6-under par scores in the clubhouse as Saturday’s leaders limped toward the finish. It was Molinari, though, who kept grinding out pars on the back nine and eventually added two birdies coming home to rise to 8-under par and grab a two shot victory.
In hoisting the Claret Jug for his victory in this year’s Open Championship, Francesco Molinari also claimed the first major championship by an Italian golfer in the country’s history.
Born in Turin, Italy, Francesco’s older brother, Edoardo Molinari, had some early success in America by winning the 2005 US Amateur title. The following year, Edoardo’s younger brother Francesco caddied for him at the 2006 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
In 2006, Francesco Molinari then followed his brother into professional golf by joining the European Tour. Though a consistent top-level player, he had won only five times during his first eleven years on the European Tour.
Coming into 2018, the 35-year old Molinari decided to make some changes. He made some adjustments in his putting technique (which had failed him under pressure in the past) and also hired a performance coach to help him with the mental side of the game.
Based on this summer’s results, those changes have yielded huge dividends.
Molinari grabbed a European Tour victory in May by holding off Rory McIlroy by two shots to win. He then came to the USA and won the Quicken Loans event in Washington, DC in mid-June by shooting a final round 62 to win by a whopping 8 strokes.
Francesco Molinari has quietly been on the golf roll of his life this summer.
With golf’s biggest names in the mix on Sunday and the brisk winds making Carnoustie play like “Carnastie” once again, Francesco Molinari’s steady play under immense pressure was simply amazing to watch.
“Incredible to go bogey-free on the weekend,” Molinari said after the round.
It’s probably more incredible to see his name forever etched onto the Claret Jug as he now becomes a part of golf history!