Francesco Molinari: I'm still struggling with my Masters loss to Tiger

Francesco Molinari says he will assess his campaign in full when he's "in a calmer mood."

Andy Roberts's picture
Tue, 12 Nov 2019
Francesco Molinari: I'm still struggling with my Masters loss to Tiger

Francesco Molinari claims he is still struggling to deal with his Masters meltdown some seven months on since Tiger Woods won his first major title in 11 years, according to The Mail

Molinari, 37, had just come off his best season ever having won The Open, the European Tour's Race to Dubai and he was even the top combined points scorer at the Ryder Cup with five wins from five. 

He then continued his exceptional form by firing a final-round 64 to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this March.

But ever since dunking his ball in the water at the front of Augusta National's iconic par-3 12th - while at the time holding the lead in the final round of The Masters - and again with his third shot into the par-5 15th, and Molinari has a shadow of his old self.  

In Molinari's last 13 tournaments since falling on the hallowed Georgia turf, he has picked up just three top-20 finishes, with no top-10s. 

WATCH: THE MOST CRITICAL LAYUP SHOT THAT WAS NEVER SHOWN IN THE FINAL ROUND OF THE 2019 MASTERS!

With one hand seemingly in the green jacket heading into the back nine at Augusta, Molinari still can't stomach what unfolded that Sunday afternoon as Woods strolled past him to clinch his 15th career major title and first since the 2008 US Open. 

"People told me it would be hard to beat last year, nearly impossible in fact, but until that day at The Masters I picked it up where I left off, and then it stopped," said Molinari.

"Confidence plays a big part in any sport but particularly in golf.

"I was feeling good coming to Augusta, everything was going my way.  After that, it became many little things that I didn’t do quite as well. My ball striking wasn’t as good and I didn’t putt as well.

"For over a year, it felt like I was pushing a boulder going upwards but then it started going the other way and it has been hard to stop it."

Molinari might know the reason for his struggles in the second half of 2019, but he admits he will sit down and assess his season fully when he's "in a calmer mood."

As a result of his recent performances, Molinari has fallen out of the world's top 10 to 12th, and he looks on from 25th in the European Tour's Race to Dubai rankings.