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POTOMAC, Md. – The announcements for the latest Quicken National Loans to play in the shadow of Washington, DC sum up perfectly the last week of the PGA Tour in this area: "Come see Tiger Woods and the rest of the platoon. "
Unfortunately for Woods and his enraged fans, Francesco Molinari decided to be part of the" rest of the field ", which means that no matter what Woods did on Sunday at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, he's n & # It was not going to win even against a PGA Tour pitch as low as you could see.
Molinari, who will certainly be part of his third European Ryder Cup team in September, fired a shot at eight cents. -by 62 on such a hot day – the heat index was over 100 degrees for most of the afternoon – to extinguish any drama and win by eight shots on Ryan Armor, which is also part of the rest of the field.
Molinari's 62-year-old gave him a tournament record (for one of the four courses where he was the weakest of all Sundays on tour this year.
"I thought I'd 39 might have a chance when I'd get to the turn at 10, "said Woods after shooting 66 on the final day to tie for fourth." But the way Francesco played, I guess I'm 39 should have shot 24 on the back nine. "Twenty-four would have succeeded.In fact, 25 would have put him in the playoffs.Instead, Woods shot a very human 34 sub-par-human on the back nine, making a putt by foot of 12 feet on the 18th hole that caused the CBS announcers as if he had won the Masters.Molinari dominates Sunday at Quicken National Loans
He was close to home. An hour later when Molinari and Abraham Ancer, who started the day tied for first place, arrived at the 18th green. They found a handful of the crowd that had followed Woods waiting for them. In a squad of 120 (74 players made the cut), with participation certainly limited by the unsustainable heat of the weekend, about 80 percent of those on the property followed Woods. Another 10 to 15 percent sued Rickie Fowler, who was on the field because of his contract with Quicken Loans. Fowler shot 67 points Sunday to finish 12th
The "rest of the field" drew all the fans who were not with Woods and Fowler, and it was not very crowded. The few who followed the last group witnessed a brave performance by Molinari, who took the lead early Sunday and then unleashed the turn, making a birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie on the first five holes to eliminate Any doubt about who the winner would be.
The crowds after Molinari's final match were much thinner than those who watch Woods.
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The crowds after Molinari's final match were much more Although of course, most of those who came forward did not really care who would win if Woods did not call Woods, again he was playing well, his last round was the best score since returning to play in 2018. It was just not enough to make a serious Sunday afternoon against the winner.
While he goes to the To compete in the next match of the Open Championship at Carnoustie, Woods has played 11 tournaments in 2018. It's good news for him: he did not get there of WD, no limp, no gluteus who did not shoot, he made only nine missing cuts in Los Angeles. at the US Open – and has four top-10s, including a T-2 at Valspar.In all, he has been in the top 12 in six tournament He is now 47th on the FedEx Cup points list.
There remains, however, a disturbing motive when it comes to weekends: Play well enough to get into the fight, or at least into the glaring distance of contention – then stop. A short putt missed here. A bumpy ride there.
On Saturday, Woods was briefly out of the lead after making the last three holes of the first nine to reach eight points under par for the tournament. But he made a mess of the back nine, shooting an over-par-par 36 which included bogeys at 13 and 18 (where he missed the fairway every four days) and a par at the 14 by 14 drive drivable. That dropped him six shots behind Molinari and Ancer entering the final round, meaning he'd need something very low to even have a chance. In the end, even though he had broken the course record with a 61 that would have only been good for second place – five strokes behind Molinari.
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All, Molinari's gleaming ride was the highlight of an otherwise overheated and dreary week. The Tiger Woods Foundation officials insisted that the tournament had not died in Washington, that they were still looking for a sponsor to replace Quicken Loans, which carries its annual $ 8 million sponsorship to Detroit next year.
The trick could give Woods people a fall slot next year, but the odds that Woods would like to be involved with a second-tier tower event that's not on the network TV and go up against the NFL are thin and none, and thin He was seen out of the city soon after Molinari accepted the 12th and last trophy of the tournament winner.
Another rumor that could be more credible is that Woods plans to do some kind of exhibition. It would cost a sponsor a lot less money and could be played at the beginning of a week on one or two days. Woods could undoubtedly gather a small group of players, give them a tax of appearance and voila! save a little face. It remains to be seen whether he and his agent Mark Steinberg want to make this kind of effort given that the Woods Foundation now runs the tournament from Los Angeles to Riviera in February and the lucrative show in the Bahamas in December remains to be seen. see.
gave the tournament credibility that had been lacking for two years when he was injured and that he could not play. Of course, there were also times when Tiger-mania was swallowing all the oxygen; According to television coverage, print coverage and social media, it seemed that the "rest of the field" did not even exist. Most of the local press reporters were slamming their stories even before Molinari had finished, since everyone was writing about Woods. Cars were coming out of the car parks while Molinari was playing his last three holes. And although this is the end of the event outside the national capital, the interest of companies this year was so low that only 39 of the 52 pro-am seats on Wednesday were occupied, even though the tournament offered significant discounts in the weeks leading up to the tournament
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Molinari celebrates with the trophy after winning the Quicken Loans 2018 National as Tiger watches during the Closing Ceremony
Four players – Armor, Ancer, Sung Kang and Bronson Burgoon – got places in the Open Championship being the best finishers who did not already qualify for playing Carnoustie.He earned a special credit for his under-par 68 last Sunday.The sound of the marshals shouted "Please keep your seats" every time Woods has holed up before and ############################################################################### He did it and the people rushed to the next hole.
Woods was stuck for the awards ceremony. Presenting the trophy. A business suit handed the phy to Molinari. It was an appropriate end to a tournament that never really had the right script.
Shortly after Woods leaves. The PGA Tour or "Tiger Woods and the rest of the field" have now left the building
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