Italian Open: Francesco Molinari Holds On For Home Win
In spite of a nervy finish down the stretch, local favorite Francesco Molinari held on to claim victory at the Italian Open.
Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
For the second week in a row on the European Tour, the local fans have been graced with the winner they wanted.
Roared on by a passionate Italian crowd, Francesco Molinari closed out a one-stroke victory at the Italian Open to win the event for the second time in his career.
Bringing back memories of Joost Luiten, the Dutchman who won his second KLM Open only last week, Molinari delivered under extreme pressure, even though he had to work a lot harder than Luiten did at The Dutch.
Developing into a true two horse race as the day progressed, scripts can’t be written much better than the fan favorite battling it out with the Masters champion, and Molinari was certainly given a stern challenge by England’s Danny Willett.
What are the biggest stories and takeaways coming out of the Italian Open though? Let’s take a look at three of the leading contenders.
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Francesco Molinari Still Has What It Takes
It looked as if it would be a formality around the turn but in the end Francesco Molinari had to battle and hang on for his second Italian Open win and his first tournament success worldwide since the Spanish Open in 2012.
Molinari has the early stages of his round to thank for getting him over the line, in spite of how important his perseverance was after a few shaky shots down the stretch. An eagle on the first set the tone, and from there the Italian added three more birdies to turn in 31 strokes.
After contending throughout the stop-start week of play, Molinari hit the course on Sunday knowing that anything other than a win for him would be an anti-climax for the large crowd in attendance. Having closed it out, Molinari has proven that he still has the game that once saw him ranked as high as 14th in the world.
Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Danny Willett Hitting Top Form
After the inevitable initial disappointment of having come up just one shot short in a hard-fought Sunday battle, Danny Willett can walk away from the Italian Open with a lot of positive thoughts in his mind.
The Masters champion can now ready himself for the Ryder Cup knowing that he has recaptured his form, with positive play having previously deserted him for much of the late summer period. Willett finished just outside of the top-10 in Switzerland at the Omega European Masters, but a closing round 64 there gave him real momentum that he carried over into this event.
With his strong winning pedigree, elite world ranking spot and now the confidence to go with his game, Willett may enter the Ryder Cup as a rookie in name, but I’d expect Darren Clarke to look to him to be a key part of his team.
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Italian Open To Go From Strength To Strength
It feels as if Italian golf is starting to ride a real crest of a wave and from that standpoint the exciting finish and, of course, the outcome of this year’s Italian Open should only hope to fuel further interest in the game.
In spite of poor weather, the event was well attended with sizeable crowds visible throughout, even late in to the day after rain delays. Beyond the perception of the Italian public in the event, the change of how the players view the week could be even more significant.
With the Ryder Cup heading to Rome in 2022, there have been big commitments made to the Italian Open. The prize fund doubled from last year to this year, attracting much higher profile players to the tournament, and it is set to do so again next year.
As one of the most lucrative tournaments on the European calendar, Italian golf now has something good going for it. With the play of Francesco Molinari and the recent resurgence of youngster Matteo Manassero, the best could still be yet to come.
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Italian Open – Final Leaderboard
1 Francesco Molinari – 65 (-22)
2 Danny Willett – 66 (-21)
T3 Nacho Elvira – 65 (-18)
T3 Chris Paisley – 68 (-18)
T5 David Horsey – 65 (-12)
T5 Richard Bland – 69 (-16)
T7 Alexander Levy – 71 (-15)
T7 Alejandro Canizares – 69 (-15)
T7 Jorge Campillo – 67 (-15)
T7 Scott Jamieson – 67 (-15)
T7 Tommy Fleetwood – 64 (-15)
The European Tour returns to action on Thursday from the Porsche European Open in Bad Griesbach, Germany.
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