Francesco Molinari has become the first Italian born golfer to capture the Spanish Open.
The 29-year old Molinari stormed from four behind at the start of the round to win by three strokes with a bogey free 65 for an eight under par tally in sunny conditons on the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla course.
It is Molinari’s third European Tour success and he now heads to this week’s Players Championship in sparkling form.
Francesco Molinari plants a kiss on the Spanish Open trophy. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Molinari was presented with a Euro 333,330 first prize cheque to move to seventh on the Race to Dubai along with a 5 kilogram Spanish ham worth Euro 3,000 for the lowest round of the day.
“Today’s round was one of the best I played with conditions easier than the first three rounds,” said Molinari.
“I just played really good golf all week but did struggled yesterday with the pace of the greens and the wind.”
Molinari benefitted from an hour long session on the practice putting green before tee off under the watchful eye of former Tour player, Mark Roe. And after taking 37 putts on day three to be lying last on the putting statistics Molinari reduced that to 31 on day four.
“I just went out today knowing that if the putter was a little bit hotter I had a chance,” he said.
“So I just tried to stay calm and I got off to a great start and hit the ball very well, so everything felt easy, even if it wasn’t.”
Molinari had been sprayed with champagne soon after victory but it was sombre new champion who was reminded tomorrow (MON) is the one-year anniversary of the passing of past three time Spanish Open winner, Seve Ballesteros.
“It’s huge, it’s huge just to win any tournament on the European Tour, but one with the history of this one, in the year of the centenary is something fantastic,” he said.
“And it’s just over a year that Seve passed away so it’s a very special time to win in Spain.”
Three players – the Spanish duo of Pablo Larrazabal (71) and Alejandro Canizares (69) and Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen (69) – shared second place at five under par.
The result was a disappointment for Spanish fans who were cheering for either Larrazabal or Canizares to succeed.
Larrazabal was third in the event last year and now with second in 2012 what odds he now wins a first Spanish Open next year?
Italy’s Matteo Manassero (70) shared seventh place at two under par but will now need to wait to Monday’s readjustment of the World Rankings to check if he has moved back inside the top-60.
Manassero arrived in Seville ranked 64th in the world but needed to finish seventh on his own to be assured of qualifying for next month’s US Open.
