Francesco Molinari has revealed that he is back working with coach Denis Pugh.

After the former Open champion, 43, took the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic with a sparkling 65, he credited Pugh and said that reuniting with the veteran swing coach had been "the biggest help".

"It’s been a long time," said the Italian, who has endured a difficult run of form over the last few seasons and dropped outside the top 400 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

"I’ve changed everything and then I’ve changed back." he said. "I’m back working with Denis Pugh. That’s been really nice.

"He doesn’t travel to tournaments anymore but I see him just a day a month at home, and he’s always been great and sort of simplifying stuff for me and clearing stuff out of my mind that doesn’t need to be there.

"And yeah, that’s been the biggest help."

It's not clear exactly when the pair teamed up again, but they were pictured sharing a joke at the Hero Cup a couple of years ago.

The Englishman was Molinari's swing coach in 2018, when the Italian won The Open at Carnoustie.

Despite working for Sky Sports as a pundit for nearly 20 years before calling it a day in 2018, Pugh has always been one to take a fairly low profile.

When Pugh, now in his seventies, traveled to tour events, the pair would often be seen working on the range together, although they also spent a lot of time at The Wisley in Surrey, where he was head professional.

As well as spending 12 years with Colin Montomerie, Pugh also worked with the likes of Frank Nobilo, Ross Fisher, Peter O’Malley, Greg Turner, Wayne Riley, Mike Harwood and Peter Fowler.

With Pugh back on his team, former World No.5 Molinari will be hoping that he can rediscover the type of form that saw him become the first Italian to win a Major Championship in 2018.

In the same year, in Paris, the six-time DP World Tour winner became the first European to win all five Ryder Cup matches.

Talking about his dip in form at Hoylake during The Open in 2023, Molinari revealed his frustrations.

"It's the margins are small," he said. "There is a lot of different factors that you need to factor in.

"So it's complicated to have a very consistent career. I think everyone goes through ups and downs, and you just do your best to navigate both the ups and the downs."

The Team Cup (formerly the Hero Cup) will return in 2025 for its second edition, two years after the inaugural match, as teams from Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland compete over three days of action.

With that due to begin on 10 January at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, the playing captains have been confirmed. Francesco Molinari will lead the 10-man Continental Europe team, with Justin Rose at the helm for Great Britain & Ireland. 

The match will be 2018 Open champion Molinari's second stint in the role after he led Continental Europe to victory early last year, although it will be 2013 US Open winner Rose’s first time as captain as he takes over from 2023 Great Britain & Ireland leader Tommy Fleetwood.

The contest offers players an opportunity to gain valuable experience of team match play golf ahead of the Ryder Cup, which takes place at Bethpage Black in September next year. 

It also gives Team Europe captain Luke Donald the chance to cast his eye over some of the players who could potentially make the trip to the US to defend the trophy the team won at Marco Simone in 2023.

Donald explained why he thinks the match is a worthwhile endeavor. He said: “I’m really pleased that the Team Cup is returning as it provided some invaluable experience for a lot of players last year. I think all of us got a lot out of the week in terms of experiencing the uniqueness of a team environment.

“It also helped everyone involved to understand, through the past Ryder Cup captains who came and spoke to the players during the event, just what it means to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup."

On the appointment of Molinari and Rose, Donald added: “I am delighted that Francesco and Justin will assume the role of captains.

"We saw what Francesco was capable of when he led Continental Europe to a great victory in 2023 and Justin was inspirational both inside and outside the ropes at Marco Simone last year. I’m excited to see them go head-to-head.”

Molinari said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to captain Continental Europe again and to try and successfully defend the Team Cup. It was a really special week in 2023 and was great to see players from so many different countries across the Continent working towards one single goal."

Rose cited the chance to form a successful team from DP World Tour stars as a big attraction. He said: “There is so much exciting talent from Great Britain and Ireland on the DP World Tour right now – it will be great to have the chance to try and mould them into a winning team.”

Teams will be selected from the leading four available Continental European and Great Britain & Ireland players from the 2024 Race to Dubai Rankings, with the five additional players on each side being chosen by the captains, although Donald will have some input at that stage.

The teams will play one session of fourball on Friday, two sessions of foursomes on Saturday and one session of singles on Sunday. Meanwhile, every player will compete in all four sessions.  Each match will be worth a point, with the team reaching 12.5 points declared the winner.

The US Open at Pinehurst No.2 was throwing up an exceptional second round, with the leaders vying for the top spot and players trying to make it into the weekend at the richest Major event golf has ever seen.

Sitting at seven-over-par, former Champion Golfer of the Year, Francesco Molinari, would need a miracle at the par 3 ninth, his final hole of the day, to make the weekend... However, that's exactly what the Italian did, with a hole-in-one meaning he made the cut on the five-over-par number!

Starting on the back nine, the 41-year-old made bogeys at the 15th and 16th for a two-over 37, with Molinari needing a level-par back nine to likely make the weekend in North Carolina.

Birdieing the first, his 10th of the round, back-to-back bogeys at the second and third followed, with another bogey at the treacherous eighth all-but putting Molinari out of a spot in the weekend... Or so we thought!

Playing the par 3 ninth, which had already yielded an ace from Ryder Cup star, Sepp Straka, Molinari stood up and fired his mid-iron approach at the flag and, as it landed on the green, it rolled towards the flag and dropped into the cup for an ace and a five-over tournament total, a score that put the Major winner inside the cut line.

The hole-in-one is the 53rd in US Open history and just the fourth at Pinehurst No.2. Previously, Zach Johnson and Peter Jacobsen had only managed the feat in North Carolina but, following Straka's ace and Molinari's, it now means four hole-in-ones have been made at the iconic venue.

After last week’s relatively low-key Honda Classic on the PGA Tour, the fourth elevated event of the year takes place with the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

That means, like the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the WM Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational, another field loaded with some of the best players in the world competes.

One of those is the defending champion, World No.2 Scottie Scheffler, who claimed his second of four victories of 2022 with a one-shot win over a chasing pack containing Billy Horschel, Tyrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland. It the tournament goes anything like the other event Scheffler has played in as champion this year, the WM Phoenix Open, he will be a happy man come Sunday evening considering his successful defence of the title at TPC Scottsdale.

If Scheffler does pull off the trick again, he will be the first player to successfully defend multiple tournaments in a season since Tiger Woods in 2007. The three players who finished runner-up last season are all back too, hoping to go one better this year. Of those, Hatton will surely fancy his chances considering he won the tournament three years ago.

So far, 2023, has been largely defined by one player – Jon Rahm. The Spaniard bagged his third win since the turn of the year at Riviera Country Club two weeks ago, when a nip-and-tuck final round with Max Homa finished with Rahm emerging on top after a two-shot win. While Homa was clearly despondent not to claim victory, his runner-up performance was enough to taking into the top 10 for the first time in his career. The World No.8 will be hoping to build on that in Florida this week.

As well as Scheffler and Hatton, four other former winners are in the field this week - 2011 champion Martin Laird, Jason Day, who won in 2016, Francesco Molinari, who claimed victory three years later and 2018 winner Rory McIlroy. Much of the focus will be on the performance of the Northern Irishman, who has slipped from first to third in the world rankings since the turn of the year despite winning the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour in January.

By his recent high standards, the two tournaments that have followed, In Arizona and at the Riviera Country Club, have been underwhelming for McIlroy, who finished tied for 32nd and tied for 29th in each respectively. He’ll be looking to recapture the form of five years ago with this week’s tournament. Based on his previous performances in the tournament, the omens are good. His previous eight consecutive finishes at Bay Hill, he has only finished lower than tied for 13th on one occasion, in 2016.

Others in the top 10 competing this week are World No.4 Patrick Cantlay, World No.6 Xander Schauffele, the man directly beneath him in the rankings, Will Zalatoris, World No.9 Justin Thomas and World No.10 Collin Morikawa.

Last week’s winner Chris Kirk also appears, along with the man he beat in the playoff, Eric Cole, while other notable names include US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, Keith Mitchell, who won plenty of admirers for his performance in the Genesis Invitational, where he finished fifth, and 2022 Arnold Palmer Award winner Cameron Young.

Overall, 43 of the world’s top 50 compete, as they battle it out for a purse of $20m, of which the winner will receive $3.6m with the runner-up claiming to $2.18m.

