Francesco Molinari Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Francesco Molinari gets Ryder Cup consolation prize with Team Europe

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:02:00 +0000

Patrick Smith

And then there was five. Completing the now traditional number of vice-captains at a modern Ryder Cup, Francesco Molinari will act as the fifth and final back-up to non-playing captain, Luke Donald, when the biennial bunfight between the United States and Europe reconvenes at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club near Rome next month.

Molinari, who hails from Turin in the north of Italy, joins his older brother Edoardo, Thomas Bjorn, Jose Maria Olazabal and Nicolas Colsaerts in what will be the first-ever all-continental line-up of captain’s assistants.

“I chose Francesco because he has a lot of experience in Ryder Cups and he is a major winner,” said Donald. “He has a tremendous individual career, but he is also Italian. I wanted him there no matter what, whether it was playing or as a vice-captain. With his brother there too, I think it is going to be pretty special, having both Edoardo and Francesco on my team representing team Europe but also representing Italy.”

? VICE CAPTAIN ?

We're delighted to welcome @F_Molinari as @LukeDonald's fifth Vice Captain. pic.twitter.com/ezS57dvlTk

— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) August 16, 2023

It had been thought that the younger Molinari might be capable of making what would have been his fourth appearance as a player, but his lack of consistent form over the last few months put that notion to rest. The former Open champion, once as high as fifth in the world rankings, is currently 179th, a lowly 78th on the European Ryder Cup qualifying list and no higher than 52nd on the world qualifying list. In other words, the chances of him making this year’s team were hovering precariously between slim and none.

No matter, Molinari brings a wealth of Ryder Cup and team experience to his new role. Alongside his elder brother he made his debut at Celtic Manor in Wales 13 years ago. Earlier this year Molinari led Continental Europe to victory in the Hero Cup matches against Great Britain & Ireland in Abu Dhabi. And he also played for the continent in three editions of the old Seve Trophy, the forerunner of the Hero contest.

Twice the six-time DP World Tour winner has played significant parts in European wins. In 2012 he was the last man on the course when he halved the final singles match with Tiger Woods and ensured the unlikely away victory that came to be known as the “Miracle at Medinah”.

Four years later at Le Golf National just outside Paris, Molinari became the first European player to win all five of his matches in a Ryder Cup. In so doing he formed a potent four-point winning combination with his close friend, Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (a certainty to make this year’s team), that was soon enough heralded as “Moliwood.”

“I am very proud to be part of Luke’s team,” said Molinari. “I started the year hoping to be there as a player, but it is still a great honour to be there as a vice-captain. I got a phone call from Luke asking if I was interested and obviously it was a clear answer from me. He is assembling a really good team of people. A lot of them are close to me in different ways. We’ve all shared the stage together already in some form and that helps when it comes to decision time and putting Luke and the players in the best conditions possible to perform at their best.”

There was time too, for further mention of his sibling.

“The coolest moment I have had in the Ryder Cup was making my debut alongside Edoardo and experiencing for the first time what it meant to be part of the European team,” he continued. “It is super special to be there with him again in Rome. It is a proud moment any time you get to put on the shirt with the European badge on it. It’s a Ryder Cup which is particularly close to my heart being played in Rome so I will do whatever I can to help Luke and the team and hopefully bring the trophy back to Europe.”

Automatic qualification for Donald’s 12-man European team will conclude on Sunday, September 3. So far, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland have confirmed their places, with a further three automatic spots available. Donald will then announce his six captain’s picks on Monday September 4.

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Tommy Fleetwood ready for battle against old pal Molinari at Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi

Matt Smith — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 13:27:46 +0000

Tommy Fleetwood may be going up against familiar friends at this week’s Hero Cup but the Great Britain & Ireland captain insists the competition will be fierce at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

The Englishman will lead his 10-strong team as a playing skipper against a Continental Europe side helmed by great friend Francesco Molinari, alongside whom he famously claimed four points out of four as part of ‘Moliwood’ at the 2018 Ryder Cup.

All players will play all sessions across the three days of competition, with five sets of four-balls on Friday, tens sets of foursomes on Saturday and ten singles matches on Sunday.

Introducing Team GB&I ?#HeroCup pic.twitter.com/E6D3GZoSzS

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 10, 2023

And while the atmosphere has so far been relaxed among 20 players who play together on the DP World Tour most weeks, Fleetwood insists they will be all business inside the ropes.

