Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Francesco Molinari: First Italian Winner of Italian Open in 26 years at Castello di Tolcinasco.

The ANNOTICO Report

Molinari carded a brilliant final-round 65 for a 23-under-par total of 265, four clear of Sweden's Jarmo Sandelin and Denmark's Anders Hansen, to spark massive celebrations from the home crowd.  

 

MOLINARI'S HOME WIN ENDS LONG WAIT FOR ITALIANS

The Scotsman  

Phil Casey   

In Milan               

May 7, 2006

FRANCESCO Molinari was drenched in Champagne on the 18th green yesterday after deservedly becoming the first home winner of the Italian Open for 26 years at Castello di Tolcinasco.

Molinari carded a brilliant final-round 65 for a 23-under-par total of 265, four clear of Sweden's Jarmo Sandelin and Denmark's Anders Hansen. A couple of Scots mounted an admirable challenge over the course of the tournament - David Drysdale led at halfway and Marc Warren was the clubhouse leader early on yesterday - but they both finished well down the leaderboard.

Claiming the first prize of Ј161,000, 23-year-old Molinari was engulfed by family and friends after he holed a seven-foot birdie putt on the final hole to spark massive celebrations from the home crowd.

"It's amazing, really unbelievable," he said after dropping only one shot all week with a three-putt on the fourth hole of his first round. "I would not have thought about winning so early in my career. I was hoping to give the Italian supporters some joy soon, but I was not thinking about this year.

"I was quite nervous after I three-putted the 12th for par because I saw Jarmo Sandelin was also 20 under par, but when I saw the next leaderboard on the 16th I was two clear, I knew it was going well for me. I want to thank all the people supporting me, it was like playing in a football stadium."

Molinari's elder brother, Edoardo, won the US Amateur title last year, and Francesco added: "I think we are equal now. I had to win something to catch him. We are 1-1 now and need to score some more goals."

Molinari was not even born when Italy last enjoyed a home victory in their national open, when Massimo Mannelli won by five shots in Rome in 1980.

He began the day tied for the lead with England's Benn Barham, but was never in trouble from the moment he eagled the par-5 first for the second time this week. Birdies at the sixth and ninth took him to the turn in 32 and kept him just in front of the chasing pack led by Sandelin and Hansen.

Sandelin drew level by chipping to within inches of the hole for a birdie on the 15th, but then three-putted the next for a bogey after charging his birdie attempt ten feet past.

Molinari, who finished 86th on the money list in his rookie season last year, then stretched his advantage with a birdie on the 13th and effectively sealed victory with another from three feet on the par-5 15th.

Sandelin could also celebrate securing his card for next season with his third top-ten finish of the season. The extrovert Swede won five times on the European Tour between 1995 and 2002, and played in the Ryder Cup at Brookline in 1999, but lost his card last season and had to regain it at the qualifying school in November.....

 http://sport.scotsman.com/

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