Francesco Molinari won The Open on Sunday, outlasting a star-studded field at Carnoustie to clinch his first career major championship.
Francesco Molinari won The Open on Sunday, outlasting a star-studded field that included Tiger Woods to clinch his first career major championship.
Tiger Woods finished at a solid 5 under Sunday but still fell just short at The Open.
Molinari holed a 5-foot birdie putt at No. 18 to complete a bogey-free round at 2-under-par 69. He finished with an overall score of 8 under par, 2 shots ahead of Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele.
Molinari, 35, is the first Italian golfer to win a major championship. Paired with Woods throughout his final round at Carnoustie, Molinari parred his first 13 holes before making a birdie at the par-5 14th hole.
Molinari’s victory ended an American stranglehold on golf’s major championships, with a U. S. golfer having won the previous five.
Woods held the outright lead after 10 holes but shot a double-bogey on No. 11, followed by a bogey on No. 12. He finished at 5 under overall, tied with Eddie Pepperell and Kevin Chappell for sixth place.
Jordan Spieth, who shared the overall lead with Kisner and Schauffele after three rounds, struggled Sunday to a 76 and finished four shots behind Molinari at 4 under.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
