Francesco Molinari would relish an "absolutely incredible" opportunity to play for Europe in the Ryder Cup on home soil after starring in the inaugural edition of the Hero Cup.
The 40-year-old Italian captained Continental Europe to a 14.5-10.5. victory over Tommy Fleetwood's Great Britain and Ireland team in the Hero Cup Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Molinari earned 3.5 points and finished this week unbeaten along with his compatriot Guido Migliozzi, Dane Nicolai Hojgaard and Frenchman Victor Perez.
Robert MacIntyre of Scotland was among the top performers for GB&I, beating Swede Alex Noren 5&3 in the singles to take his tally for the week to three points.
Molinari believes European golf is in good shape just over eight months before the Ryder Cup starts at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia Montecelio, near Rome.
The 2018 Open champion became the first European to win five points from as many matches at 2018 Ryder Cup and he would love the chance to face the United States in his homeland.
He said: "It's a great motivation for me. I need to be careful; it's a long way away and there's a lot of golf to be played in between and a lot of goals, intermediate goals to get there.
"So, I just need to focus on my game – it's definitely much better than it's been. So hopefully I can play some good golf and be in Rome. Being in Rome would be absolutely incredible."
He added: "I think we showed some great golf in the last few days – both teams.
"I think both teams showed a very competitive but fair spirit. Obviously to my guys – incredible job. I'm super proud of each one of you.
"I got to know some guys that I didn't know very well and I can say that European golf is in very safe hands."
Tiger Woods says fatigue to blame for dropped shots in closing holes
Tiger Woods admitted he was battling mental and physical fatigue after his second comeback round “stalled” at the Hero World Challenge.
Woods, 47, delivered a two-under-par 70 to leave him on one-over par through 36 holes following ankle surgery after his withdrawal from the Masters in April.
But the 15-time major winner was left thinking what might have been after he picked up three bogeys and just one birdie in his concluding six holes.
Woods reached the turn at the Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas with four birdies on his scorecard.
“Overall the round was better than yesterday, for sure,” said the American. “The start was better, the middle part of the round was better.
“I missed a couple putts there towards the end I thought would have kept the round going and unfortunately it kind of stalled out a little bit.”
Asked if physical and mental fatigue had contributed to his end-of-round “stall”, Woods, who dropped four shots in three holes between the 15th and 17th on Thursday, replied: “It’s all of the above. I just haven’t done it. I haven’t played in six months.
“Things are not as sharp as they normally would be. There has certainly been some good in there and I have just got to make sure that the good is more consistent than it has been.
“I can play at home, I can walk, beaches, and do all those things. But it’s different when you’re at game speed.
“You can simulate all you want at home and I had it the best I possibly can. We played a lot of money matches, but it’s just different. The mind’s racing more, the anxiety, the emotions are just different. You can always drop a ball at home, no big deal. Here it’s going to cost you.
“Other things are bugging me and bothering me, but the ankle’s fine. This week is a great beta test to figure out what I can do, and what the plan is going forward, and just analyse what it’s like to compete and play and the things I need to strengthen and work on in the gym to be ready for next season.”
Min Woo Lee continues fine form in hunt for home double
Australia’s Min Woo Lee produced a spectacular finish to claim a three-shot lead in the ISPS Handa Australian Open as he pursues a memorable double on home soil.
Lee, who won the Australian PGA Championship last week, carded a superb 64 at The Australian Golf Club, covering his last eight holes in six under par to get to 12 under.
The 25-year-old birdied the 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th before ending his round in style with an eagle on the last, hitting a 190-yard nine iron from the pine straw under a tree to within two feet of the pin.
“[I was] a bit lucky off the tee shot on 18,” Lee admitted. “I pulled it, but I smoked it, so I knew I had a chance of carrying that bunker.
“Ended up in the nice pine straw out there and had a really good number for a nine iron, like a really big nine iron and I’ve been hitting draws all week and it kind of sat up really nicely.
“I saw the coverage and it spun left towards the hole and nearly actually went in, so really happy with that finish. It’s always nice to make an eagle whenever, but on the last hole it’s even nicer.”
Scotland’s Connor Syme and American Patrick Rodgers are Lee’s nearest challengers on nine under par after both added rounds of 70 to their opening 64s.
The ISPS Handa Australian Open brings together three separate competitions, with the men’s and women’s events and the Australian All Abilities Championship being contested at the same time.
In the women’s event, 2013 champion Jiyai Shin holds a two-shot lead over defending champion Ashleigh Buhai, while Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor shares the lead with home favourites Cameron Pollard and Lachlan Wood in the All Abilities Championship on one over.
“To be honest, this is number one for me on my schedule,” Lawlor, who won the inaugural G4D Open at Woburn earlier this year, said.
“It’s a fully inclusive event. We’re playing at the very same times as the main guys. We have full access to player lounges, practice rounds and whatever we want.
“When the guys market all abilities, all inclusive, that’s exactly what it is and it’s a joy for me to come back here.”
Tiger Woods admits ‘I’m sore’ after making comeback at Hero World Challenge
Tiger Woods felt sore “everywhere” after making his comeback at the Hero World Challenge on Thursday but the 15-time major winner could not hide the smile on his face after his first competitive round since April.
Woods was eight shots off the pace set by Brian Harman and Tony Finau in the Bahamas, dropping four shots in three holes between the 15th and 17th to finish three over par in a share of 18th place.
But for the 47-year-old, it felt good to blow off some cobwebs after undergoing ankle surgery in April.
“I’m sore, there’s no doubt about that,” Woods said. “We’ve got some work to do tonight. Tomorrow get back in the gym and activate and get ready for it. Hopefully hit some better shots.
“And now I know mentally what I need to do better. I think that’s something that physically I knew I was going to be OK. Mentally, I was really rusty and made a lot of errors in the mind that normally I don’t make.”
Asked where he felt sore, Woods added: “Everywhere…My leg, my back, my neck. Just from playing, hitting shots and trying to hold off shots. It’s just different at game speed, too. Game speed’s a lot different than at home speed.”
Woods birdied the third and fifth holes, but bogeys on the fourth and sixth immediately cancelled those out. He put the mental errors he made down to a lack of rhythm after so long out.
“Instead of reacting to it, I was thinking about doing it,” he said. “Then as I was thinking about it, should I do this or not, by then I’m pulling the trigger. I shouldn’t really pull the trigger. Hit a bad shot. I kept doing it time and time again.
“It was a lack of commitment to what I was doing and feeling. I’ve got to do a better job of it…
“I wanted to compete, I wanted to play. I felt like I was ready to compete and play. I hit it solid most of the day. As I said, I just didn’t mentally do the things I normally would do and I need to do.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
