Francesco Molinari will purposely not contest a tournament this year in the week ahead of three of the four Major Championships in a goal to retain his place in this year’s European Ryder Cup side.
Molinari struggled in the opening trio of Majors last year missing the halfway cut in the Masters, U.S. Open and the British Open.
Francesco Molinari looking to return to this year's Ryder Cup team. (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
It’s for this reason the 29-year old Italian player has elected to turned down contesting this week’s $US 6m Shell Houston Open in Texas after ending near the tail of the field last year.
Molinari also will not compete the week prior to the June 14th commencing U.S. Open and is doubtful for the Scottish Open in the lead-up to the British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
“Last year I played in Houston before the Masters and I played the Italian Open the week before Congressional and in discussing that with my coach, Denis Pugh at the end of last year we thought that was not the ideal preparation,” said Molinari.
“So my efforts in the first three Majors last year was quite disappointing in missing the cut in all three.
“But at this time of the year I am hitting the ball better than I did last year and this decision to at least not play the week before Augusta and the week before the U.S. Open, and then maybe not play the Scottish Open in the week before The Open, should help.
“So hopefully the outcome in the Majors will be different for me this year.
“And with this year being a Ryder Cup year I know that if I miss the cut in the Majors it’s not going to help my chances of getting back into the European Team.
“I’m into all the Majors and the WGCs so I need to be playing well in all of them in order to qualify as I am quite a long way down in the rankings at the moment.”
And while some 20 Europeans will compete this week in Houston, the London-based Molinari will find his way down the Wisley Club and work on his short-game and putting with short-game coach, Mark Roe.
“I would have wished for something better and while I played well all week, I didn’t putt all that well,” he said.
“But I still feel quite good going to Augusta.
“I still definitely need to work on my short game and putting as that is vital but I have this week and then three days of next week so there is time to do that.
“I’ll do that with Mark Roe down at the Wisley Club in London this week.”
And with Matteo Manassero missing out on earning a place inside the top-50 on the World Rankings, Molinari now heads to Augusta National as the only Italian in the field.
