The Masters is Francesco Molinari’s to win or lose on Sunday
The 2019 version of The Masters is set up perfectly to be one for the ages.
It simply doesn’t get any better than this heading into the final round of The Masters.
Tiger Woods fired an impressive third round 67 to vault himself back into contention and now sits at 11-under par just two shots back of the leader Franceso Molinari (13-under).
Woods sits tied for second with fellow American Tony Finau who was one of three players (along with Patrick Cantlay and Webb Simpson) to shoot 64 on the day which is just one shot off the Augusta course record of 63 held by Nick Price and Greg Norman.
That group at the top is closely followed by a host of other big name players who are all more than capable of lapping the field and sliding on the green jacket come Sunday afternoon which includes several winners of major championships Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen.
However, make no mistake about it; this tournament is Molinari’s to win or lose.
The 36 year-old Italian came into The Masters ranked No. 7 in the Official World Golf Rankings having captured the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie as well as winning just a few weeks ago at Bay Hill taking the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Molinari also captured the 2018 Quickens Loans National in July and the BMW Championship on the European Tour in May of 2018.
Just in case you forgot, he was also a record setting 5-0 in Ryder Cup action helping Team Europe dismantle the Americans in Paris back in September.
Molinari has been unflappable all weekend in Augusta but the big question will be how does he react on Sunday when 99 percent of the raucous crowd will be rooting for Tiger?
Francesco Molinari is completely unflappable….but with the entire crowd backing Tiger…..how will he deal with this on Sunday? #TheMasters https://t.co/jO9kUsQLhk
— GOLF TALK CANADA (@GolfTalkCanada) April 13, 2019
Molinari appears to have ice in his veins (see the Ryder cup) but even the best have faltered when Tiger has that je ne sais quoi going for him and his momentum becomes almost tangible.
Molinari has the game and then some to earn his first green jacket but as Voltaire said, “The public is a ferocious beast; one must either chain it or flee from it.”
In bocca al lupo Mr. Molinari on Sunday.