Below is a full breakdown of the prize money and field for the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Prize Money 2023

Arnold Palmer Invitational Field 2023

• Aberg, Ludvig
• Alexander, Tyson
• An, Byeong Hun
• Baddeley, Aaron
• Bezuidenhout, Christiaan
• Bradley, Keegan
• Bramlett, Joseph
• Brehm, Ryan
• Buckley, Hayden
• Burns, Sam
• Cantlay, Patrick
• Cink, Stewart
• Clark, Wyndham
• Cole, Eric
• Conners, Corey
• Coody, Pierceson
• Dahmen, Joel
• Davis, Cam
• Day, Jason
• Detry, Thomas
• Donald, Luke
• English, Harris
• Finau, Tony
• Fitzpatrick, Matt
• Fleetwood, Tommy
• Fowler, Rickie
• Fox, Ryan
• Glover, Lucas
• Gordon, Will
• Griffin, Ben
• Grillo, Emiliano
• Hadwin, Adam
• Hammer, Cole
• Hardy, Nick
• Harman, Brian
• Harrington, Padraig
• Hatton, Tyrrell
• Henley, Russell
• Herbert, Lucas
• Higgo, Garrick
• Hodges, Lee
• Hoffman, Charley
• Hoge, Tom
• Homa, Max
• Horschel, Billy
• Hossler, Beau
• Hovland, Viktor
• Hughes, Mackenzie
• Im, Sungjae
• Johnson, Kamaiu
• Johnson, Zach
• Kim, S.H.
•  Kim, Si Woo
• Kim, Tom
• Kirk, Chris
• Kisner, Kevin
• Kitayama, Kurt
• Kizzire, Patton 
• Koch, Greg
• Laird, Martin
• Lawrence, Thriston
• Lee, K.H.
• Lee, Min Woo
• Lingmerth, David
• Lipsky, David
• List, Luke
• Lower, Justin
• Lowry, Shane
• Malnati, Peter
• Matsuyama, Hideki
• McIlroy, Rory
• Meronk, Adrian
• Merritt, Troy
• Mitchell, Keith
• Molinari, Francesco
• Montgomery, Taylor
• Moore, Taylor
• Morikawa, Collin
• Mullinax, Trey
• NeSmith, Matthew
• Noren, Alex
• Palmer, Ryan
•  Pendrith, Taylor
• Power, Seamus
• Putnam, Andrew
• Rahm, Jon
• Rai, Aaron
• Reavie, Chez
• Riley, Davis
• Rodgers, Patrick
• Rose, Justin
• Ryder, Sam
• Schauffele, Xander
• Scheffler, Scottie
• Schenk, Adam
• Scott, Adam
• Shelton, Robby
• Sigg, Greyson
• Simpson, Webb
• Smalley, Alex
• Spaun, J.J.
• Spieth, Jordan
• Stallings, Scott
• Straka, Sepp
• Streelman, Kevin
• Suh, Justin
• Svensson, Adam
• Tarren, Callum
• Taylor, Ben
• Taylor, Nick
• Theegala, Sahith
• Thomas, Justin
• Thompson, Davis
• Todd, Brendon
• Westmoreland, Kyle
• Willett, Danny
• Wise, Aaron
• Woodland, Gary
• Young, Cameron
• Zalatoris, Will

The Arnold Palmer Invitational was founded in 1979 as the successor to the Florida Citrus Open Invitational, and since 1979 the event has been hosted at the iconic Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

It is one of only five tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule that has an invitational status, which basically just means a smaller field. Yet with the event being granted elevated status, which has essentially just come to mean that all of the best players in the world will be in attendance competing for a $20 million dollar purse, the field has been raised to 136 players.

Once again, all of the best players in the world will be in attendance, including Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Sungjae Im, Will Zalatoris, as well as former winners like Jason Day, Francesco Molinari, and Tyrrell Hatton.

With the PLAYERS Championship right on deck, the Tour is now reaching the meat and potatoes of the Florida Swing, and while we always miss champions walking off the 18th for congratulations from Arnold Palmer, his presence lives on at one of the premier events of the year.

Before we get into our picks for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. With the offers below, you can turn $6 into $350 guaranteed, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers, to wager with more confidence on your Arnold Palmer Invitational selections this week.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Course Preview

Bay Hill Golf Club & Lodge

The Florida Swing gets off to an incredibly difficult start, and if you thought PGA National was hard, just wait until you see the task at hand at the iconic Dick Wilson venue.

Bay Hill Club plays as a par 72, tipping out to 7,466 yards, and last year, it played as the third toughest course on the PGA Tour. Bay Hill has always been challenging, but in 2019 they hired a new superintendent who actually made the fairways a touch wider, but shaved off a great deal of rough surrounding the water and bunkers, making it far easier for balls to roll into hazards.

He also made the existing rough far thicker, and Bay Hill definitively features the thickest rough on the PGA Tour outside of the U.S. Open. Since Flynn took over in 2019, the winning scores have been -12, -4, -11, and -5. Last year, it featured the hardest set of par threes on the PGA Tour and the second-hardest set of par fours on the schedule as well.

For this reason, it is absolutely essential for players to score on the four par fives, which have historically ranked as the four easiest holes on the course. Ultimately, Bay Hill requires an extremely balanced attack of powerful driving, par-five scoring, elite long iron play, and a deft touch around the greens. Over the years, every single winner has been near the top of the field in either driving distance, par-five scoring, proximity to the hole, or scrambling. Any player that is non-elite in at least one of those three skill sets is an easy cross-off for me, and I am extremely excited to watch the best in the world take on such a difficult test.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Key Stats

• Long-term Proximity 200 yards plus
• Strokes Gained Around the Green: Bermuda-grass courses
• Strokes Gained Off the Tee: Long golf courses

Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks and Predictions: Outright Winner

Will Zalatoris (+2500) (Bet $100 to collect $2,600) The best odds for this Will Zalatoris pick are at FanDuel

While typically one of the most popular selections in the betting market week in and out, Will Zalatoris has not been a player I have invested much in over the past couple of years. That changes this week for me, as I believe this is an ideal spot for the rising star.

Zalatoris answered all questions about his lingering injury history with a fourth-place finish at the Genesis where he gained 3.9 strokes off the tee, four strokes on approach, 2.4 strokes around the green, and 2.4 strokes putting. I love buying in on players that are coming off a week where they gained strokes in all four major categories, which is the exact type of well-rounded approach that is extremely necessary at a course like Bay Hill.

The Wake Forest alumnus remains one of the best drivers of the ball on long golf courses, as well as the best long iron players in the field. My only concern is the short game, but even that has been trending in the right direction. Will Zalatoris will be the first to admit that his favorite style of golf is U.S. Open conditions, and with the rock-hard greens and extremely thick rough, Bay Hill is as about as close to a U.S.-Open-like set up that players will see on the PGA Tour all season.

As you can see above, Will Zalatoris is as long as +2500 to win this week, and as short as +1800. This is a $700 difference in payout, so ensure you are comparing the odds this week, before placing your outright wager on Will Zalatoris to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Hideki Matsuyama (+6600) (Bet $100 to collect $6,700) PointsBet has the best odds to Hideki Matsuyama to win this week

At this current moment, there’s nothing really jumping off the page about Hideki Matsuyama, but that is of course reflected in his number. In terms of pure value, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better bet on the board than the former Masters champion. I love to pounce on players that are coming off a missed cut in which they gained strokes in both ball-striking categories, which was certainly the case for Matsuyama at Riviera. Last week, he gained 0.7 strokes off the tee and 1.6 strokes on approach.

Of course, he fell victim to a faulty putter but on the whole, Hideki has been much better of late, and he’s actually gained strokes putting in his last four appearances on Bermuda grass. Grabbing a player of Hideki’s caliber at this high of a number provides a great deal of flexibility in creating a card with multiple elite players this week, and I would not be the least surprised if the Japanese superstar reminded us that he is still a top-20 player in the world and picked up PGA Tour victory number nine in Orlando. 

As you can see, Hideki Matsuyama is as big as +6600 to win this week, and even at +5500, he looks like a big price to win. With that said, ensure you are taking advantage of PointsBet or BetMGM Sportsbook's odds, so that you can win $6,700, rather than $5,500!

On the final day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, fans were treated to an intriguing conclusion which involved a number of players in touching distance of a Rolex Series title.