“If we’re not going to be competitive, what’s the point?” he said. “I would love to be a winning captain and there’s no better feeling than winning with your team-mates. I’m sure both sides are going to be really up for it. As soon as you get out there those competitive juices start flowing and everybody will give it 100 per cent for their teammates.

“We all play within the spirit of the game and we all play against each other week in, week out, this is just slightly different that we’ve got a bunch of us playing against another bunch.

“Every week we play and compete we’re playing against the same people. We all have a shared love for the game, a shared passion for chasing our dreams and you can only respect and appreciate that.

“You just go out there and be yourself and try and win, that’s all you’ve got to do, and at the end of it we’ll shake hands and have a good time after.

“I’ve been on winning teams and I’ve been on losing teams and as long as you look everybody in the eye at the end of it and everybody has given 100 per cent for themselves and each other then that’s all you can ever ask for. That’s all I would ever ask for from anybody.

“I’ve enjoyed the weeks that we’ve lost and I’ve enjoyed the weeks that we’ve won. Winning is way better but equally these times that we get to share with team-mates, playing as a team and coming together, those things stay with you forever and we’ll just give it 100 per cent and go from there.”

Fleetwood is no stranger to team competition, having twice played in the Ryder Cup and in many other events both as a professional and an amateur.

Former Ryder Cup skippers Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjørn, along with current captain Luke Donald, spoke to both teams on Tuesday night and Fleetwood feels he has learned from all his previous leaders as he looks to guide his own team to victory.

“It’s different role for me, getting the chance to experience being a captain,” he said. “It’s very, very cool and something that I’ll hold in high regard whatever happens in my career.

“I’ve played team events as a professional and as an amateur and I’ve always tried to take everything in on that I thought particular captains did well, how our teams performed best together and the environment that you try to create.

“There’s a generation of players and a group of players that are coming through. I’m not an old person, I’m 31, but the younger guys are 20, 21, 22, 23. I’ll share some of my experiences.

“I definitely am still going to be growing into it throughout this week. I think the most important thing is to read the players and make sure they are comfortable as possible and make sure that if there’s anything you can do to help them be in the best possible place individually to perform at their best, then that’s all you can do.”

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Hero Cup: Team Europe announces line-up for Ryder Cup warm-up event in Abu Dhabi

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 07:43:51 +0000

By John Huggan
The Ryder Cup may still be 10 months away, but already Europe are amping up preparations for the biennial contest against the United States. During the recent DP World Tour Championship, non-playing captain Luke Donald hosted a dinner/bonding session attended by a mixture of certainties to make the 12-man side and those less sure to be in Rome next September. And now the teams (most of them at least) for the inaugural Hero Cup, pitting Great Britain & Ireland against continental Europe, have been announced. One additional player will be added to each 10-man side at a later date.

The three-day event at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 13-15 follows the format of the former Seve Trophy, a team competition that ran from 2000 to 2013. England’s Tommy Fleetwood will lead the GB&I side while former Open champion, Francesco Molinari, heads the rest of Europe. As in the Ryder Cup, foursomes, four-balls and singles matches will be the order of the three-day contest.

While the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick will likely be absent — none were part of the initial reveal — three other members of what McIlroy calls Europe’s “core group” of Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry will be competing.

Which is not to say the two sides are lacking interesting names that should guarantee a closely fought and competitive contest.

For Europe, Molinari will be joined by two Belgians in Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters, Austria’s Sepp Straka, Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, Adrian Meronk of Poland, Rasmus Hojgaard from Denmark, France’s Victor Perez and Alex Noren from Sweden. Three members of the team — Molinari, Pieters and Noren — have previous Ryder Cup experience.

For GB&I, Fleetwood has four compatriots for company: Hatton, Matt Wallace, Callum Shinkwin and Jordan Smith, two Scots in Robert MacIntyre and Ewen Ferguson, and a pair of Irishmen, Lowry and Seamus Power. Fleetwood, Hatton and Lowry all bring Ryder Cup experience to the squad.

Underlining the Ryder Cup preparation aspect of all this, Donald was influential in the make-up of both teams. In turn, he will clearly have an equally important role when it comes to forming the partnerships that will be on show. Former Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley was twice a captain in the Seve Trophy before taking on the “big job” and always underlined the importance of that experience as he led Europe to victory at Gleneagles in 2014.

