Molinari chasing third title

Italian looks back on an incredible 12 months

Last updated: 1st September 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Molinari chasing third title

Edoardo Molinari: two titles in 2010

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Edoardo Molinari will this week bid to become the first player to win three times this season when he tees it up at the Omega European Masters.

Molinari won the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond in July, then on Sunday claimed the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles with a birdie-birdie-birdie finish that also earned him a Ryder Cup wildcard

The Italian points to last year's European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre as the start of his run into world class form - and Colin Montgomerie's side.

"I was lucky enough to get an invite," he recalls. "I was leading the Challenge Tour by a little bit, but had not played a (European) Tour event for three or four months.

"I had a decent week (he came 14th) and that was big for the confidence because I didn't know where I was compared to the guys on the European Tour.

"It wasn't a great finish, but I knew this year that I could play well, although I didn't imagine I could make the Ryder Cup.

Climbed

"Obviously it's been a great 12 months and hopefully I'll keep improving."

Molinari began 2009 at 653rd in the world, by this time last year was up to 166th and then a month later climbed into the top 100.

Now he is 15th, which makes him the highest-ranked player in this week's field ahead of Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.

That will guarantee Molinari a star group in the first two rounds wherever he plays on the circuit - and on this occasion he finds himself paired with Australian great Greg Norman.

This is the 55-year-old's first appearance since a shoulder operation last September - surgery which he originally hoped would keep him out of action for only two months.

Oosthuizen, meanwhile, partners Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, the only other member of Europe's team taking part this week.