… in Abu Dhabi 

Francesco Molinari admitted when he was a young amateur golfer growing up in Italy he was really not a fan of team competition and actually declared he was ‘useless’.

Molinari got into golf for the individual aspect of the ancient club-and-ball game.

However, looking at his amateur team record and also now his professional team efforts you could be very mistaken with the now 40-year-old enjoying both a fabulous amateur and highly-successful professional team career in representing his beloved Italy.

Francesco Molinari all set to lead Europe to victory in the Hero Cup

Amateur team showings include:  European Youths’ Team Championship (2000), European Amateur Team Championship (2001, 2003), Eisenhower Trophy (2002, 2004), Bonallack Trophy (2004), Palmer Cup (Representing Europe and winning) (2004) and St. Andrews Trophy (Representing Continental Europe).

Molinari turned pro later in 2004 and it was just two years before he represented Italy in the first of seven World Cup appearances from 2007 to 2016, and in 2009 teamed with his brother to lead Italy to a first success at the World Cup in China.

He played in three Seve Trophy sides (2009, 2011 and 2013) and in the winning 2013 team.

Molinari has also contested three Ryder Cups being also a member of three winning sides in 2010, 2012 and, of course, becoming the first player to win all five matches at Versailles in 2018.

And let’s also not forget he represented Europe in the winning 2012 Royal Trophy against an Asian Tour team out in Malaysia

“It’s kind of strange in that I’ve had great individual success playing the game but pretty earlier in my career I was pretty useless at match-play,” he said after teaming to win his match in the Saturday afternoon Foursomes session at the Hero Cup.

“Then in my first two Ryder Cups, I scored half-a-point in the first one and half-a-point in the second one and it was also weird as those two Ryder Cups we won by half-a-point.

“Then we head to France and teaming-up with Tommy and we are undefeated.  So, I don’t know as it all just changed.  I guess I enjoy the challenge more now than I did earlier in my career.”

And if Molinari does lead his side to victory it will be only a third occasion Continental Europe would be successful given the Hero Cup that is replacing the Seve Trophy that was staged from 2000 to 2013, and with a Seve Ballesteros captained side led the team in 2000.

As pointed out, Molinari was a member of the 2013 European side that won that year in Versailles, and not too far from where he created Ryder Cup history in 2018.

“It would be great to have Europe’s name up there on this new trophy first,” he said.

“What I like about my team is that everyone showed up here in Abu Dhabi really to compete, working hard, practicing hard and doing all the stuff as a team with the end goal to win the Hero Cup.

“So, it would be an amazing reward for their commitment to finish the week with a win”.

Of course, in this week of the Hero Cup there’s no getting away from September’s showdown in Rome, and while Molinari will be in attendance, he dearly would love to be also packing his golf clubs

“When an event like the Ryder Cup and being held in your own country, it is such a big occasion that everyone is super motivated to be there with it being in Rome,” he said.