Molinari survives the wild day to win the British Open

Francesco Molinari, from Italy, speaks at a press conference after winning the British Open Golf Championship in Carnoustie, Scotland on Sunday, July 22, 2018. (Photo AP / Jon Super)

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Francesco Molinari did not get he was neglected for playing Sunday alongside Tiger Woods, who caused a pure pandemonium at Carnoustie taking the lead in the final round of 39, a major for the first time in nine seasons.

Molinari sits for the best acclaim of all.

The last

Amidst so much chaos – seven top-ranked players, six of them still tied on the back nine – Molinari played He spent all weekend without bogey and finished with a 5-foot putt who secured his place in history as Italy's first Grand Champion

"Clearly, in my group, the attention n & # 39; It was not really worn on me, let's put it, "said Molinari, the burgundy pitcher shining in front of him." If someone was waiting for a charge, they would not wait for me. probably not me. But it was the same all my career.

He had a record of 69 under the strongest wind of the week, the only player of the last four groups to have lost parity.

Woods lost his head with a bad swing that would have gone even further to the left of the 11th green when he had not hit the fans, leading to double bogey. He followed that with a bogey and never caught up. He had to settle for a 71.

Jordan Spieth, tied in the attempt to return to the British Open, failed to make a single birdie and shot 76, his best score Sunday in a major event .

Kevin Chappell made two double bogeys, the last on No. 17 that derailed his hopes. Kevin Kisner did his double bogey early. Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose each ran an eagle race on the 14th par-5, McIlroy with a 50-foot putt Rose with a second shot that bounced off the base of the pin. They ran out of holes.

Xander Schauffele, the last hope to keep alive the American series of five major in a row, was one-off late until he sent a long straight to the right of the 17th and did not succeed not to putt for by.

Molinari stalled with a pilot who bypassed the edge of a bunker, leaving him a lob corner of 112 yards at 5 feet. He poured it in, raised his right fist and shook it slightly before snapping it for emphasis.

Then he waited in the trailer to see if anyone could catch him. At one point, he went to green training, but not to prepare for a playoff series.

"I would have probably felt sick watching TV."

Molinari finished less than 276, the lowest score in eight Opens at Carnoustie, the course where Jean Van de Velde threw the British Open with a triple bogey on the last hole in 1999, where Padraig Harrington twice reached Barry Burn on the last hole to make double bogey and won again

"Just disbelief, to be honest," said the 35-year-old man. "To go on the weekend without bogey, it's unthinkable, playing with Tiger was another challenge, but I felt really good this morning, I felt that I was ready to take up the challenge." 19659006] Woods had every reason to believe that he would achieve an unlikely return of four back surgeries

.His red shirt was blazing against the yellow grass of a dry Scottish summer. wind on the fourth par 4 to set up birdie.In the wind on the sixth par-5, three deep right and out-of-bounds bunkers left, he arrived at the front of the putting green with a pilot and a 3-Wood for Another Birdie

Just like the Woods of yesteryear, the players he pursued began to collapse.

Spieth played a shot to clear the burn on number 6 and entered a bush of gorse, doing double boguey.Scelled chopped the next hole for double bogey

Woods a had his head

And then he lost it with two bad holes. Always in range, he could not get close enough for a birdie when it was important. It was the first time since the 2007 US Open that he was hanging out in the final round of a major, had his head and did not win.

His anger over his mistakes was tempered by perspective, comparing him to Serena Williams losing In finals at Wimbledon

"At the beginning of the year, they had said" You're playing at Open Championship ", I would have said that I would be very lucky to do that.Serena and I are good friends.I am sure that she will probably call me and talk about it because that you have to put things in perspective … I know it's going to peck a little bit here, but given where I was at where I am now, blessed. "

This could be even worse for Spieth. One day after a flawless round of 65 to share the lead, he had a birdie-free round at the worst time. His best chance was at the 14th, where he made three for the par of about 40 feet.

"When you put yourself in a position often enough, it goes your way sometimes, it's not going your way sometimes," Spieth said, who's going to the PGA Championship in three weeks for a chance at the Grand Slam career .

Victory is added to the best part of the Molinari golf course.

Now at No. 6 career best in the world, he has won three times and has been runner-up twice in his last six tournaments. Three weeks ago, at Quicken Loans National, he shot 62 in the final and Woods, the organizer of the tournament, presented him with the trophy.

This round was not flashy, any more than Molinari. He saved the normal with 8-foot putts on 12 and 13, two of the most important putts of all day

But not the most memorable.

"This putt on the last, I will never forget,"

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