Throughout the back nine, Frenchman, Victor Perez, had led by the slimmest of margins, with the 30-year-old vying for his first title since May 2022. It had been an extremely close affair throughout at Yas Links and, at the 17th hole, a 200-yard par 3, Perez produced arguably the best shot of his life, as he holed a lengthy bunker shot for birdie en route to a third DP World Tour title.

Beginning the final day, Shane Lowry, Francesco Molinari and Min Woo Lee started tied on 13 under. However, as the day wore on, it was Perez who found the front, as the Frenchman carded six birdies on his first 11 holes.

A bogey did follow at 14, but Perez made yet another birdie to keep his slim advantage intact over Lee and new challenger Sebastian Soderberg. With the tension building, and players firing shots all over the course, it was up to Perez to bring home his advantage.

Firing his tee shot into the bunker at the par 3 17th, it seemed that a dropped shot was imminent, especially as he was faced with a shot that went downhill and needed to carry a big dip. However, what happened next was deserving of any champion.

Nipping his bunker shot past the flag, it checked up beautifully before spinning back and into the hole for an unlikely birdie! The celebration? Well, that didn't disappoint either, as the six-foot-five giant clenched his fists and chest bumped his caddie. Later on, Perez described it as the "greatest shot I've ever hit."

Two shots clear of Soderberg, a par at the last would all but seal another title but, with the adrenaline flowing, Perez found trouble with his second shot and was forced to chip out of the fescue next to the water.

Thankfully, for Perez, Soderberg failed to find the green from 85-yards at the last and, after the Swede made his par, it was left to Frenchman Perez to tap in for a bogey. 

It wasn't done there though as, playing the last, Lee would need an eagle to force a playoff. Greenside in two on the par 5 18th, a pitch in was needed for the crucial eagle and, as it raced by, we all thought it was game over. However, Lee's ball began rolling back towards the hole and, as it edged closer and closer, it finished mere inches away from dropping. As a result, the trophy was Perez's, with the title the biggest win of his career. A huge feat in what is a Ryder Cup year.

Going into the final day of the Hero Cup, Continental Europe held a two point lead over Tommy Fleetwood's Great Britain & Ireland team of 10 men. It would be an uphill struggle for team GB&I and, consequently, it showed, as Francesco Molinari's squad claimed a clinical victory in the afternoon singles.

Leading from the front, captain Molinari put away the ever-so dangerous Shane Lowry, with the two Champion Golfers of the Year putting on a super match that saw 13 birdies in 16 holes, as Molinari picked up a 3&2 victory over the Irishman.

Not wanting to be outdone in the captain's stakes, GB&I captain Fleetwood also secured a 3&2 victory over Thomas Pieters, with fellow countryman Tyrrell Hatton claiming the joint biggest victory of the week as he dismantled Antoine Rozner with a 5&4 win.

Nicolai Hojgaard's match with Seamus Power was yet another thriller, as the 21-year-old picked up a 1-up victory over the FedEx Cup leader, Power and, in the following match, Matt Wallace made a real statement as he secured a 2&1 win over Thomas Detry.

Although GB&I were up 3-2 in the opening five matches, it was the final five games where Continental Europe dominated, as they picked up 4&2, 5&4 and 4&3 victories to move nearer to the trophy.

Eventually, it was Poland's Adrian Meronk who secured the winning point, as his lengthy birdie putt never left the hole, dropping in for a crucial win as Continental Europe made it to the magical number 13.

Now 13.5 - 10.5 up, it was Italy's Guido Migliozzi who claimed the final point of the tournament, as a commanding 4&3 victory led to a final 14.5 - 9.5 score line. Speaking after the winning putt, captain Molinari stated that "it's an amazing feeling and I can finally relax!

"It's been great all week and it has been very easy leading them and being a captain for them. I think we found some really good pairings and it's been a fantastic start to the year."

Former Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal picked out three European young guns he thought could go on to have a big future in the competition after watching them at the Hero Cup.

Continental Europe are taking on Great Britain & Ireland in Abu Dhabi with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald watching on closely to get as many pointers as he can for his team to take on America later this year.

Donald knows all about captains Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari, but there’s a host of younger players on both sides who could impress this week.

And with Donald having six captain’s picks this time around for the Ryder Cup, there’s plenty of places available for those who show flashes of taking to the format.

Especially with the likes of stalwarts Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia out of consideration after joining LIV Golf, there’s set to be a new wave of younger players battling the United States at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome.

And Ryder Cup legend Olazabal, who formed an incredible partnership with Seve Ballesteros as a player and masterminded the Miracle of Medinah as a captain, says a few players have caught his eye.

The Spaniard had praise for the swings of Sepp Straka, Ewen Ferguson and Nicolai Hojgaard, who was a late replacement in the Hero Cup for his brother Rasmus.

“Sepp Straka, I followed him for a few holes and I liked how steady he is, and I liked his swing also, I think that under pressure that type of swing should hold up really well,” Olazabal told Sky Sports when asked about who had impressed him so far.

“Ewen Ferguson I like, maybe he’s not the longest of hitters but if his putting is good then he could do well, but there’s a bunch of them that have the potential to be top, top players.

“Nicolai I know has been changing his swing a little bit, up to last year he was drawing the ball off the tee but this week from what I saw he’s favouring a little fade, and if he keeps that ball in play off the tee then the rest of his game is extremely sharp.

“He hits it very, very long in that regard, and if he can improve in that area off the tee then I think we’ll have a great player in the future.”

HERO CUP SCORES - DAY ONE

Europe 3-2 GB&I

Tommy Fleetwood & Shane Lowry lost to Thomas Pieters & Alexander Noren 1 down

Tyrrell Hatton & Jordan Smith lost to Thomas Detry & Antoine Rozner 2 down

Callum Shinkwin & Matt Wallace halved with Victor Perez & Guido Migliozzi

Ewen Ferguson & Richard Mansell halved with Francesco Molinari & Nicolai Hojgaard

Seamus Power & Robert MacIntyre bt Sepp Straka & Adrian Meronk 4&3

What was also noticeable at Abu Dhabi Golf Club was the way both sets of players kept to their teams and seemed really up for the battle and determined to win.

None more so than Richard Mansell, who was almost giving it the Ian Poulters with a few fist pumps after making some crucial putts as he played alongside Ferguson to half with Molinari and Hojgaard.

Thomas Pieters, who set a rookie points record when he won four in his Ryder Cup debut in 2016, showed he can really play in his format by helping an off-form Alex Noren take down Fleetwood and Shane Lowry.

Seamus Power and Robert MacIntyre were the partnership of the opening day as they produced a birdie fest to beat Straka and Adrian Meronk 4&3.

Francesco Molinari leads Continental Europe in this week’s Hero Cup as Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald casts his eye over potential players to compete in September’s tournament at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

However, while that is undoubtedly an honour for the Italian, it is far from the high point of a career that has seen him claim ten professional wins, including one Major, the 2018 Open. Molinari’s most recent win came in the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational, a result that saw him sit comfortably inside the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

That is in stark contrast to his current World No.164, which led one Twitter user to suggest family problems may have affected his form. However, Molinari hit back at the remark in a series of tweets where he attributed his decline to poor decisions in tournaments. He wrote: “Could you please tell me what my family problems are, so maybe if I know about them I can solve them. I’m honestly fed up with this idiocy, more or less openly expressed. Golf is a sport, I’ve had a decline in recent years because I’ve made wrong decisions on the course."

“No one is infallible, least of all me who has always made mistakes, even in the best of times. One thing that has never been lacking is commitment and dedication. And I assure you that it is not missing now. Best wishes for a 2023 full of satisfactions to everyone.” 

Molinari reached a career-high of World No.6 after finishing tied for 16th at the 2019 US Open. As well as his sole Major victory, he has also achieved top-10 finishes in five other Majors, most recently in the 2019 Masters at Augusta National. He has also won the Ryder Cup with Team Europe three times. 

While those successes have dried up in recent years, Molinari’s reasoning for his decline is refreshingly honest. He'll hope to begin putting that form right, starting this week at Abu Dhabi Golf Club as his team takes on Great Britain and Ireland, captained by Tommy Fleetwood.

The inaugural Hero Cup takes place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club later in the week, as Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald uses the tournament to cast his eye over potential team members for September’s biennial event against Team USA.

