147th Open Championship
Carnoustie, Scotland
Final Leaderboard (pre-tourney odds outright):
1- (-8) Francesco Molinari (25/1)
T2- (-6) Justin Rose (14/1)
T2- (-6) Rory McIlroy (16/1)
T2- (-6) Kevin Kisner (200/1)
T2- (-6) Xander Schauffele (90/1)
Playing out of the third-to-last twosome, World No. 15 Francesco Molinari erased a three-shot deficit with a bogey-free, 2-under-par 36-33=69 in Sunday’s final round at Carnoustie Golf Links to win The 147th Open with a 72-hole score of 8-under 276, good for a two-shot victory over Justin Rose (69), Rory McIlroy (70), 54-hole tri-leader Kevin Kisner (74), and 54-hole tri-leader Xander Schauffele (74).
The 35-year-old, a pre-tourney 25/1 outright, bags his first major title in 36 major appearances, eclipsing a T2 at the 2017 PGA Championship (Quail Hollow Club, NC), and becomes the first Italian in history to win a major championship.
Constantino Rocca of Bergamo, now age 61, was Italy’s closest call prior to Sunday. Twenty-three years ago, at St. Andrews, he infamously duffed his pitch shot at the 72nd hole and then famously holed a 60-footer from just off the green for birdie-3 to force a playoff with clubhouse leader John Daly but lost.
FUN FACT: Molinari, of Turin, is the second major winner this season to have finished T2 at last year’s PGA, joining Masters winner Patrick Reed.
It’s his second PGA TOUR title in 123 events, second in his last three starts, and his sixth European Tour title in 313 events, second this season in seven starts. The London resident also won the 2018 BMW PGA Championship (in England) as a 54-hole co-leader.
The win comes in his 11th Open appearance, is a fourth top 25 and second top 10, bettering a T9 in 2013 at Muirfield (Scotland). He missed the cut at the last Open held at Carnoustie in 2007 (his major debut) with rounds of 76-74.
Overall, Molinari now owns 11 top 25s in 36 majors, four top 10s, and has connected four straight top 25s (1-25-20-2).
Molinari’s Major Career:
36: starts
27: cuts made (75.0%)
11: top 25s (30.5%)
4: top 10s (11.1%)
2: top 5s (5.5%)
1: win (2.7%)
Molinari’s last nine major starts: 1-25-20-2-MC-MC-33-22-36
This was Molinari’s 15th start of the TOUR season, eighth top 25, fourth straight, and third top 10, all doubling as top 2s. In his last six worldwide starts he’s now won three times and finished runner-up twice (1-2-1-25-2-1), including a T2 at last week’s John Deere Classic in his tourney debut.
Molinari’s maiden win (three weeks ago) came at the Quicken Loans National (benefitting the Tiger Woods Foundation) at TPC Potomac in Maryland as a 54-hole co-leader. He closed that one out with a day-low, bogey-free, 8-under 62 to win by eight shots and set the tournament-scoring record of 21-under 259. With that win, Molinari became the first Italian to win on the PGA TOUR since Tony Penna in 1947.
This week, he played Sunday’s finale with three-time Open champ Woods. Woods carved out a level-par 71 to finish in a three-way T6 (three adrift), alongside Eddie Pepperell (67) and Kevin Chappell (73).
With the win, Molinari rakes in a plethora of goodies, including a 5-year exemption on the PGA TOUR and a 10-year exemption on the European circuit.
He’s the first non-American major winner since Sergio Garcia at the 2017 Masters, ending the USA’s streak at five straight major wins, all by players in their 20s. Molinari is 35, Sergio was 37. Both are now first-time major champions.
Molinari banks 100.00 world-ranking points and is projected to jump nine spots to a career-high 6th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He also deposits 600 FedExCup points and moves 20 places to a career-high 7th in the FEC standings.
In Molinari’s last three starts, he’s climbed 116 spots from 123rd in the FEC standings to 7th.
He’s focused most of his attention this year to the U.S.-based circuit, stating on several occasions his goal of qualifying for the season-ending TOUR Championship – for the first time.
It took 1,322 points last season to qualify for East Lake. Molinari’s current account balance reads 1,569 points.
Molinari at the 2018 Majors:
Open Championship: Won (25/1 outright)
U.S. Open: T25 (50/1)
Masters: 20th (150/1)
Molinari is the second straight major winner as a pre-tourney 25/1 outright, joining Brooks Koepka (U.S. Open), and the third straight Nike-clad winner (Koepka, Reed).
Last Six Open Winners:
Molinari: 25/1 outright
Spieth: 12/1 (fave)
Stenson: 30/1
Johnson, Z: 100/1
McIlroy: 18/1
Mickelson: 18/1
Dating to the 2015 Masters, the pre-tourney fave/co-fave has won two of the last 15 majors, and it’s the same person:
Spieth: 2017 Open (12/1)
Spieth: 2015 U.S. Open (8/1) co-fave
Molinari is the seventh straight major winner who ranked inside the OWGR Top 25. The last champion from outside the Top 25 was Jimmy Walker, who won the 2016 PGA as No. 48. Overall, 14 of the last 15 major winners were ranked inside the Top 25.