“Having worked closely with Tommy and Fran on building the two teams, I’m delighted with the mix of players who will be on show,” Donald said. “We all thought it was important to combine experience and youthfulness, and I think we have found that balance with a mixture of major champions and Ryder Cup players, alongside guys who are hoping to secure a spot in Rome next year.”

Both captains, who so memorably combined for four points from their four matches together during Europe’s 17.5-10.5 win at the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris, to ignite the ‘Moliwood’ bromance, were also making enthusiastic noises. While each clearly fancies his side’s chances, both were at pains to emphasise the primary role of the competition: aiding Donald in his own selection process. The former World No. 1 will add six picks to the six automatic Ryder Cup qualifiers.

“Our team is packed full of exciting players who all have the attributes to excel in a matchplay contest,” Molinari said. “Some of our younger players have already shown incredible maturity in high-pressured situations and proved they can perform in big moments, so giving them the opportunity to compete on this stage alongside the likes of Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters will be really important at the beginning of what could be a big year for them.”

Fleetwood added: “Having the experience of Shane and Tyrrell will be invaluable for the rest of the team in a match play environment but I think we are really strong throughout. We have proven winners in some of the biggest DP World Tour events and it will be great to have Seamus with us following his excellent start to the season in America.”

As for who is likely to come out on top, the current World Ranking provides a hint … or confuses the matter, depending on your point of view. The four highest-ranked players on show — Lowry, Fleetwood, Hatton and Power — will all be representing GB&I. But so will the two lowest-ranked: Ferguson and Wallace. The average ranking of the GB&I squad is just over 73, versus a tad more than 82 for the Continentals. So could go either way.

2023 Hero Cup Teams

Continental Europe:
Francesco Molinari (C)
Thomas Detry
Rasmus Højgaard
Adrian Meronk
Guido Migliozzi
Alex Noren
Victor Perez
Thomas Pieters
Sepp Straka
Player TBC
Great Britain & Ireland:
Tommy Fleetwood (C)
Ewen Ferguson
Tyrrell Hatton
Shane Lowry
Robert MacIntyre
Seamus Power
Callum Shinkwin
Jordan Smith
Matt Wallace
Player TBC

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Hooray for Moliwood: Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari named captains for Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi

Matt Smith — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 08:33:13 +0000

By GolfDigestME.com
The DP World Tour has announced that Ryder Cup heroes Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari will captain the respective Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe teams in the Hero Cup, which takes place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in January.

The match play contest will take place in the UAE as a Team Europe warm-up ahead of the Ryder Cup in Rome at the end of September.

Englishman Fleetwood and Italian Molinari will each select nine golfers to play alongside them in the line-ups.

The teams will be confirmed early next month with Fleetwood and Molinari working alongside Luke Donald, who will preside over the event in his capacity as 2023 European Ryder Cup captain.

Selection will take into account performances on the DP World Tour Rankings with the contest itself consisting of one session of foursomes, one session of fourballs and one session of singles matches, with all 20 players taking part in each session. Members of the winning team will each earn $125,000, with those on the losing team each receiving $75,000.

Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director and the DP World Tour’s Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “I am delighted to confirm Tommy and Fran as captains for the Hero Cup — they will unquestionably bring so much to the role.

“As I said at the launch of the tournament in September at Wentworth, we also pay tribute to the continued commitment of Dr Munjal and Hero MotoCorp, give our thanks to Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Golf Federation for their support of the DP World Tour, and applaud Abu Dhabi Golf Club for hosting this event, which will be a fantastic way to start the 2023 calendar year.”

Molinari and Fleetwood famously forged a formidable partnership for Europe in the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Paris, winning all four of their matches together to earn the nickname ‘Moliwood’.

Molinari said: “The Hero Cup is a great idea and will be a very good way for European players to get some more experience of playing in team match play. I definitely felt like it benefited me when I played in similar events in the past.

“Hopefully as captains, Tommy and I can bring some of our own experience of team golf to help the other players and we are looking forward to working with Luke on this exciting new concept ahead of a big year for European golf with the Ryder Cup taking place in my home country.”

