An Italian job well done

Well that was intense, wasn’t it? The 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie saw Francesco Molinari become the first Italian to ever win a major, after seeing off challenges from the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods.

What was particularly impressive about Molinari’s victory was his mental strength – being in the same pair as Woods in the final round naturally invites huge galleries, but the Italian refused to buckle under the added pressure. 13 pars over the first 13 holes in very tricky conditions laid the platform for a final round of 69 – by no means the lowest round of the week, but on a day where players such as Jordan Spieth were struggling, it was very much a case of slow and steady winning the race.

There was nothing particularly spectacular about Molinari’s round, bar his excellent birdie on the 18th, but his putting was exemplary. One highlight was his two-putt from 90 feet on the 12th – a masterclass in lag putting and a moment which meant he kept his momentum going.

Molinari’s first major victory sees him climb to 6th in the world rankings, whilst Tiger’s best 72-hole total at a major since the 2012 Open was enough for him to once again enter the top 50. It was thrilling to have Woods competing again on a Sunday – it may now be a case of ‘when’ as opposed to ‘if’ he adds to his haul of 14 major trophies.