For the first time in what seems like ages, the 2018 Champion Golfer of the Year is on the front page of the PGA Tour leaderboard.
Francesco Molinari, the first and only Italian to win a major, shot a 5-under 66 on Friday and currently sits at 8 under at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. He had six birdies, and his only bogey of the day was on the difficult seaside par-3 16th, where he failed to climb out of the rough. Molinari is currently four shots behind leader Justin Lower, who has two 65s on days one and two.
“I was very consistent. I thought my iron play was very good in general and I gave myself a lot of chances,” Molinari said of the second round.
“On the downhill par-3 13th, I hit a really good shot with a 4-iron to about 5 feet. It was probably my best shot of the day.”
Injuries have plagued Molinari in recent years, which explains why he has only finished in the top 10 four times since 2020. A pivotal point in Molinari's career appears to have come on Sunday, April 14, 2019, on the 12th hole at Augusta National. Molinari, playing alongside Tiger Woods and Tony Finau in the final pairing of the day, held a two-shot advantage over Woods when they arrived. 12th tee. But Molinari found Ray's Creek, leading to a double. He blew a shot on the last three holes of the 15th, ruining his chances and shocking the entire golf world.
Roughly nine months earlier, at Carnoustie in Scotland, Molinari had proven to the world that he could win big tournaments. He fended off the likes of Woods, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele on his way to winning the Claret Jug. At the 2018 Ryder Cup in September of the same year, he achieved a record of 5 wins, 0 losses, and 0 losses, a first in history. So when the Masters began the following April, Molinari had become something of a villain to American golf fans. It looked like he would thwart Woods again at Augusta, leaving nostalgic golf fans wondering, “What if?” Also. However, he paid the ultimate price in the battle against Ray's Creek.
Nevertheless, more than five years later, Molinari will be fighting in Bermuda, and it will be the first time he has been far behind the leader all season. Of the 13 tournaments he played in 2024, Molinari lost only five times, with his best finish being a tie for 46th at the Genesis Scottish Open. A similar unfortunate trend has continued in recent years, but with all the injuries Molinari has had to endure, including back and wrist injuries, golf fans can't wait to see his name on the leaderboard again. I'm sure you'll be happy about that.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