Fleetwood added: “Fran and I obviously get on very well so I am sure it will feel a little strange at first being opposing Captains, but I think the Hero Cup is a fantastic way for players to compete in team match play, which is something both of us have always relished.

“Abu Dhabi has been pretty good to me over the years so hopefully that will continue in January and I look forward to working closely with Fran and Luke, as well as all the players.”

Team Europe skipper Donald said: “I am grateful to Tommy and Fran for supporting this overall concept and for accepting the roles of playing captains. Their wealth of experience, both individually in the wider team environment, will be a huge asset for the other 18 players who will be part of this event in Abu Dhabi in January.”

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This week Team Europe get a little closer to winning the 2023 Ryder Cup. Here’s how

Matt Smith — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 12:43:33 +0000

Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland are coming with a purpose to the Italian Open at Marco Simone Country Club, site of next year’s Ryder Cup

By John Huggan
The narrative began almost immediately. And, to be fair, it was an obvious conclusion. In the aftermath of Europe’s record-breaking 19-9 loss in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, wisdom both conventional and otherwise instantly determined that such a result was merely the start of a new era.

It was all oh-so clear. Given the depth of young American talent — eight players in their 20s delivering the punishing defeat in Wisconsin — Team USA would surely dominate the biennial transatlantic contest for the foreseeable future and probably beyond. Normal service would be resumed, a flurry of star-spangled banners adorned with victories fluttering in the breeze. After an inconvenient and lengthy period of European success, at long last everything would once again make perfect red, white and blue sense.

Hang on though. Not so fast Uncle Sam. Across the pond (at least figuratively), things they are a’changin. For the better.

Success in team golf, while seemingly endlessly complicated in these statistically dominated times, isn’t difficult to create. It’s simple really, European teams first forging the formula in the 1980s led by the late Seve Ballesteros: Find four or five outstanding players and have them win most of their matches. Then, armed with that success at the top of the order, rely on the remainder of the squad to garner enough points to cross the finishing line. See 1985, 1987, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2018 for proof of that particular theory.

And it’s happening all over again. I give you Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry and Viktor Hovland. Five players all well capable of accumulating, say, four of five points at the next Ryder Cup. And, should even three of the five players do just that, Europe wins when the Ryder Cup reconvenes at the Marco Simone Country Club just outside Rome a little more than a year from now.

Jon Rahm went 3-1-1 at Whistling Straits in 2021, hinting he’ll be a formidable foe for Americans. Stacy Revere

Throw in the likes of Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Thomas Pieters, all of whom have more than creditable records in past Ryder Cups, and Europe is well on the way to owning a team the right side of formidable. And there’s more. It’s early days, but there are signs that the 2018 Open champion, Francesco Molinari, might just be heading back to the form that saw him go 5-0-0 in the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris. Should that happen, European captain Luke Donald will have, in effect, “found” a sixth member of the aforementioned Gang of Five. Certainly, with the matches taking place in Italy, the man from Turin won’t need to search too far for incentive. And yes, he’s already making positive noises in the wake of last week’s BMW PGA Championship. Molinari finished T-9 playing the last round in McIlroy’s company.

“The next Ryder Cup is a big motivation for me,” says Molinari, whose elder brother, Edoardo, will serve as an assistant captain next year. “I’ve made it clear to my team that it is a big goal. And the matches are why I took some time away after the Open to get ready for the start of the qualification period. It’s a long way off, but I want to get off to a good start. I am already pleased that the feels and thoughts in my swing are working well. I’m already more confident off the tee. I’m not there yet, but it is improving. I don’t just want to be [just] on the team. I want to be a big contributor to the cause. I want to be there playing well, contributing and helping Luke win the cup back.”

More: DP World Tour Championship set for a week of fun
DP World Tour set for a band of brothers
DP World Tour players set for Italian Open challenge

This week the DP World Tour and the Italian Open are at Marco Simone. A large contingent of probable and possible Ryder Cuppers are in attendance. McIlroy is there. So is Fitzpatrick. And Hovland. And Hatton. Clearly, preparatory minds are already looking forward 12 months.

In contrast, none of what might be termed “likely” members of the US team have made the trip to the Italian capital. Perhaps it’s understandable, given several will be playing in next week’s Presidents Cup. But a lack of familiarity with the venue could become a significant issue, reminiscent of what happened to the Americans in Paris in 2018. Recall that only one member of the US side had any previous experience on a Le Golf National course that had been specifically and carefully set up to suit most of the home team. It was surely no coincidence that the most successful visitor that week, Justin Thomas, was the only American who played in the previous year’s French Open.

