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A20 SPORTS
Monday 23 July 2018
Molinari survives wild day to win British Open

By DOUG FERGUSON him for the lead, and then
AP Golf Writer misfired into a gorse bush
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland on the 17th to take double
(AP) — Francesco Moli- bogey. Xander Schauffele,
nari played a steady hand the last one to keep alive
amid the cheers for Tiger the American streak of five
Woods and another crazy straight majors, was one
ending at Carnoustie to shot behind until he sent a
win the British Open and long iron well to the right of
become Italy's first major the 17th hole and failed to
champion. convert a 15-foot par putt
Woods brought pandemo- to fall two shots behind.
nium by charging into the Schauffele had to hole out
lead on Sunday at a ma- a wedge on the final hole
jor for the first time in nine to force a playoff, and the
years, only to lose it with ball checked up well short.
one bad hole. Jordan Spi- Molinari was on the putting
eth cost himself by failing to green, not so much to get
make a single birdie. ready for a playoff, but he
Seven players had a share couldn't bear to watch.
of the lead at some point. "It's been a tough fight,"
Six were still tied on the Molinari said modestly in
back nine. congratulating the four
Through all that, Molinari Francesco Molinari of Italy kisses the trophy after winning the British Open Golf Championship in guys who finished second.
never flinched. Carnoustie, Scotland, Sunday July 22, 2018. "But there can only be one
He closed with a 2-under Associated Press winner. This time, it's me."
69, playing the final 37 Schauffele had to settle
holes on the toughest links shook it lightly before slam- this morning. I felt I was twice hit into Barry Burn on for second place with Rory
in golf without a bogey. The ming it for emphasis. ready for the challenge." the last hole to make dou- McIlroy (70), Justin Rose
clincher was a bold drive "Just disbelief, to be hon- He finished at 8-under 276, ble bogey and still won. (69) and Kevin Kisner (74),
on the 18th hole that flirted est," the 35-year-old said the lowest score in eight Earlier in the day, Woods all of whom had plenty of
with edge of a pot bunker, with the gleaming claret Opens at Carnoustie, the had every reason to be- reason to hope on a warm,
a wedge to 5 feet and a jug in front of him. "To go course where Jean Van de lieve he would cap a most windy afternoon that put
birdie putt that gave him a the weekend bogey-free, Velde threw away the Brit- amazing comeback. plenty of bite back into
lead no one in the last two it's unthinkable. Playing with ish Open with a triple bo- He had a one-shot lead un- Carnoustie.
groups was able to erase. Tiger was another chal- gey on the last hole in 1999, til a double bogey on the All of them made mistakes,
Molinari raised his fist and lenge. But I felt really good where Padraig Harrington 11th hole, a bogey on the big and small.
next. He and Molinari were The biggest blunder be-
together three weeks ago longed to Woods, his red
when Woods handed him shirt blazing against the
the trophy at his Quicken yellow grass of dry Scottish
Loans National. summer. The roars for his
"Francesco played really two birdies could be heard
solidly today," Woods said. from all corners of Car-
"He was working the ball noustie. It felt like old times,
around the greens, and as everyone Woods was
that was cool to see." chasing began to collapse.
With the wind gusting to 20 Kisner, in a three-way tie for
mph, the strongest it had the lead, took double bo-
been all week, Molinari was gey on No. 2. Spieth hit into
the only player from the last a gorse bush and made
four groups to break par. double bogey on the par-
Woods closed with a 71 to 5 sixth. Schauffele made
tie for sixth, three shots be- double bogey on the next
hind. It was the first time hole, leaving one in the
since 2007 that he trailed wispy grass, another over
going into the final round of the green.
a major, had the lead and Woods was at 7 under, in
failed to win. control of his game and hit-
The victory adds to Moli- ting shots that only he can.
nari's best stretch of golf. From a pot bunker on No.
Now at a career-best No. 10, he took a bold and vi-
6 in the world, he has won cious swing to get it over
three times and been run- the lip, over the burn and to
ner-up twice in the past the front edge of the green.
two months. And then it all went wrong.
No one in the final two He pulled his shot from the
groups was able to threat- rough on No. 11 into the
en Molinari. gallery, fluffed a wedge
Kevin Chappell (73) missed short of the green, ran it by
a 10-foot birdie putt on the 8 feet and missed the putt
16th that would have tied for double bogey.q