However, just days before the match play tournament between Great Britain and Ireland and Continental Europe gets under way, Dane Rasmus Hojgaard has withdrawn from Franceso Molinari’s Continental Europe team due to injury. That has left the door open for his twin brother Nicolai to replace him.

Rasmus has enjoyed a successful start to his professional career. The 21-year-old has three wins on the DP World Tour, most recently in the 2021 Omega European Masters. However, he won't be able to build on those successes this week. A statement released by the DP World Tour, although not elaborating on the nature of the World No.102's injury, confirmed his twin will replace him. It read: "Rasmus Hojgaard has withdrawn from the Hero World Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Club due to injury. He has been replaced by Nicolai Hojgaard in the Continental Europe team to compete from January 13-15."

Nicolai is currently ranked below Rasmus at World No.135 and has one fewer DP World Tour win than his brother. Nevertheless, he has enjoyed more recent success, with both his victories coming in the last 16 months – September 2021’s Italian Open and the Ras Al Khaimah Championship last February. 

Interestingly, the first of those wins occurred at the venue for the 2023 Ryder Cup, Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome. On that occasion, he edged out Hero Cup Great Britain and Ireland captain Tommy Fleetwood and his Continental Europe teammate Adrian Meronk. He beat another Hero Cup player, Englishman Jordan Smith, in his most recent victory.

The tournament is being used to offer match play action to both players with Ryder Cup experience and rookies. Nicolai will be eager to take advantage of his twin brother’s misfortune and showcase his abilities to Donald as he continues his preparations to try and lead Team Europe to victory for the first time since 2018. 

The inaugural Hero Cup takes place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club between January 13 and 15 as the tournament sees players from Great Britain and Ireland take on a team from Continental Europe. 

The event is reminiscent, and not without controversy, of the Seve Trophy – a biennial match play tournament that also featured teams from Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe, which was last played in 2013. That tournament was effectively an opportunity to give captaincy experience to future Ryder Cup captains including Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, and Thomas Bjorn, as well as experience in team match play for potential Team Europe players. Great Britain and Ireland claimed the title six times over the eight events.

Similarly, the Hero Cup is considered a warm-up for the Ryder Cup in September. Not surprisingly, then, European captain Luke Donald will oversee the event as he continues preparations to try and to reclaim the trophy Europe last won in 2018 against the USA. Like the Seve Trophy, the Hero Cup also features players with Ryder Cup experience and several rookies with aspirations of making the team.

Great Britain and Ireland is captained by Tommy Fleetwood, and the ten-man team will include eye-catching names including Scot Robert MacIntyre. He did his chances of making Team Europe's Ryder Cup team no harm with victory at last September's Italian Open, which was held at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome, where the 2023 Ryder Cup will be held. Irishman Shane Lowry, who tasted victory the week earlier in the BMW PGA Championship, also plays. Another Irishman, Seamus Power, who has admitted he harbours ambitions of making the Ryder Cup team, is one to keep an eye on, while World No.26, Tyrell Hatton, also appears.

Continental Europe is captained by Italian Francesco Molinari. Among his selections are Belgian World No.28 Thomas Pieters and Polish World No.47, Adrian Meronk, whose most recent victory came in last month's ISPS Handa Australian Open, where beat Adam Scott by five shots. Austrian Sepp Straka, who edged out Lowry to win last year's Honda Classic, and Frenchman Antoine Rozner, who claimed the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open title a week before Christmas, also plays. Up-and-coming Danish star Rasmus Hojgaard had been in the team, but he has withdrawn due to injury, leaving an opportunity for his twin brother, Nicolai, who has replaced him.

As for the captains, Molinari and Fleetwood formed a wonderful partnership at the 2018 Ryder Cup, winning all four of their matches together, and it is likely they will team up again in September.

The tournament will consist of three days of action. Friday sees the two 10-player teams go head-to-head in five fourballs matches. Saturday has two sessions splitting 10 foursomes matches, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. Finally, there is one session of 10 singles matches beginning on Sunday morning. 

All 20 players will feature in each session. The winner of each match earns a point for the team, with teams receiving ½ a point each in matches that end in a tie. There are a possible 25 points available, with the first team to reach 13 the winner. Each member of the winning team will earn $125,000, while those on the losing team will receive $75,000 from an overall purse of $2m.

Below are the full teams for the 2023 Hero Cup.

Great Britain and Ireland Hero Cup Team

• Tommy Fleetwod (captain)
• Ewen Ferguson
• Tyrrell Hatton
• Shane Lowry
• Robert MacIntyre
• Seamus Power
• Callum Shinkwin
• Jordan Smith
• Matt Wallace
• Richard Mansell

Continental Europe Hero Cup team

• Francesco Molinari (captain)
• Thomas Detry
• Nicolai Hojgaard
• Adrian Meronk
• Guido Migliozzi
• Alex Noren
• Victor Perez
• Thomas Pieters
• Sepp Straka
• Antoine Rozner

Hero Cup Format

• Friday: 5x fourballs (one session)
• Saturday: 10x foursomes (two sessions)
• Sunday: 10x singles (one session)

A total of 18 players have been named for January's Europe vs GB&I Hero Cup, selected by Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

Playing captains Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood are each joined by eight other players, with both sides still to select their final team member.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top four Europeans - Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland - are not currently listed, with all four seemingly guaranteed to make Team Europe for Rome 2023.

The Hero Cup will be headlined by the playing captains Molinari and Fleetwood as well as the likes of Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton, Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters, with both sides featuring a number of younger players who captain Donald will have his eyes on.

Rome potentials including Seamus Power, Sepp Straka, Robert MacIntyre and Guido Migliozzi are also set to feature. Rasmus Hojgaard is currently listed for Continental Europe, with his twin brother Nicolai not yet included.

The last two players will be announced at the end of the DP World Tour calendar year.

“Having worked closely with Tommy and Fran on building the two teams, I’m delighted with the mix of players who will be on show at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in January," Luke Donald said.

“We all thought it was important to combine experience and youthfulness and I think we have found that balance with a mixture of Major Champions and Ryder Cup players, alongside guys who are hoping to secure a spot in Rome next year.”

HERO CUP TEAM CONTINENTAL EUROPE

• Francesco MOLINARI (C)
• Thomas DETRY
• Rasmus HØJGAARD
• Adrian MERONK
• Guido MIGLIOZZI
• Alex NOREN
• Victor PEREZ
• Thomas PIETERS
• Sepp STRAKA
• Player TBC

HERO CUP TEAM GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

• Tommy FLEETWOOD (C)
• Ewen FERGUSON
• Tyrrell HATTON
• Shane LOWRY
• Robert MACINTYRE
• Séamus POWER
• Callum SHINKWIN
• Jordan SMITH
• Matt WALLACE
• Player TBC

The Hero Cup takes place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 13-15.

For all the best golf deals visit Golf Monthly's Cyber Monday golf deals LIVE blog.

Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari have been named as playing captains for next year's Hero Cup. 

The team match play competition will see Great Britain and Ireland take on Continental Europe at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 13-15, 2023, with Fleetwood and Molinari each selecting nine players for their teams.

Selection will take into account performances on the DP World Tour Rankings while the contest itself will consist of one session of foursomes, one session of fourballs and one session of singles matches. All 20 players will take part in each session with members of the winning team earning $125,000 and those on the losing team each receiving $75,000.

Luke Donald, the 2023 European Ryder Cup captain, paid tribute to Fleetwood and Molinari for "supporting this overall concept" that is seen as an ideal testing ground for the next generation of European players ahead of the biennial contest next September.

Molinari and Fleetwood famously forged a formidable partnership for Europe in the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Paris, winning all four of their matches together to earn the nickname ‘Moliwood’.

"The Hero Cup is a great idea and will be a very good way for European players to get some more experience of playing in team match play. I definitely felt like it benefited me when I played in similar events in the past," Molinari said.

"Hopefully as Captains, Tommy and I can bring some of our own experience of team golf to help the other players and we are looking forward to working with Luke on this exciting new concept ahead of a big year for European golf with the Ryder Cup taking place in my home country."

Fleetwood added: "Fran and I obviously get on very well so I am sure it will feel a little strange at first being opposing Captains, but I think the Hero Cup is a fantastic way for players to compete in team match play, which is something both of us have always relished.

"Abu Dhabi has been pretty good to me over the years so hopefully that will continue in January and I look forward to working closely with Fran and Luke, as well as all the players."

