For the primary time in what looks like eons, the 2018 Champion Golfer of the 12 months finds himself on the entrance web page of a PGA Tour leaderboard.
Francesco Molinari, the primary and solely Italian to ever win a serious, posted a 5-under 66 on Friday and now sits at 8-under par on the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. He made six birdies, and his solely bogey of the day got here on the difficult seaside par-3 sixteenth, the place he didn’t rise up and down from the tough. Molinari is now 4 strokes again of chief Justin Decrease, who has carded a pair of 65s on days one and two.
“It was very constant. I believe iron play typically was excellent, I gave myself numerous possibilities,” Molinari mentioned of his second spherical.
“Hit a very good 4-iron on 13, the downhill par 3, to about 5 ft. It was in all probability the perfect shot of the day.”
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Accidents have plagued Molinari over the previous few years, which helps clarify why he solely has 4 prime 10s since 2020. It looks like a pivotal level in Molinari’s profession got here on the twelfth gap at Augusta Nationwide on Sunday, Apr. 14, 2019. Whereas enjoying alongside Tiger Woods and Tony Finau within the remaining pairing that day, Molinari held a two-shot benefit over Woods once they arrived on the twelfth tee. However Molinari discovered Rae’s Creek, which led to a double. He hit it into the water three holes afterward 15, ending his possibilities and shocking the complete {golfing} world.
Roughly 9 months earlier, at Carnoustie in Scotland, Molinari proved to the world that he may win the massive one. He fended off Woods, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and others en path to successful the Claret Jug. He additionally went 5-0-0 on the 2018 Ryder Cup that September, the primary participant ever to take action. So when The Masters rolled across the following April, Molinari had turn into a villain of types to American golf followers. It additionally appeared he would stymie Woods once more at Augusta and depart nostalgic golf followers to ask, “What if?” once more. However he paid the final word worth for taking over Rae’s Creek.
Nonetheless, greater than 5 years later, Molinari finds himself contending in Bermuda, the primary time he has been remotely near the leaders all season. Of the 13 occasions he has performed in 2024, Molinari has made solely 5 cuts, along with his greatest end coming on the Genesis Scottish Open, the place he tied for forty sixth. The previous few years have adopted an analogous but unlucky pattern, however understanding what Molinari has needed to endure, together with accidents to his again and wrist, golf followers have to like seeing his title on the leaderboard once more.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. You should definitely try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