It is hardly outside the realms of even an average imagination to see a similar scenario playing out next year. It’s safe to assume that Donald will follow the example set by Thomas Bjorn four years ago. Only when the set-up of the course came into view did the Dane’s picks to round out the European line-up make sense. He selected straight drivers like Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia, players who were perfectly suited to a course all but covered in long grass. In contrast, none of US captain Jim Furyk’s four picks, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau, are famed for their accuracy off the tee.

We’re not quite done yet, not when LIV Golf is affecting anything and everything in professional golf at the highest level. But here’s the thing. While the Americans have lost the likes of DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Pat Perez (just kidding), at least so far, the European cause has emerged relatively unscathed. Garcia, Paul Casey and Bernd Wiesberger might just have had one more Ryder Cup in them, but no one will be claiming that Europe has no chance now that none of them will (likely) play in Italy. As things stand, the core of the European team remains available for selection.

European captain Luke Donald will have Marco Simone CC set up tight with thick rough to play to team’s strengths. Luke Walker

Anyway, with a year to go before the friendly hostilities recommence, three places remain available in our ideal version of Donald’s side. There is no shortage of candidates, promising youngsters and more experienced campaigners with a bit to prove, plenty of talent and no shortage of desire. We’re talking Dubai-based Adrian Meronk, who would be the first Polish golfer to make a Ryder Cup team; the Danish twins, Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard; Victor Perez of France; Belgium’s Thomas Detry, Irishman Seamus Power, Sepp Straka of Austria and Alex Noren of Sweden. And, no doubt, someone who has yet to emerge.

Whatever, it all adds up to a potent-looking 12-man squad, one well capable of seeing off what will unquestionably be an extremely strong-looking US team. America, you have been warned.

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DP World Tour: Italian Open set for a band of brothers

Matt Smith — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 12:21:38 +0000

Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard

By Matt Smith
As the DP World Tour prepares for a 2023 Ryder Cup dress rehearsal of sorts at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club this week, there is one unique sideshow that could produce the headline act.

Not one, not two, but three sets of brothers will line up in the stellar field in Rome — a first for the DP World Tour.

First up is defending champion Nicolai Hojgaard and his sibling Rasmus. These identical twins like to do things together — including winning. Nicolai won his first DP World Tour title at the Italian Open last time around, only a week after Rasmus claimed Omega European Masters in Switzerland, becoming the first brothers to win back-to-back events on Tour.

The victory was part of a strong end to the 2021 season as Nicolai went on to finish runner-up at the Portugal Masters and tied fourth at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, helping him close out the season eighth on the season-long rankings. Since then, the 21-year-old has gone to win his second Tour title with a four-shot victory at the Ras al Khaimah Championship in the UAE in February.

Edoardo (left) and Francesco Molinari have become Ryder Cup stars. Adrian Dennis

Next up are the elder statesmen Molinaris, famed for their band-of-brothers exploits in the Ryder Cup for Team Europe and a collective 20 top-flight titles between them — including Francesco’s famous Open Championship triumph at Carnoustie in Scotland.

From two of the most recognisable brothers in world golf to one of the newest kids on the block. No, not Matt Fitzpatrick, the reigning US Open champ, but his little bruv Alex, who just turned pro in June at the Irish Open. A breakthrough DP World Tour victory for Alex this week would see the Fitzpatricks become the fifth pair of brothers to have both earned at least one victory.

Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick. David Cannon

It won’t be easy for the rookie as, apart from his brother and those other multiple-title-winning siblings, he will also have to contend with the likes of FEdEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy, world No. 10 Viktor Hovland, former Italian Open winners Tyrrell Hatton and Thorbjorn Olesen and a hosts of DP World Tour winners in a stacked field.

But you cannot beat a bit of sibling rivalry.

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With big-name contenders, a sombre day at Wentworth to be followed by roaring Sunday

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 08:48:45 +0000

Rory McIlroy anxiously follows his tee shot on the 17th hole during the second round of the the BMW PGA Championship. David Cannon

By John Huggan
At the end of a day that always had the potential to look and feel a bit different, many of the names at and near the top of the leaderboard at the BMW PGA Championship have a familiar ring to them. On 12-under par, Viktor Hovland leads alongside Soren Kjeldsen. But piled up behind and all within two shots of the pacemakers are three major champions: Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Francesco Molinari.