The PGA EuroPro Tour has announced that the 2022 season will be its last, citing shifts in economic landscape, rising costs and a change in audience appetite for its decision.

The news has come as a shock to the golfing world. Afterall, Europe's third-tier circuit held an important place in the ecosystem for over two decades. Each year, the PGA EuroPro Tour awarded Challenge Tour cards to the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit, alongside unrivalled and vital experience of life on tour, playing in front of television cameras and learning to handle media obligations.

It comes as little surprise that many of its alumni have gone on to compete and achieve great success at the highest level of the game, including Major championship titles, countless victories on the DP World and PGA Tour and representing the European and International Teams in the Ryder and Presidents Cup. 

Here we take a look at ten of the biggest names to have featured on the PGA EuroPro Tour: 

1. Tommy Fleetwood

The Englishman played on the PGA EuroPro Tour in 2011 and took advantage of home knowledge in the Formby Classic, where rounds of 67, 68 and 65 secured a four-shot victory. 

The following month, Fleetwood earned his first Challenge Tour victory and graduated to the DP World Tour, where he secured his maiden title at the 2013 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

The 31-year-old has since amassed five DP World Tour victories and has twice represented Team Europe in the Ryder Cup - forming a formidable partnership with Francesco Molinari as the duo became the first pairing to win all four matches in Paris in 2018. 

2. Tyrrell Hatton

Hatton was PGA EuroPro Tour Rookie of the Year in 2012, courtesy of victories at the Your Golf Travel Classic and Final Qualifying School. 

The Englishman would go on to graduate to the Challenge Tour and subsequently the DP World Tour, where he earned his first victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Home of Golf. 

He has since added the flagship BMW PGA Championship, three other Rolex Series events and the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational to an ever-increasing resume that includes ten professional victories and two Ryder Cup appearances. 

3. Louis Oosthuizen 

Louis Oosthuizen became the first PGA EuroPro Tour alumni to win a Major title when he ran away from the field at the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews.

Prior to that, the South African played on the circuit in 2002 and 2003 with his best finish being a T3 at the Marriott St Pierre in Chepstow in Wales.

The 39-year-old credits the PGA EuroPro Tour for preparing him for a career in professional golf, which has included 14 victories to date: "There is no doubt that the experience I gained on the PGA EuroPro Tour at the start of the century stood me in good stead for what awaited me on the European Tour and the golf world in general," he said. 

4. Charl Schwartzel 

Schwartzel followed in the footsteps of his countryman, Oosthuizen, and became the second PGA EuroPro Tour alumni to taste Major success at the 2011 Masters.

The South African featured in the circuit's inaugural year and, at the age of 18, became the second youngest South African golfer to earn a European Tour card after Dale Hayes.

The 38-year-old has notched 16 professional wins in his global career, including the LIV Golf Series curtain-raiser at Centurion Club earlier this year. 

5. Nicolas Colsaerts 

The Belgian Bomber featured on the PGA EuroPro Tour in both 2002 and 2008 before earning regular playing rights on the DP World Tour. 

The 39-year-old has since amassed 10 professional victories, including three DP World Tour titles. The biggest victory in his career came at the 2012 Volvo Match Play Championship, when he defeated US Open champion Graeme McDowell in the final.

His performance in Spain caught the eye of Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, who awarded the Belgian with a pick into the 2012 tournament. Colsaerts managed just a single point, but it came at the expense of Tiger Woods and Steve Sticker when he and Lee Westwood defeated the American pair on the final hole of Friday's fourball. 

6. Aaron Rai

Rai played on the PGA EuroPro Tour in 2014 and 2015, where he won the Glenfarclas Open, finished fifth in the Order of Merit and secured a place on the Challenge Tour.

The 27-year-old went on to notch three Challenge Tour titles in the 2017 season and earn automatic promotion to the DP World Tour. The Englishman didn't have to wait long for his first title on the main stage when he defeated recently-crowned US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick in the 2018 Honma Hong Kong Open. 

Rai has since claimed the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, a DP World Tour Rolex Series event, as well as a PGA Tour card via the Korn Ferry Finals. He will be a prominent feature throughout 2023 in the United States. 

7. Ross Fisher 

Ross Fisher featured on the PGA EuroPro Tour back in 2005 before elevating his status on the Challenge Tour and securing DP World Tour playing rights via its Order of Merit.

The Englishman showed the golfing world his capabilities with victory at the 2007 KLM Open and backed it up with a dominant seven shot demolition of Spaniard Sergio Garcia at the 2008 European Open - the largest winning margin across his five professional victories.

Fisher contended in each of the four Majors in the 2009 season. So much so, he held the lowest cumulative score across players that made the cut in each of the four events. This led to automatic qualification for the 2010 Ryder Cup, where he and Padraig Harrington combined for two points in a narrowly fought victory for Europe at Celtic Manor. 

8. Robert Rock

Robert Rock joined the DP World Tour in 2003 as an affiliate member but enjoyed PGA EuroPro Tour events across 2002, 2003 and 2005. 

Although winless on the development circuit, the Englishman's career breakthrough came in 2009 with three second-place finishes on the DP World Tour - including the memorable scenes at the Irish Open where amateur Shane Lowry won on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff in torrential rain.

The Englishman tamed both Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods at the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, a victory that propelled him to a career-high 55 in the Official World Golf Ranking. 

9. Branden Grace

Branden Grace turned professional in 2007 and became a fixture on the PGA EuroPro Tour, before turning to the Sunshine Tour and Challenge Tour and earning playing rights on Europe's mainstage - the DP World Tour - via Qualifying School.

It proved to be a breakthrough year in 2012, with four DP World Tour victories in a ten month span. The South African has gone on to notch 15 professional victories, including nine on the DP World Tour and twice on the PGA Tour.

At the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the 34-year-old became the first male player to shoot 62 in a Major championship. 

10. Eddie Pepperell 

Eddie Pepperell was a feature on the PGA EuroPro Tour in 2011 and 2012 but raced through the ranks to the DP World Tour courtesy of a victory on the Challenge Tour when playing on an invitation. 

The Englishman continued to retain his card but his true breakthrough came on his 129th DP World Tour start with victory at the 2018 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. This was followed by victory in the British Masters at Walton Heath just a few months after.

The 31-year-old came agonisingly close at the PGA Tour's flagship Players Championship in 2019, finishing just two shots adrift of Rory McIlroy. 

Other Notable PGA EuroPro Tour Alumni 

• Marcus Armitage
• Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston
• Thomas Aiken
• Lee Slattery
• Jamie Donaldson
• Bradley Dredge
• Marc Warren
• Richard Finch

Francesco Molinari looks on his way to returning to form in perfect time with the European Ryder Cup qualification period now up and running for Rome 2023.

The Italian finished T9th at Wentworth last week following a break after his T15th finish at the 150th Open. Molinari missed the last Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, somewhat surprisingly, after he won all five of his matches at Le Golf National in 2018.

The 2018 Champion Golfer of the Year, who also won the BMW PGA Championship and a maiden PGA Tour title that year, had seen his form and world ranking fall off dramatically since he lost the lead in the final round at the 2019 Masters. He has suffered with injuries and relocated from London to California in that period, and it seems like his game is trending towards a potential appearance in Rome next year.

"I would love it. I would love it," he said about the prospect of playing on Luke Donald's side in front of the home fans next year. "I think being at The Ryder Cup, I can imagine it's probably not easy to play at home. It's obviously not an easy event to play anywhere, and at home, even more. The excitement and adrenaline are unique, so to have a chance to play in front of your own fans and in your own country, it's incredible.

"There's a very long way to go. I think I'm working well and I've worked well the last few weeks at home. So the game feels like it's trending nicely. It's maybe not yet where I would like it to be but it's definitely moving in the right direction. So yeah, I'll do my best hopefully from now on until next year to make the team and be a part of hopefully a European winning team here in Marco Simone."

Molinari played with European captain Luke Donald at Wentworth last week and clearly impressed with his play, shooting a seven-under-par 65 in the second round.

"I got to play with Francesco and was very impressed," Donald said. "His game seems good as ever. His tee shots were very straight and down the middle and it was great to see him have a good, solid week and a Top-10. He seems very focussed. His injury seems to be behind him and he's very focussed on his game."