Molinari’s Position by Round:
R1: T18 (4 back)
R2: T29 (6 back)
R3: 5th (3 back)
Molinari was six back at the midpoint after kicking off with 70-72 and then played the weekend in 65-69, both rounds bogey-free.
His Saturday 65 ended up tied for the second-best lap of the week with Tommy Fleetwood/R2, Jordan Spieth/R3 and Yusaku Miyazato/R3, bettered only by Rose’s 64, also on Moving Day. Rose’s 64 also matched the Open record at Carnoustie (eight editions).
On Championship Sunday, alongside Woods, he hit six (of 15) fairways and 12 greens in regulation taking 29 total putts.
Molinari opened with 10 straight pars, now T2 with Spieth on 6-under, one back of leader Woods, who birdied 4 and 6.
Par at 11, against Woods’ double bogey-6, now a tri-leader on 6-under. Par save at 12, in a six-way T1. Another par save at 13 – for 13 pars in a row – before a 2-putt birdie-4 at 14, now the sole leader on 7-under.
Birdied the 72nd hole from about seven feet, capping a bogey-free 69 and the clubhouse lead on 8-under 276, which proved to be enough to hoist the Claret Jug.
After eating double bogey-6 at 17 in R2, played his final 37 holes in bogey-free 8-under, and was a perfect 9-for-9 in scrambles during that run.
For the week, Molinari was T1 in total birdies with 17, against seven bogeys and one double.
PGA TOUR Wins by Season (FEC rank; starts):
- 2018: 2 (7th in FEC; 15 starts)
- 2017: 0 (37th in FEC; 21 starts)
- 2016: 0 (111th in FEC; 18 starts)
- 2015: 0 (111th in FEC; 16 starts)
- 2014: 0 (Special Temporary Member)
Note: Molinari made all 12 cuts in 2014 as a non-member, accepting STM during the season.
Molinari’s TOUR Career:
Starts: 123
Cuts Made: 98 (79.6%)
Top 25s: 50 (40.6%)
Top 10s: 19 (15.4%)
Top 3s: 6 (4.8%)
Wins: 2 (1.6%)
FUN FACT: Molinari’s six podiums consist of 2 wins, 2 runners-up, and 2 third-place finishes.
Molinari’s Season:
Starts: 15
Cuts Made: 13
Top 25s: 8
Top 10s: 3
Top 5s: 3
Wins: 2
Season Form: 1-2-1-25-MC-16-49-20-17-26-25-MC-40-45-46
FEC: 7th (UP 20); career high
OWGR: 6th (UP nine); career high
FUN FACT: Molinari is the 27th straight winner this season with either 0 or 1 week off prior to their wins. In total, 33 (of 37) event winners fall into this category. #NoLongLayoffsPlease
22
22 (of 37) winners this season had a top-25 finish the start prior (59.4%):
Molinari? Yes: T2 (John Deere)
12
12 (of 37) winners this season had a top-10 finish the start prior (32.4%)
Molinari? Yes: T2 (John Deere)
Field Scoring Average:
This was the 147th Open, 8th at Carnoustie (1931, 1937, 1953, 1968, 1975, 1999, 2007):
Scorecard Yardage: 7,402
Par: 71 (36-35)
Cumulative scoring averages:
R1 (7,291 yds): 73.16
R2 (7,352 yds): 72.81
R3 (7,329 yds): 70.23
R4 (7,447 yds): 73.22
Total: 72.56
Molinari: 70-72-65-69
37
Through 37 non-team events this season (not including this week’s opposite-field Barbasol):
12 winners were in their 20s
20 were in their 30s (Molinari: 35)
5 were in their 40s
Draw:
A total of 79 players (78 pros, 1 amateur) from a field of 152 pros and 4 amateurs made the 36-hole cut of 3-over 145:
46 (of 77) EARLY/late; 1 WD (Duval)
33 (of 78) LATE/early
11 players finished in the top 10:
EARLY/late (8):
Justin Rose (T2); Kevin Kisner (T2); Xander Schauffele (T2); Eddie Pepperell (T6); Kevin Chappell (T6); Tony Finau (T9); Matt Kuchar (T9); Jordan Spieth (T9)
LATE/early (3):
Francesco Molinari (Won); Rory McIlroy (T2); Tiger Woods (T6)
FUN FACT: Scotland’s Sam Locke was the only amateur to make the cut, thus earning the Silver Medal as low am with a T75 (of 79) on 9-over 293 (72-73-70-78).
26
26 (of 37 non-team) tourneys this season with a traditional draw (not including Barbasol):
Winners:
EARLY/late: 14
LATE/early: 12 (Molinari)
FUN FACT: Molinari is the third LATE/early Open winner in the last four years (Spieth, 2017).