Also in contention is a sprinkling of European golf’s most promising youngsters — men like Thomas Detry and Matthew Jordan. Then there are the leading LIV players, Talor Gooch and Adrian Otaegui. The American and Spaniard are on 10-under and well placed to create the nightmare scenario dreaded by all connected with the DP World Tour at its flagship event.

All of which will be decided in the third and final round Sunday. For all that, the play of those at and near the lead was laced with distinction over the 7,267-yard Wentworth course, the delayed second round was also one for quiet reflection. The perfectly observed two-minute silence at 9.50am in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth set a sombre tone of introspection that was not eclipsed until late in the day when McIlroy made his way towards a screaming horde of autograph-seeking children.

“She was dignity, dedication and grace personified,” declared McIlroy of Her Majesty after a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 that has him one shot off the lead. “She’s been such a steadying figure. I saw a stat yesterday; she ascended to the throne two years [actually one] before Ben Hogan won his Open Championship. So it just shows you how long she’s been around and things that she’s seen.

“She was an absolutely incredible woman. I was very fortunate, I got to meet her a few years ago, and she couldn’t have been nicer. I have a picture of that wonderful moment in my house alongside my MBE which I’m very proud of.”

McIlroy was in an understandably fine fettle at the end of a round in which he played steadily, holing two vital and momentum-saving putts for par on the 13th and the 16th, before making the most of a huge slice of luck on the par-5 17th. His drive, pulled yards left of the ideal line, flew into the trees alongside the heavily cantered fairway and disappeared.

But only for a few seconds. Boasting “two big yellow marks”, upon its reappearance, McIlroy’s ball somehow emerged from its leafy grave and landed back on the fairway. Little wonder then that the Northern Irishman would call his good fortune “a three-shot break” as he made his way to an up-and-down birdie that followed a light-hearted exchange on the tee with caddie Billy Foster.

“Who did you pay to throw the ball out there?” asked the bagman, who works for US Open champion, Matt Fitzpatrick. “Where’s your wallet?”

“It’s too heavy,” was the recent FedEx Cup winner’s rejoinder. “I put it in the locker.”

For all that piece of outrageous luck was crucial to his fine score, McIlroy was giving more credit to those aforementioned scrambling pars on the back nine.

“That’s been the difference this year between even when I don’t play well, being able to hole those putts for par and being able to keep grinding it out,” he said. “That’s what golf is about. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be pretty but getting up-and-down and making pars when you can, that’s effective. That’s what consistent golf looks like and it’s what wins you golf tournaments, essentially.”

Elsewhere on the crowded leaderboard, perhaps the most interesting — and somewhat unlikely — challenger is Molinari. Playing his first event since the Open Championship in July, the Italian, who has slumped to 169th in the world from a high of fifth in 2018, nipped along the Burma Road course in 65 shots.

Those facts might suggest a slow decline into his recent anonymity over the closing 18 holes, but they would also ignore the former Open champion’s pedigree. Five times in the six years before his victory four years ago (when he outduelled a lad by the name of McIlroy down the stretch), Molinari finished in the top 10.

“I’ve been working hard on my long game since the Open,” said the Turin native, who now makes his home in Los Angeles. “My short game and putting are in a really good place. I had lost my way a little bit off the tee over the last couple of years. It was always my strength in terms of accuracy, so finding myself playing from the trees wasn’t something I was used to.”

Still, a recent week-long visit from his long-time (and semi-retired) swing coach, Denis Pugh, has provided Molinari with more of his former confidence. Yes, the Wentworth course is soft — and so playing wider — but the 39-year old has made only one bogey in the 36 holes he has played so far. You can’t do that from the trees.

None of which is to conclude with any certainty that Molinari and McIlroy will finish one-two, as they did in 2018. Too much class surrounds them in this now-54-hole event/sprint. “All to play for” remains the order of the final day.