Both Donald and Molinari play at this week's Italian Open at the 2023 Ryder Cup venue Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. Rory McIlroy is also in the field, with the Northern Irishman saying he doesn't think LIV Golf players should be on the upcoming Ryder Cup team.

Francesco Molinari What's In The Bag?

Historically the Italian has played Nike clubs and despite not having an equipment contract, he pretty much had TaylorMade sticks throughout his bag in 2018. It would have been easy to assume that he would continue that set up however he shocked many at the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions arriving with Callaway clubs in the bag. Since then Molinari has signed a multi-year deal that will see the Italian put Callaway woods, irons, wedges and ball in play along with an Odyssey putter. Let's get into his setup now. 

Francesco Molinari What's In The Bag?

Driver

Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond

One of the strongest parts of his game is his straight driving and at the moment his driver is a Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond. It has 8.5 degrees of loft and a Mitsubishi Tensei White shaft. The Triple Diamond model is the model most suited to top players because it is the least forgiving of the new range. Therefore it is only really meant for the most consistent of ball-strikers. 

• Read our full Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond Driver Review

Fairway

Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond

The younger Molinari brother also put a Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond fairway wood in the bag as well, and again, it is fitted with a Mitsubishi Tensei White shaft. Its design includes a deeper face, which is perfectly suited for the golfer who is looking to reduce spin and hit a lower and more penetrating ball flight.

The Triple Diamond is still crammed with technology like the Jailbreak Batwing Technology, but the head of the wood is noticeably more compact and features no alignment aids on the crown which presents a clean, stripped-back look, one I really enjoyed.

• Read our full Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond Fairway Review

Hybrid

Callaway Apex Pro

Regarding utilities and hybrids, Molinari has put the Callaway X Forged utility iron in occasionally but he has also shown a liking to the Callaway Apex Pro hybrid. Right now he has the hybrid in his setup and it has 18 degrees of loft and a  Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Blue Hybrid 90 TX shaft. It's much more compact that the standard Apex 21 hybrid, which will suit the eye of the better player, and is designed for golfers how are quite steep into the ball and hit their hybrids like they hit their irons.

• Read our full Callaway Apex Pro hybrid review

Irons

Callaway Apex TCB

Previously a TaylorMade P750 player, the Italian now has a set of Callaway Apex TCB's. They go from four-iron down to pitching wedge and the specific model has proven very popular amongst Tour professionals, including Jon Rahm, because of the combination of feel, workability, and compact looks. The feel is crisp and solid off the face, a gentle thud sound contributing to a soft feel - not quite as soft as the Apex MB, but only just behind. In fact, because the Apex TCB is a hollow iron, balls spring off the face a little more lively than a one-piece forging. All of his irons are fitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts.

• Read our full Callaway Apex TCB iron review

Wedges

Callaway Jaws Raw

Francesco has also gone with two wedges at 54° and 60° for this season, both of which are Callaway Jaws Raw models. We tested this club out at Royal Troon and it's safe to say we weren't disappointed with it. Looks-wise, it features the same shape and visuals as we've come to expect from the Jaws range. It is well designed and features a subtle weight system that helps players bounce the club off the turf.

We were really impressed with the spin on offer from the club's micro-grooves and Raw face. Spin on shorter chips was impressive and the control this wedge offered over a variety of different shots is what stood out most about this club.

• Read our full Callaway Jaws Raw Wedge Review

Putter

Odyssey Toulon Design Madison Proto

He has also made changes in the putting department. Previously a user of Bettinardi putters, and an Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K One model, it appears the Italian has gone back to his usual Madison design. We believe it is an Odyssey Toulon Design Prototype of the Madison shape which is a blade putter. 

Ball

Callaway Chrome Soft X

He also has used a Titleist Pro V1x ball throughout his career but uses a Callaway Chrome Soft X now. The X model’s design differs from the Chrome Soft. Rather than having a dual core, it features two mantle layers between the core and cover. The softer inner mantle layer combines with a firmer outer mantle to increase ball speed off the face for those with faster swing speeds, and therefore total distance.

• Read our full Callaway Chrome Soft X 2022 Golf Ball review

Francesco Molinari WITB: Full Specs

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) with Mitsubishi AV White shaft

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (15 degrees) with Mitsubishi AV White shaft

Utility: Callaway Apex Pro, 18 degrees, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Blue Hybrid 90 TX

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW) all with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw, 54° and 60°

Putter: Odyssey Toulon Design Madison Prototype

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

Shoes: Nike

Rory McIlroy is set to make his return to the BMW PGA Championship and the DP World Tour's flagship event at Wentworth for the first time since 2019 this September.

The four-time Major champion was victorious at the 2014 BMW PGA Championship, runner-up to Francesco Molinari in 2018 and also recorded a top five finish back in 2009.

“I look forward to competing again at the BMW PGA Championship,” said McIlroy. “It’s an event I always love playing – the West Course has been good to me in the past, and the fans are incredibly supportive.

“I’ve had a consistent year so far and having a chance to win again at the iconic Wentworth would help my season long campaign.”

VIDEO: THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT RORY MCILROY

McIlroy joins a strong line up for the event, with US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, 2021 US Open champion Jon Rahm, defending champion Billy Horschel and 2020 winner Tyrrell Hatton also in the field. LIV Golf player and Majesticks GC team member Ian Poulter has also vowed to play the event.

It remains to be seen whether more Americans make the trip over to Surrey following the PGA and DP World Tours strengthening their alliance amid the threat of LIV Golf.

The strengthened alliance saw a number of announcements including the PGA Tour acquire a 40% stake in European Tour Productions, a total of 10 PGA Tour cards given to the top 10 finishers on the Race to Dubai and a pledge of increased purses on the DP World Tour.

Moments before his 8.14 tee time Justin Rose was forced to withdraw with a back injury. The 2013 US Open champion, who would have been playing in his 20th Open, was replaced in the field by Rikuya Hoshino of Japan.

It was also bad news for Alex Noren who was the first alternate but decided to play in the Barracuda Championship in California.

The Englishman was due to play alongside his Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari but his body then let him down at the last minute and he had to pull out.

An hour after his tee time Rose tweeted: "On the 4th hole yesterday during my practice round, I made a swing with my driver and started to feel pain in my lower back. I’ve been getting around the clock treatment but it just doesn’t feel ready to compete in this prestigious championship."

Rose, who made his name when bursting onto the scene as an amateur at the 1999 Open at Birkdale, has a fairly mixed record in the Championship with a best finish of tied second at Carnoustie in 2018. That year he made the cut on the number, with a closing birdie, before making a brilliant run at Molinari over the weekend.

The  former World No. 1's last win came at Torrey Pines in 2019, a run that has seen him being overlooked for the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. More recently he showed some sizzling form at the Canadian Open last month when he closed with a final round of 60.

The next player on the reserve list is now Aaron Rai.

The PGA Tour moves from Washington to Texas for the AT&T Byron Nelson where seven of the top-15 in the Official World Golf Ranking are set to tee it up.

World No.1 and Masters champion, Scottie Scheffler, returns from a two-week break to headline the field and is joined by three-time Major champion, Jordan Spieth. Spieth has won twice in his homeland but never at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

Former Open champion and Texas native Justin Leonard will make his first PGA Tour start since the 2017 Valero Texas Open. It will also mark the third and final medical extension for Morgan Hoffmann who requires 238.2 FedEx Cup points to regain full Tour status. He missed the cut at the RBC Heritage and Wells Fargo Championship. 

Xander Schauffele is making his AT&T Byron Nelson debut alongside Tommy Fleetwood, Francesco Molinari and Bubba Watson with plenty of Ryder Cup experience on show in the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Henrik Stenson. 

Bryson DeChambeau, who resides in Dallas, Texas, is not playing this week as he continues with rehabilitation following wrist surgery. 

The event moved to the Tom Weiskopf-designed TPC Craig Ranch in 2021 and will host the event for just the second time. It first opened its doors in 2004 and was designed with hosting this event in mind. 

It proved to be a birdie fest last year when K.H. Lee opened with consecutive rounds of 65 en route to a three-shot victory at 25-under-par. The 36-hole cut sat at 6-under-par where the worst score recorded prior to the cut was a 73. 

The course is unchanged from last year and will once again be a shoot-out. If players are to be successful this week, they will need to fly out the traps fast... and stay there. 

