Francesco Molinari
| Francesco Molinari | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Francesco Molinari |
| Born | 8 November 1982 Turin, Italy |
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Nationality |  Italy |
| Residence | Turin, Italy |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 2004 |
| Current tour(s) | European Tour |
| Professional wins | 4 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| European Tour | 2 |
| Other | 2 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
|
| Masters Tournament | T30: 2010 |
| U.S. Open | T27: 2009 |
| The Open Championship | T13: 2009 |
| PGA Championship | T10: 2009 |
Francesco Molinari (born 8 November 1982) is an Italian professional golfer. He is a two-time winner on the European Tour and was a member of the 2010 European Ryder Cup team.
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[edit] Background and amateur career
Molinari was born in Turin, Italy, and is the younger brother of Edoardo Molinari. As an amateur, he won the Italian Amateur Stroke Play Championship twice, and the Italian Match Play Championship in 2004. He turned professional later that year.
[edit] Professional career
At the 2004 European Tour qualifying school, Molinari earned full playing status for the 2005 season, in which he ultimately finished in eighty-sixth place in the tour's Order of Merit standings.
In May 2006, Molinari claimed his first European Tour victory, becoming the first Italian since Massimo Mannelli in 1980 to win the Telecom Italia Open.[1] He finished 24th on the Order of Merit in 2008, and improved this placement in the augural Race to Dubai where he has ranked 14th.
In October 2009, Molinari reached the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time.
On 29 November 2009, Molinari, along with his older brother Edoardo, led Italy to their first World Cup win at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China.[2]
In August 2010, he qualified to represent Europe in the 2010 Ryder Cup which place at Celtic Manor.
On 7 November 2010, Molinari won the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. He defeated Lee Westwood by one stroke, finishing at 19-under par.[3] He ended the season ranked 5th on the European Tour Order of Merit.
Molinari had a steady 2011 without any further victories with seven top 10 finishes, including a 3rd place at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. He finished the year ranked 21st on the Race to Dubai.
[edit] Amateur wins (5)
- 2002 Italian Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Italian Amateur Foursomes Championship (with Edoardo Molinari)
- 2004 Italian Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Italian Match Play Championship, Sherry Cup (ESP)
[edit] Professional wins (4)
[edit] European Tour wins (2)
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| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s) up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 May 2006 | Telecom Italia Open | -23 (68-65-67-65=265) | 4 strokes |  Anders Hansen,  Jarmo Sandelin |
| 2 | 7 Nov 2010 | WGC-HSBC Champions | -19 (65-70-67-67=269) | 1 stroke |  Lee Westwood |
[edit] Other wins (2)
- 2009 Italian PGA Championship, Omega Mission Hills World Cup (with Edoardo Molinari)
[edit] Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | T30 | CUT |
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | T27 | CUT | CUT |
| The Open Championship | CUT | DNP | T13 | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | T10 | T33 | T34 |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
[edit] World Golf Championships
[edit] Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | WGC-HSBC Champions | 1 shot lead | -19 (65-70-67-67=269) | 1 stroke | Lee Westwood |
[edit] Results timeline
| Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship | DNP | R64 | R64 |
| Cadillac Championship | DNP | T14 | T3 |
| Bridgestone Invitational | DNP | T39 | T15 |
| HSBC Champions | T10 | 1 | T23 |
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
[edit] Team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Italy): 2002, 2004
- St Andrews Trophy (representing Continental Europe): 2004
- Bonallack Cup: 2004
- Palmer Cup (representing Europe): 2004 (winners)
Professional
- World Cup (representing Italy): 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 (winners), 2011
- Seve Trophy (representing Continental Europe): 2009, 2011
- Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 2010 (winners)
[edit] References
- ^ "Molinari ends wait for home win". BBC Sport. 7 May 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/4982674.stm. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- ^ "Italy edge Ireland to win World Cup of Golf in China". BBC Sport. 29 November 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/8384911.stm. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
- ^ "Francesco Molinari holds his nerve to see off Lee Westwood in China". The Guardian. 7 November 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/nov/07/francesco-molinari-lee-westwood-shanghai. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Francesco Molinari at the European Tour official site
- Francesco Molinari at the PGA Tour official site
- Francesco Molinari at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
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