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8 all-time pairings we wish we could have seen

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 03:10:30 +0000

Peter Dazeley

By Daniel Rapaport
The Ryder Cup affords golf fans the unique opportunity to watch a generation’s best players join forces. The results aren’t always positive—looking at you, Mickelson/Woods 2004—but when the pieces fit just right and the putts start to fall, magic happens. Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal projected an air of impassioned invincibility. Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth exuded a youthful bravado. Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari made golf look impossibly easy and irresistibly enjoyable.

Those power duos inspired a thought experiment: Say you’re the captain of an all-time Ryder Cup team. Ages do not matter, nor do physical concerns like distance or equipment. You can choose any two Americans and any two Europeans to play together, regardless of era. Who would you take? (And no, you can’t use Seve more than once). Our answers are as follows.

[divider] [/divider]

Ryder Cup Rewatchables: Henrik Stenson’s Cup Clinching Putt in 2006

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Seve Ballesteros/Ian Poulter

Their competitiveness alone would be enough to kill a horse. Ballesteros, part of the European “Famous Five” that played a role in elevating the Ryder Cup to the massive institution it is today, endeared himself to his teammates and incensed his opponents with his hard-nosed, combative style and his sheer unwillingness to lose. Poulter hasn’t matched Ballesteros’ record in golf tournaments not named the Ryder Cup, but the Englishman has emerged as a spiritual offspring of sorts, serving as the emotional spark for the six teams he’s played on and compiling a 14-6-2 overall record with a 5-0-1 singles mark. There’d be fist pumps and guttural yells, belly laughs and probably an awkward moment of contention with the Americans. It’d be delicious.

Paul Azinger/Justin Thomas

The American answer to the above pair. Azinger and Ballesteros clashed in the 1989 and 1991 Ryder Cup, with the Spaniard accusing the Floridian of lying after a particularly testy face-off at Kiawah Island. Azinger refused to back down from Ballesteros, beating him 1 up on European soil in the first singles match in ’89 but losing both his matches alongside Chip Beck to the Ballesteros/Olazabal powerhouse in ’91. Azinger’s overall record is a pedestrian 5-7-3, but this is less about wanting to win and more about wanting to watch him and Seve go at it. Thomas, on the other hand, is off to a 4-1-0 start in his Ryder Cup career after he was a rare bright spot for the Americans in Paris. He relished the chance to face Rory McIlroy in the first singles match and beat him, too. There’s not a more competitive player on this year’s American side and his fiery tendencies should play well in the many Ryder Cups in his future.

Bernhard Langer/Henrik Stenson

Two stone-cold ball-striking assassins. Langer, another Famous Fiver, played on 10 Ryder Cup teams and ranks third all-time in points won with 24—despite his Ryder Cup career being most closely associated with his missed five-footer at Kiawah in 1991. Stenson, known affectionately as the Ice Man, has gone 10-7-2 in his five Ryder Cup appearances. Think of this duo as the anti-Ballesteros/Poulter; while those guys are making miraculous up-and-down pars and infuriating their opponents with their celebrations, Langer/Stenson would wear you out with fairways and greens, and hardly smile as they polish off a 4-and-3 victory.

Tiger Woods/Jack Nicklaus

Who wouldn’t want to watch the consensus best and second-best players of all-time—we’ll let you decide the order—tee it up together? Nicklaus and Woods are two different men with two different styles of competing, but it’s what they share that makes this such a tantalizing what-if: prodigious length, flawless execution under pressure and a propensity for making huge putts in massive moments. Give prime Jack Nicklaus 2021 equipment and we’re willing to bet he could keep up with early 2000s Tiger Woods, who was the longest player on the planet. No U.S. captain could ever quite figure out a perfect partner for Woods—he’s an awful 9-19-1 in non-singles matches—but something tells us he and the Golden Bear would click just fine. Real recognize real, as the kids say.

Arnold Palmer/Phil Mickelson

Palmer became universally loved for his daring style, legendary kindness and an ability to naturally mingle with fans. No one is Palmer, but when it comes to fan adoration and go-for-broke style, Mickelson is about as close as we’ve got. Palmer’s Ryder Cup career came mostly during the non-competitive years of the 1960s and 1970s, so we’d love to see how he’d react to the spirited dynamic now that continental Europe is involved. The galleries following this one would be good for a few holes, because even the most hostile European crowd wouldn’t be able to root against Lefty and The King. Damn, that has a nice ring to it.