AT&T Byron Nelson Prize Money Breakdown

AT&T Byron Nelson Field

• Aphibarnrat, Kiradech
• Armour, Ryan
• Barjon, Paul
• Bezuidenhout, Christiaan
• Blixt, Jonas
• Bramlett, Joseph
• Brehm, Ryan
• Bryan, Wesley
• Buckley, Hayden
• Burns, Sam
• Champ, Cameron
• Clark, Wyndham
• Cook, Austin
• Creel, Joshua
• Day, Jason
• Donald, Luke
• Dossey, Cooper
• Drewitt, Brett
• du Preez, James Hart
• Dufner, Jason
• Duncan, Tyler
• Flavin, Patrick
• Fleetwood, Tommy
• Frittelli, Dylan
• Garnett, Brice
• Gligic, Michael
• Gooch, Talor
• Grace, Branden
• Griffin, Lanto
• Grillo, Emiliano
• Gutschewski, Scott
• Haas, Bill
• Hadley, Chesson
• Hadwin, Adam
• Hagy, Brandon
• Hahn, James
• Harman, Brian
• Herman, Jim
• Hickok, Kramer
• Higgs, Harry
• Hodges, Lee
• Hoffman, Charley
• Hoge, Tom
• Hossler, Beau
• Howell III, Charles
• Hubbard, Mark
• Hughes, Mackenzie
• Huh, John
• Jaeger, Stephan
• Johnson, Dustin
• Kang, Sung
• Killeen, J.J.
• Kim, Joohyung
• Kim, Si Woo
• Kisner, Kevin
• Kitayama, Kurt
• Kizzire, Patton
• Koepka, Brooks
• Kohles, Ben
• Kokrak, Jason
• Kraft, Kelly
• Kuchar, Matt
• Laird, Martin
• Lashley, Nate
• Lebioda, Hank
• Lee, K.H.
• Leishman, Marc
• Leonard, Justin
• Lipsky, David
• List, Luke
• Loupe, Andrew
• Lower, Justin
• Malnati, Peter
• Matsuyama, Hideki
• McGreevy, Max
• McNealy, Maverick
• Meissner, Mac
• Mitchell, Keith
• Molinari, Francesco
• Moore, Taylor
• Mullinax, Trey
• Muñoz, Sebastián
• Murphy, John
• NeSmith, Matthew
• Niemann, Joaquin
• Noh, Seung-Yul
• Noren, Alex
• Norlander, Henrik
• Norris, Shaun
• Novak, Andrew
• Ortiz, Carlos
• Palmer, Ryan
• Pan, C.T.
• Percy, Cameron
• Pereira, Mito
• Perez, Pat
• Piercy, Scott
• Poulter, Ian
• Power, Seamus
• Putnam, Andrew
• Rai, Aaron
• Reavie, Chez
• Redman, Doc
• Reeves, Seth
• Riley, Davis
• Rodgers, Patrick
• Ryder, Sam
• Sabbatini, Rory
• Schauffele, Xander
• Scheffler, Scottie
• Schenk, Adam
• Schwab, Matthias
• Schwartzel, Charl
• Scott, Adam
• Shindler, Conrad
• Sigg, Greyson
• Skinns, David
• Sloan, Roger
• Smotherman, Austin
• Snedeker, Brandt
• Spaun, J.J.
• Spieth, Jordan
• Stallings, Scott
• Stenson, Henrik
• Straka, Sepp
• Streb, Robert
• Stuard, Brian
• Svensson, Adam
• Swafford, Hudson
• Tarren, Callum
• Taylor, Nick
• Taylor, Vaughn
• Theegala, Sahith
• Thomas, Justin
• Thompson, Curtis
• Thompson, Michael
• Todd, Brendon
• Trainer, Martin
• Tway, Kevin
• Uihlein, Peter
• van der Walt, Dawie
• Vegas, Jhonattan
• Wallace, Matt
• Watney, Nick
• Watson, Bubba
• Werenski, Richy
• Westwood, Lee
• Whaley, Vince
• Willett, Danny
• Wilshire, Kyle
• Wise, Aaron
• Wolfe, Jared
• Wolff, Matthew
• Wu, Brandon
• Wu, Dylan
• Zalatoris, Will

Where Is The AT&T Byron Nelson Being Played?

The AT&T Byron Nelson will be played at the Tom Weiskopf-designed TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. It became host in 2021 after first opening its doors in 2004 with the hosting of this event in mind.

Who Won The 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson?

K.H. Lee opened with consecutive rounds of 65 en route to finishing 25-under-par and three shots clear of Sam Burns. It was the first victory in Lee's PGA Tour career.

How Much Is The Purse For The AT&T Byron Nelson?

The purse for the 2022 Byron Nelson rises from $8.1m to a whopping $9.1m. The winner will receive $1,638,000.00 and 500 FedEx Cup points.

Irish impressionist Conor Moore, known as Conor Sketches, has released some hilarious videos imitating the world’s top golfers in recent years, and now he’s back with another just in time for The Masters – with some old favourites returning.

The serious matter of the tournament at Augusta National may be almost upon us, but where Moore is concerned, there is always an opportunity to find the more humorous side of the game. Previously, Moore has created several hilarious videos, often with Ian Poulter as the butt of the jokes, and this time is no different, with Poults predictably taking centre stage as the sketch goes on. You can check the video, which has been released to promote Now’s coverage of the tournament, below. 

The sketch, which also features (sort of) the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Francesco Molinari, looks back at some of the “highlights” of The Masters down the years. Set in a cinema, Woods begins introducing the footage, first showing Molinari finding the water a couple of times, before we see Woods rolling in the putt that claimed his first Green Jacket, leaving Woods to remark: “Man, I look good.”

Next, we see Moore’s take on Dustin Johnson in a predictably vacant pose, before one of the comic’s favourites, Ian Poulter, takes over to explain to an incredulous Rory McIlroy why his 2013 Masters was one of the greatest performances of all time... despite missing the cut by nine shots. Further laughs follows, with Woods’ achievements receiving a monumental put-down from Poulter, before Poults laments the fact he’s not appearing at this year’s tournament.

This video is the latest in an impressive run of sketches from Moore, which have previously included hilarious airline announcements and players’ reactions to Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup win.

Max Homa was spotted working with renowned putting guru, Phil Kenyon, as the American steps up his preparation in hope of making his first cut at the Masters. Kenyon is regarded as the best putting coach in the game and has worked with Major winners in the likes of Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Louis Oosthuizen. His main philosophy is similar to that of the golf swing - each and every individual has a different stroke, and each and every individual can make that stroke work for them.

Adding the Englishman to his coaching team would appear to be a wise decision and one Homa is particularly excited about. Speaking ahead of his appearance at Augusta National, the American said: "I hit the ball well the last two years, but my putting is just so streaky. Joe [Greiner, his caddie] and I and Mark talk about, if there's something that's going to propel us to that top ten in the world, the putting just needs to be cleaner."

The World No. 37 consistently gains strokes on the field off the tee and in his approach however, the statistics show the weakest part of his game is on, and around, the green. Whilst he marginally gains strokes on the field, the inconsistencies don't complement the Californian's driving and iron abilities: "The stats have been fine this year, it just hasn't been great, hasn't been awful for the first time. Typically, it's either great or awful. I'm looking to be just a shade more consistent." 

Despite his performances on the green, Homa has posted five top-20 finishes in seven starts this calendar year; including a final round 66 en route to a T13 in blustery conditions at the Players Championship. The 31-year old has a hattrick of PGA Tour victories, with the last coming in September at the Fortinet Championship when he birdied five of the final seven holes.

Who Is Francesco Molinari’s Caddie?

The Italian professional Francesco Molinari has gone up and down the world rankings over the past few years showing glimpses of form before slipping again. This may be down to a lot of change in his life, for example he moved to the United States in 2020. Additionally his caddie situation has changed a few times as well...

Who Is Francesco Molinari’s Caddie?

At the moment Molinari has Spaniard Pello Iguaran on the bag. The pair had a phenomenal 2018 together with three victories including major glory at Carnoustie as well as two second place finishes. He also caddied for him during the 2018 Ryder Cup too where the pair went undefeated.

Iguaran's main contribution to the Open success of Molinari was to keep him calm and composed in the last round.

"Putting was the key to this tournament victory, it was very consistent in times of great pressure, and with the wind, we opted to play short from the tee to avoid the bunkers and it was difficult to leave it close," he said.

