The Open 2018: Francesco Molinari thrives in the shadows as partner Tiger Woods stole all the limelight

Molinari went about his job quietly as the world's attention was on his playing partner

Francesco Molinari is used to not being the centre of attention.

Indeed, for parts of his professional career he has not even been the best golfer in his family, with brother Edoardo taking that title as Francesco worked his way up from strong European Tour golfer into one of the best on the planet and, finally, a first-time major winner.

For that bogey-less final round of 69 on Sunday, the round that secured him the 147th Open Championship, he was surrounded by spectators but they weren’t necessarily there for him. His playing partner Tiger Woods, still golf’s biggest superstar, even shot to the top of the leaderboard in a whirlwind afternoon that saw six different leaders but Molinari, the one that none of them saw coming, didn’t take the sole lead until his birdie putt fell into the 18th hole.

“Clearly, in my group, the attention wasn't really on me, let's put it that way,” he said, sitting alongside the Claret Jug that had since been engraved with the name Francesco Molinari, the first Italian to ever win a major. “If someone was expecting a charge, probably they weren't expecting it from me, but it's been the same the whole of my career. I don't really care too much about it. I care about the people around me, the work that we put in. They know how much we've all worked to get here. So that's the most important thing for me.”

Those were sentiments echoed by Molinari’s caddy, Pello Iguaran, as he struggled to process a victory that seemed to come from nowhere.

“We felt from the very beginning (that he could win) but the beginning was Tiger playing really well and it was tough. He made double on 11 that helped us go ahead. The consistency made Francesco win at the end. It was a really big mental fight and I think he deserved it because he is working so hard and that gave him the possibility to fight that good.”

That work ethic was also singled out by Jordan Spieth, who has seen Molinari “working his butt off” and felt his victory was fully deserved.

“I see him in the gym all the time, going through his routine, grinding on the range, doing his own stuff.

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“It truly is hard work that paid off for Francesco. I'm certainly happy for him. I've watched this through the PGA Tour this year day in and day out, seeing him work as hard as anyone else.”

Playing alongside Woods on Sunday meant more spectators and more nerves for Molinari, not that you’d have known it as he prepared for his final day on the putting green listening to some music on his headphone.

“I felt ready for it,” he said. “Calm. You know, as calm as you can be playing in the last round of a major close to the lead, playing with Tiger. I mean, there was everything to make someone nervous, but I focused on my process and on hitting good shots and on playing smart golf. I knew the front nine with today's wind would play mostly into the wind, so pars were great. So I was happy with my score.”

Woods had surged into the lead as he and Molinari closed out the back nine but after the turn, things went south for the superstar American as his partner continued to par every hole. The Italian might not have hit a birdie until 14 but he hadn’t hit a bogey since Friday morning, finishing 37 holes without dropping a shot to ultimately emerge as champion.

It was Woods himself who had a better view of the 147th Open winner than anyone else, and put the Italian’s victory down to great finesse and phenomenal play around the greens.

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“It definitely was his short game,” said Woods, himself a three-time Open champion. “I mean, he chipped it beautifully. I know he made a couple of putts here and there for par, but to get it to where it was basically kick in from some of the spots he put himself, that was impressive. Great touch.

“You could see him actually try and hit a couple with cut spin, a couple of draw spin. You know, he was working the ball around the greens, and that was cool to see.”

Molinari has found a new self-confidence and form since missing the cut at the Players’ Championship in May, winning three of his last six tournaments and finishing second in two more.

“He's always been a great player,” said Rory McIlroy, who finished tied-second at Carnoustie. “I think with how he's played this year there's just maybe a little more belief. I played with him the final day at Wentworth, where he won, and he didn't miss a shot. So there's going to be a lot of European guys vying for his partnership in the foursomes at the Ryder Cup, that's for sure.”

Jordan Spieth, who was leading as he stepped onto the 16th tee but carded two bogeys in his final three holes to end up tied for ninth, was only too happy to join the chorus of praise for Molinari.

“Today was pretty ridiculous. He's been playing unbelievable golf.”

And unbelievable golf was the only fitting way, in the end, to win an unbelievable Open. An Open championship where, at different times, it appeared we would see McIlroy take the Claret Jug back to Northern Ireland for next year’s competition at Portrush, where we thought we had Tiger Woods winning a first major in five years and first Open for a decade, where it appeared set up for Spieth to bag back-to-back Claret Jugs and ascend into the pantheon of Open greats. And that’s without Kevin Kisner, who spent more time atop the leaderboard than any other player.

Instead, coming through Friday’s rain and Sunday’s wind to beat a gaggle of golf’s biggest names was Francesco Molinari, the quiet man who worked his butt off and stayed calm when it mattered.

“I have an easyJet flight at 9am tomorrow to get home, but I think that’s gone now,” quipped Molinari when considering his celebrations.

The flight may be gone but Molinari has arrived. A popular winner and a worthy one too.