Molinari lifts Claret Jug

In a strange summer when Italy’s millionaire footballers failed to qualify for the showpiece in Russia, golfer Francesco Molinari put his hand up to win the coveted Claret Jug at the 147th Open Championships. In the process he became the first Italian to win a Major, ended the winning streak of Americans, who had taken the last five, and gave the European team a huge boost before the Ryder Cup.

Molinari stood firm and did not wilt in the heat nor sway in challenging and hard-to-guess winds from the North Sea at the Carnoustie Golf Links. He shot a bogey-free round on a day where twists and turns, and visits to bunkers and burns, were the norm rather than birdies which were difficult to find.

Playing in the company of 14-time Major champion, Tiger Woods, the Italian shot a flawless 2-under 69, while holding at bay Irishman Rory McIlroy (70) and Englishman Justin Rose (69), besides two Americans Xander Schauffelle (74) and Kevin Kisner (74). The second-placed foursome was two shots behind Molinari, who totalled 8-under 276.

Earlier in the day, India’s young Shubhankar Sharma shot 73 and finished at 4-over 288 in Tied-51st place.

At the turn, Woods (71) had turned his four-shot deficit into a one-shot advantage and held sole lead as he sought to end an exact 10-year-long Major drought. A double and a bogey in quick success put brakes on his challenge and he ended Tied-sixth, alongside Kevin Chappell (73) and Eddie Pepperell (67), who later admitted he played with a hangover brought upon himself with a heavy night over his frustration with his unsatisfactory play earlier in the week.

In the end, the story was summed up by a quote each from Molinari and Woods. Molinari said, “To go the weekend bogey-free was unthinkable. I am so proud of today.”

‘Hottest player’

Also unthinkable was Woods giving three shots in two holes while in the lead at a Major. While happy to have contended, he added, “I’m a little ticked off at myself.”

It was almost ironical that Woods, whose infamous accident in November 29, 2009 all but took away the sheen of the Molinari brothers’ triumph at the World Cup in China that week, stole the Claret Jug, around which Woods seemed to be slowly and steadily tightening his grip. Molinari stayed the course as challengers came and went. Rory McIlroy landed an eagle en route to a stuttering 70 that for first 10 holes never looked like the charge of a challenger. Justin Rose followed his Saturday 64 with another superb 69 with an eagle and a closing birdie on back nine. Schauffele kept paying visits to bunker, gorses and rough but kept bouncing back by creating chances, some of which he converted but missed as many. And, then, there was Kisner, who had a roller-coaster of a final round with four bogeys and a double against one birdie on front nine and then two birdies and a bogey on back nine.

All four fell two short as Molinari kept his foot on the pedal. He had 13 pars to start with before he birdied 14th and then closed with another splendid one on 18th. He then waited out for the others to finish. So consistent was he that he was bogey-free for his last 37 holes.

Molinari has rightly been called the ‘hottest player’ on the planet for his incredible showing on either side of the Atlantic in the past two months. In the last two months, he has won the BMW PGA on European Tour and finished second in his own Italian Open, besides winning the Quicken Loan National on PGA Tour, where he also finished second at the John Deere Classic, the week before the Open. So, his last starts have now produced three wins, two seconds and a T-25 at the US Open.

For Woods, the trauma, which began in the week of the Molinari brothers’ win in Shenzhen World Cup in 2009, was what he was seeking to rise from. It would give him his first Major since the US Open 2008 and re-start his journey to catch up with Jack Nicklaus’ Everest-like 18.

Self-destructed

Alas, it was one half, Francesco of that same Molinari team, playing alongside him, who squashed it. This, even as the whole of Carnoustie and the golfing fraternity seemed to be willing Woods to win.

More than Molinari delivering the body blows, Woods in a way self-destructed by giving three shots, a double and a bogey on 11th and 12th.

Woods did birdie the Par-5 14th like most others, but failed to get anything deliverance from the stinging closing stretch 15th to 18th, as he parred all four. His moment of grief was the Par-3 11th, which he had birdied the previous three days. On the final day, when he needed that most, he missed the green and then failed to get his flop shot to the green and double bogeyed.

Yet, when he walked off the course with Molinari 8-under and he himself at 5-under, Woods had shown that he was indeed back. A year earlier, he was unsure if at all he would play the game at a level he was accustomed to, but on Sunday at Carnoustie, he showed that he could and Major No. 15 may not be as far as we thought it was.

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