Jordan Spieth/Lee Trevino

They’d simply never shut up, and it’d be hilarious to witness. Spieth’s constant narration of his round and his Michael! shouts to his caddie would pair beautifully with Trevino’s aimless musings and classic one-liners. Plus, Trevino’s ball-striking combined with Spieth’s short-game magic could produce an unrivaled foursomes duo. They’re also both from Texas, albeit from vastly different backgrounds—Spieth grew up at the country club, Trevino working on the cotton fields. Something tells us these two would have loved playing with each other.

Tommy Fleetwood/Francesco Molinari

Stuart Franklin

They were already good pals going into the 2018 Ryder Cup, but they left it joined as one: Moliwood. The two won all four matches rather easily in Paris—including three over Tiger—and could not have enjoyed themselves more in the process. Yes, we know, the point of this exercise is to pair two players of different eras … but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. #MoliwoodForever.

Anthony Kim/Patrick Reed

You could put Anthony Kim with anyone and they’d probably make it on this list. That’s how much we miss AK, who was so perfectly in his element at the only Ryder Cup he played, in 2008, when he went 2-1-1 and crushed Sergio Garcia in singles. He was Captain America before Captain America, so to speak. And while Reed’s Ryder Cup reputation has taken a hit with a poor performance in Paris (and his blabbering afterwards), early career Patrick Reed was an absolutely all-time Ryder Cup character. Pairing a 23-year-old AK and a 23-year-old P-Reed would be a whole mess of chaotic brashness in the best way possible. If only.

The post 8 all-time pairings we wish we could have seen appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Injury forces Francesco Molinari to withdraw from Olympics

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 18:06:06 +0000

Ross Kinnaird/R&A

By Joel Beall
Francesco Molinari announced Sunday that he is withdrawing from the Olympics.

Molinari, 38, missed the cut by one at the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s. Taking to Twitter Sunday afternoon, Molinari posted a message in Italian stating an injury will prevent him from participating in the upcoming Summer Games.

“I’m trying to find the right words, but I can’t find them,” Molinari said. “I have a back problem that has held me back for most of the season and now unfortunately prevents me from representing my country in the most important sporting event in the world.

“I will cheer for all the Italian athletes hoping to be able to participate in the Olympics in the future.”

The 2018 Open champ has not been the same since playing in the final group at the 2019 Masters, a performance that has been partially hampered by back woes. Molinari was set to pair with Guido Migliozzi to represent Italy in Tokyo.

According to the International Golf Federation alternate list, Renato Paratore is in line to take Molinari’s place in the competition.

The men’s golf competition at the 2021 Olympics is scheduled to begin July 29.

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Francesco Molinari’s quad-bogey 7 is the most painful video you’ll see this week

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 21:21:48 +0000

By Christopher Powers
After going through a significant post-2019 Masters slump, Francesco Molinari has shown a pulse on several occasions over the last eight months. A T-8 at the AMEX, a T-10 at the Farmers, another T-8 at Riviera, and, perhaps most impressively, a T-13 at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Thursday’s first-round two-under 68 at Royal St. George’s was another great sign that the 2018-’19 version of Molinari was slowly coming back.

Golf being the painfully cruel game that it is, all those positive signs were undone on one hole Friday morning. While everyone was still asleep here in America, Molinari, who won the 2018 Open at Carnoustie, made an absolute mess of the par-3 sixth. His quadruple-bogey seven included two attempts to get out of a greenside bunker, each resulting in his ball hitting the face of the bunker and nearly hitting him on the ricochet. His third attempt finally got out, but that was only because he went backwards for safety. This is a tougher watch than the end of “Se7en”:

The bunkers at Royal St George’s are no joke ?

A quadruple bogey 7 for Francesco Molinari on the 6th at #TheOpen ?‍ pic.twitter.com/a7A1aGqZF9

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 16, 2021

As you can see, at the time Molinari was two under, the quad dropping him all the way to two over. He was able to immediately bounce back with birdies at the seventh and eighth holes, but he promptly made double bogey at No. 9 and then went bogey-bogey at 10 and 11. To recap: a quad-birdie-birdie-double-bogey-bogey six-hole stretch. Relatable!

To Molinari’s credit, he played the final seven holes in two under, posting a 74 and finishing at two over for the week. The problem? Two over is very likely going to miss the cut by … checks notes … one shot. Nightmare fuel.

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