Francesco Molinari brings experience of successful match vs. Tiger Woods to Europe’s Ryder Cup team

LONDON (AP) — Francesco Molinari, who earned the decisive half point against Tiger Woods the last time Europe won a Ryder Cup in the United States, is back as a vice captain on Luke Donald’s team for September’s event at Bethpage Black in New York.

The Italian joins his brother, Edoardo, Thomas Bjørn and José María Olazábal as vice captains this year. All four were also vice captains under Donald in 2023 when Europe won the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone outside Rome.

In 2018, Francesco Molinari became the first European player to win all five of his matches in a Ryder Cup as Bjorn’s team triumphed at Le Golf National in Paris. Earlier that year, he won the British Open at Carnoustie, becoming Italy’s first major champion.

“It is going to be a big challenge at Bethpage,” Francesco Molinari said in an announcement Monday. “You just have to look at the stats to see how difficult it is to win the Ryder Cup away from home. It hasn’t happened that often recently, so it is a big challenge but it is a big opportunity to try to do something that, if it does happen, will be remembered for a long, long time.”

Molinari said he wants to “transmit my experience” of when he faced Woods at Medinah in 2012 for Olazábal’s squad. The victory became known as the “Miracle at Medinah.”

“Medinah still has a special place in my memories, and in my heart, and I would be really happy and really proud to see this generation of players complete something like that,” Molinari said.

Added Donald on Molinari, “He knows how to win Ryder Cups, having been on three winning teams, and I think that’s really important for us. We obviously have a tough task ahead of us trying to win away in New York.

“I think he brings a very calm head,” Donald said. “He is someone who listens a lot and has good ideas. He speaks up when he feels like he needs to. I love his demeanour. He just doesn’t seem to get too flustered. He doesn’t seem to get too high or too low. I think that’s going to be important in a place like New York, an away Ryder Cup.”

The Ryder Cup is scheduled for Sept. 26-28.

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