Leader/co-leaders by Round:
R1: Kevin Kisner (finished T2): 1-for-4 as 18-hole leader/co-leader
R2: Zach Johnson (T17): 2-for-10 as 36-hole leader/co-leader
R2: Kevin Kisner (T2): 1-for-4
R3: Jordan Spieth (T9): 9-for-16 as 54-hole leader/co-leader
R3: Xander Schauffele (T2): 0-for-1
R3: Kevin Kisner (T2): 1-for-5
Note: Defender Spieth, who won last year’s Open as the 54-hole leader, shot a final-round 5-over 76 out of the final pairing (w/ Schauffele). He did not record a par breaker for the first time in any major round and is now 3-for-6 as a 54-hole leader/co-leader at majors.
Low Rounds:
R1: 66: Kevin Kisner
R2: 65: Tommy Fleetwood
R3: 64: Justin Rose; career low in majors
R4: 67: Eddie Pepperell
Bogey-free Rounds:
R1: (0)
R2: (1): Tommy Fleetwood (65)
R3: (10): Justin Rose (64); Jordan Spieth (65); Francesco Molinari (65); Yusaku Miyazato (65); Byeong Hun An (66); Webb Simpson (67); Austin Cook (67); Haotong Li (67); Kevin Kisner (68); Jason Dufner (68)
R4: (1): Francesco Molinari (69)
Multiple Bogey-free Rounds (1 player):
Molinari (x2)
Odds Favorite(s) Outright:
Dating to the beginning of the 2016-17 season (131 events), the pre-tourney fave/co-fave has won 9 times.
37 tournaments this season
3 pre-tourney fave/co-faves won:
Dustin Johnson: 6/1 (St. Jude)
Jon Rahm: 8/1 (CareerBuilder)
Justin Thomas: 15/2 (CJ CUP)
Dustin Johnson (10/1): making his 10th appearance with a best of T2 in 2011, the World No. 1 missed the cut by three on 6-over 148 (76-72). Idle since a solo 3rd at the U.S. Open five weeks ago, the FEC leader played hole 18 in triple bogey-7 and double bogey-6.
He’s the first World No. 1 to miss the cut at The Open since Luke Donald in 2011 and misses his first major cut since the 2017 U.S. Open five major starts ago. Johnson entered the week tied for the lead with Rose with six straight top-25 finishes on the season.
Player Spotlights:
Erik van Rooyen, World No. 144: the 28-year-old South African and European Tour member was top major debutant with a T17 on 2-under 282 (67-71-71-73). The former University of Minnesota product arrived off form of MC-4-MC, with the T4 coming at the Irish Open two weeks ago.
Tiger Woods, World No. 71: played R1 and T2 with KT tape on his neck – slept funny – and opened with a pair of even-par 71s. Touched the lead in R3 (on 6-under total) with his sixth birdie of the round at the 14th, before a lone bogey-4 at 16 for a Moving Day 66, up 23 places to T6, four back.
R4: Birdied holes 4 and 6 and after a par save at 9, was T1 with Schauffele on 7-under. Fairway bunkered his drive at 10 but managed a par, now the sole leader on 7-under, one clear of Molinari, Spieth.
Missed fairway at 11, bounded off spectators with his second, muffed a flop shot for his third, putted from off the green for par (missed), missed bogey putt and eats double (first double of the week). Now T5, one back of tri-leaders Molinari, Spieth and Chappell.
Missed fairway again at 12, missed green, 2-putt bogey, now T9, two back of six co-leaders. Rebounded with birdie-4 at 14 after wedging his third from a shared green, now T7, two back of sole leader Molinari.
After par save at 17, needed birdie at the last for a would-be T2. Tee ball (spectator-screaming-induced) ends up in the right intermediate, hits his second dead online to about seven feet. Missed birdie for even-par 34-37=71 (3 birdies, 1 bogey, 1 double bogey-6) and 5-under 279.
The 14-time major winner finished T6 (71-71-67-71), three adrift. Overall, it’s his 39th top 10 in 79 majors, first since T6 at the 2013 Open 10 major starts ago.
The 42-year-old is projected to bump 21 spots to 50th in OWGR, enough to get into the WGC-Bridgestone in two weeks, and seven places to 43rd in the FEC standings.
Justin Rose, World No. 3; with No. 1 DJ and No. 2 Justin Thomas trunk-slamming, the 2013 U.S. Open winner was the highest-ranked player remaining. Birdied the 18th in R2 to make the cut (T65) on the number – in fact, birdied the 18th in all four rounds.
Fired a bogey-free 64 on Moving Day, the low round of the week, and at that point, just the second bogey-free round of the championship. The 64, his career low in majors (66 x4), moved him 59 places to T6 with the leaders still 2+ hours from teeing off.
Wrapped with a 69 (1 eagle-3, 1 birdie, 1 bogey) for his 15th top 10 in 58 majors, second straight, and his second runner-up (P2, 2017 Masters). The 37-year-old is projected to nudge one spot to a career-high 2nd in OWGR.
