Carnoustie Golf Links has the reputation of being the toughest course in the Open Championship Rota and some even rate it as the most difficult course in the world. But on a difficult day for most Francisco Molinari played a gutty, bogey free round while managing two birdies on his way to a two under 69 to claim his first major championship.
Molinari flew under most fans radar all day as the leaderboard was crammed with some of the biggest names in golf. Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and a guy named Woods all had good chances to add another major to their totals but it was the 35 year old Italian who played the most solid round among the leaders and brought his country their first major golf championship.
Saturday’s round saw Carnoustie play the easiest it ever has during the Open but Sunday the winds were up and the course lived up to its ‘Carnasty’ nickname. Molinari was busy doing his best Nick Faldo imitation as he carded par after par after par. He played par golf all the way to the fourteenth hole before he finally carded his first birdie to get to seven under for the championship and his final birdie on eighteen was an exclamation point that had him earning that immortal title…“Champion Golfer of the Year.”
Sometimes in golf it isn’t how good the good shots are but how good the bad ones are. Molinari’s misses were more acceptable than his opponents and he manged to get the ball up and down without any major issues with the rough, gorse or those nasty bunkers that derailed so many contenders. It was a workman like performance from a player that has found his game both physically and mentally of late.
The Champion Golfer of the Year is what hey call the Open Champion and Molinari was every bit the champion.
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