Molinari battles Westwood to win HSBC
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2010 HSBC Champions Tournament | Round Four | 07 Nov 2010
In one of the most protracted, one-on-one battles in the history of tournament golf, Francesco Molinari has emerged the winner over Lee Westwood and a field of the world’s elite to win the prestigious WGC HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
A par at the final hole at the Sheshan Golf Club saw Molinari finish at 19 under par and he then waited as his playing partner Westwood faced the prospect of a 25 foot eagle putt to force the tie. It missed and Molinari had won just his second European Tour title more than four years after his first.
Molinari led from his opening round of 65 and this week only the world number one, Westwood, could match strides with him, the Englishman finishing one shot behind the Italian but a massive nine shots ahead of the third placed Richie Ramsay and Luke Donald.
Rory McIlroy finished alone in 5th position with Tiger Woods and the leading Australian Richard Green amongst the seven way tie for 6th.
Molinari went two ahead early on day four when he birdied the second and that was the way it would stay until the 10th when Westwood drew within one with a birdie. They had spreadeagled the field and apart from just who might finish in the minor placings and earn a share of the massive money available, the interest was in their battle.
Westwood retains his place at the head of world golf his performance this week after three week break to recover from leg injury, further proof of the amazing level of consistency he has built in the game.
Molinari also has developed into one of the most consistent players on the European Tour and his victory against such a strong field is just reward for the level his game has reached in the last two years especially. From his current 30th position in the world ranking he should now move close to his brother Edoardo’s 16th position and the battle between them will be of great interest as both are now proven winners in world golf.
Woods rallied back from an indifferent week to finish in a share of 6th and he heads to Thailand for a Skins game then to Melbourne for the Australian Masters with his game in reasonable shape for what might be a defence of the title he won at Kingston Heath last year.
Green finished strongly with a round of 68 to lead the Australians. Allenby finished 21st, Adam Scott and Brendan Jones finished 25th after a good fight-back by Jones after his opening round of 76, Andrew Dodt was 53rd, Michael Sim 58th, Marcus Fraser and Alistair Presnell 63rd, Stuart Appleby 69th,
The Asian and European Tours are in Singapore next week for the Singapore Open while the Australasian Tour is in Melbourne for the Australian Masters, the PGA Tour is in Orlando for the Children’s Miracle Network Classic and the Japan Golf Tour plays the Visa Taiheiyo Masters.
