Francesco Molinari withstood a final round challenge from playing partner Tiger Woods to win his first Major title at the 147th Open Championship with another world-class putting performance using his Bettinardi BBZero Tour putter.
The new Champion Golfer of the Year and the most consistent player in the world in recent months, birdied the formidable 18th hole for a final bogey-free round of 69 and a two-shot victory at Carnoustie, where his putts per GIR amounted to 1.770. Starting three shots back from the leaders, including defending champion Jordan Spieth, he became the fifth golfer to hold the lead during a captivating day, as his last putt secured Italy’s first Major title four years before the country hosts The Ryder Cup.
The popular Italian signed with Bettinardi at the start of the year and switched to his current Double Aged Stainless Steel (DASS) BBZero Tour putter before the Players Championship in May, ahead of winning the BMW PGA Championship and achieving his first PGA Tour title at the Quicken Loans National earlier this month with a resounding eight-shot victory.
Armed with the confidence gained from his trusted Bettinardi putter, Francesco has now achieved a remarkable sequence of three wins and two runner-up spots in his last six starts. At the toughest of all The Open venues, he played 37 holes without dropping a shot and managed an unrivalled bogey-free weekend on the wind-swept links course. Always known as one of the straightest hitters on Tour, it was once believed that putting under pressure was his Achilles heel. Not any longer, as he now ranks at No.6 in the world.
“I think it will take a long time for this to sink in,” said Francesco after accepting the Claret Jug. “To go bogey-free at the weekend around a track like this, it’s very good. I was as calm as you can be in the final round in The Open. I felt like I was ready for it,” added the 35-year-old, who recently visit the Bettinardi plant in Chicago where his putter was crafted.
“We’re so proud to see Francesco winning his first Major title and become the hottest player in the world right now with a Bettinardi putter that we created for him,” said company President Robert Bettinardi. “Francesco’s magnificent achievement tops off a remarkable run of performances with a putter that clearly gives him enormous confidence every time he plays and our brand with an Italian heritage could not have a better playing ambassador,” he added.
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