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Francesco Molinari has earned the title of the 2018 European Tour's best golfer. He achieved a historic milestone at the Ryder Cup held on the outskirts of Paris, where he became the first European player to sweep all five of his matches against the American side. Maintaining such a high level of play in a field featuring legends like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Jordan Spieth is an extraordinary feat.
An Italian professional golfer, Francesco Molinari was born on November 8, 1982. He first made a name for himself in 2004 by winning the Italian Amateur Stroke Play Championship twice, as well as the Italian Match Play Championship. Shortly after these victories, he turned professional.
In May 2006, Molinari won the Telecom Italian Open, a victory that marked the first time an Italian had won the event since Massimo Manelli in 1980. While the period from 2007 to 2009 was devoid of tournament wins, he proved his reliability by placing in the top 10 twenty times, including three second-place finishes. This consistency led him to the top 50 of the world rankings by October 2009. That November, he and his brother Edoardo teamed up to beat China at the Omega Mission Hills, securing Italy's first-ever World Cup title.
His victory at the 2010 HSBC Champions in Shanghai boosted his world ranking to 14th. 2011 was a year of steady play but no trophies; however, seven top-10 finishes kept him at 21st in the rankings by year-end. He bounced back in 2012 to win the Spanish Open, though he suffered a loss to Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh at the Scottish Open in July.
Following a relatively quiet period in 2013 and 2014 without major titles, Molinari reached a new milestone in 2016 by winning the Italian Open twice—the first Italian player to ever achieve this.
Molinari hit a career peak in 2018 after winning the Championship in Scotland alongside Tiger Woods, a victory that catapulted him to 6th in the world rankings, the highest position of his professional career.
Currently residing in London, Francesco Molinari married Valentina in 2007, and they have two children, Tommaso and Emma. His long-term coaching has been led by Denis Pugh, with Dave Alred recently joining his support team. A polyglot, he is fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish. In his free time, he enjoys exploring London's cultural landmarks with his family and is a passionate fan of football.
By winning the Major Championship at Carnoustie, Molinari became the first Italian to do so. In the process, he surpassed the record of five European Tour wins held by fellow countryman Costantino Rocca, firmly establishing himself as a powerhouse in Italian sports. Many now view him as a true legend of Italian golf.