However this changed in 2021 as Molinari had Mark Fulcher on the bag.

Back then, Molinari took to Twitter to announce the ending of the Molinari-Iguaran partnership, saying; “It’s been nearly four seasons of incredible emotions and really productive work, but unfortunately relationships sometimes come to an end, even if it’s not what we wish for. Pello will always be a member of my team and more importantly my family. He’s one of the most hardworking, loyal, positive, reflective people I’ve come across during my career."

• Francesco Molinari What's in the bag?
• 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Francesco Molinari
• Who Is Francesco Molinari’s Wife?

Fulcher brought immense experience to the bag as he caddied for Justin Rose for 11 odd years. Fulcher stopped working with Rose briefly because of heart surgery and then they split permanently with Fulcher saying he was going to focus on his health and well-being. We are unsure why Molinari and Fulcher stopped working together and when, but right now the Iguaran partnership appears to be permanent.

Who Is Francesco Molinari's Wife?

Francesco Molinari is one of Italy's most successful ever golfers, with victories at the Open Championship, WGC-HSBC Champions, BMW PGA Championship and the Race to Dubai. Molinari also went undefeated at the 2018 Ryder Cup, becoming the first player to ever secure five wins out of five. 

Throughout his many, many successes, Molinari has had one individual by his side, with the Italian marrying his wife, Valentina, in 2007. Get to know her a little better in the piece below.

Who Is Francesco Molinari's Wife?

Being married since 2007, Molinari claims that Valentia plays a huge part in his golf. Speaking after his Open victory for example, the Italian acknowledged just how important his wife was to his game, stating: "Big credit to my wife who watches me all the time. I don't know how she does it. I couldn't do it."

Valentina and Francesco, who were both born in Italy, married back in their homeland before they moved to England where they currently reside. 

Valentina has an MBA in London from the European Business MBSC and used to regularly travel with Francesco around the world, being spotted at the 2018 DP World Tour Championship where Francesco secured the Race to Dubai title

Together, the couple have two children, Tommaso and Emma. Because of this, Valentina is unable to travel to many events. As a result, the couple rely on Skype, with Molinari stating: "We're fortunate enough to live in an age when technology has made the world so much smaller and keep my flight costs down."

He continued by saying: "It’s hard to stay away. A week is not so bad, but two or three weeks are a tough slog and that’s just for me. My wife used to travel quite a lot with me, but that’s another thing that has changed. As much as you want to have your family around you at all times, we’ve realised that it’s not the best for everyone.”

On Saturday afternoon at precisely 14.50pm, Sam Ryder produced a moment of history with his 54-degree wedge at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Clipping a shot that never seemed to leave the flag, the former Stetson University student produced just the 10th hole-in-one at the iconic 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale.

It had been a long wait, seven years and 2,851 shots to be precise, since we saw the last ace in 2015. That day, it was former Champion Golfer of the Year, Francesco Molinari, who gave the fans something to cheer about in 'The Coliseum.'

Now, it's Ryder who will add his name to the role of honour, with a moment that will be replayed at every future tournament, as well as to his future children and his children's children.

Although the moment provided a visual masterpiece for those watching on their television screens, it seemed to cause division between those watching on their laptop screens... Not so much the shot from Ryder, but more the bombardment of beer from the 20,000 well-watered fans surrounding the iconic par-3.

As the ball fell into the cup, a mist descended on Scottsdale. The thing is this mist wasn't natural, this mist was of a Moravian Barley kind, with a Coors Light shower replicating that of Kieran Trippier's freekick in a World Cup a few summers ago.

Going into the tournament, a Waste Management Phoenix Open distributor predicted that around 750,000 servings of beer would be sold at TPC Scottsdale. When that hole-in-one went in, it's likely 10,000 of them ended up sprawled across the 16th green in a scene that resembled the end of an evening at a nightclub, rather than a PGA Tour event.

For me, personally, I don't think it was much of a problem. The unbelievable staff around the green managed to clear it all relatively quickly. Plus, it was a hole-in-one! If it had been someone hitting it to within two-feet, then yes, it would have been questioned, but if you look at Tiger's ace from 1997, they were throwing beers then, it's not as if it's a new thing.

However, these types of actions must be controlled and not go over the top. An example of this came on Sunday, when a chip-in from Justin Thomas caused fans to pelt the green with their watered down beverages. 

Yes, the crowd may have been hyped up from yet another hole-in-one, this time from Carlos Ortiz, as well as Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen, who decided to remove their shirts following some par saves. A chip-in though? We don't want it to get to a point where it becomes a regular occurrence, where carnage ensues because somebody has holed a short birdie putt

In the current climate though, I feel golf needs these types of individual events. When that ball hit the bottom of the cup for the ace, look at all the attention that clip gained worldwide from people sharing, viewing and just talking about it. I mean, the Phoenix Open is dubbed 'The People's Open' and is staged on the same weekend as the Super Bowl, one of the largest sporting events in the US calendar. Tournaments like the Phoenix Open are helping change people's perspective of golf as a sport.

It's not as if the players have complained either. They know that fans are going to boo if they hit a bad shot and cheer when they hit a good one. Even four-time Major winner, Brooks Koepka, commented: "I love it. Look, I love when people get rowdy. They're cheering you when you hit it tight, and they're booing you when you hit it bad. It almost feels like a real sport, like football, basketball, soccer.

"If you do something wrong, you deserve to get heckled. If you do something right, they will cheer for you. I think that's what makes this event so cool. I understand why some guys don't like it. They don't agree with -- or they just don't play it, I guess, because they don't like it. It's something I have always loved." Quite simply, the overall view is that if players aren't fans of the atmosphere, then they can have the week off. 

However, some viewers disagree, with some comments stating the scenes are "disgusting", that the beer-chucking moment is "everything wrong with golf" and that the "PGA Tour is encouraging fans to boo". Of course they are entitled to think that but, with the current threat of a breakaway league and players reportedly switching for huge financial gain, which is going to be more watchable?

Golf is arguably in the strongest position that it has ever been in both on and off the course. Participation numbers are at an all time high, there are a number of professionals that can win a PGA or DP World Tour event every week and the winners of said Tour are, on average, the youngest we have ever seen. It's an incredible time to be involved in the world of golf.

Events like these can only raise the profile of the sport. They are obviously tailored to suit the non-golfer, but don't you think that is sort of a good thing? If a non-golfer is watching then there is a chance they will be encouraged to take the game up. If you were to reverse this, it's unlikely that someone will quit the game because they have watched the Phoenix Open...

Sports have found ways of being unique. Cricket has introduced 20/20 from the test match format for example. With golf, a tournament like this happens once a year and, if it is changing people's perception of the game from 'stuffy' and 'elitist' to 'fun', then it is obviously doing something right...

The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale has produced some memorable moments over the years, and now, during the third round of the 2022 Waste Management Phoenix Open, American, Sam Ryder, can add his name to the list, with the 32-year-old producing a hole-in-one at 'The Coliseum'.

Coming to the 16th, Ryder had been two-over-par for his round. However, he would find the bottom of the cup for his first ever hole-in-one on the PGA Tour and the 10th ever registered at the 16th. 

The hole-in-one obviously and, understandably, caused a mental reaction from the 20,000 raucous fans surrounding the par-3, with cans and cups of beer being thrown from the stands onto the green and surrounding areas.

Watch the incredible video below:

The last hole-in-one we had seen at the 16th came from Francesco Molinari in 2015. However, 2,851 shots later, it would be Ryder who added himself to the role of honour, with the ace moving him to six-under-par for the tournament.

The American now joins the likes of Tiger Woods, Hal Sutton, Steve Stricker and Jarrod Lyle, with the hole-in-one producing one of the craziest reactions that you will likely ever see on a golf course!

Francesco Molinari has been coached by Denis Pugh for many years and has recently joined up with Dave Alred

Who Is Francesco Molinari's Coach?

Francesco Molinari won the 147th Open Championship to become the first ever Italian golfer to win a Major championship, and has become a consistent feature of the worlds top-10. One reason for this could be his consistent swing that has been put together by himself and his coach. But who exactly is his coach?

Below we take a look.

Who Is Francesco Molinari's Coach?

The Italian has been coached by Englishman Denis Pugh for a number of years.

Pugh coaches Molinari at The Wisley in Surrey, a private members' club where he has been head professional since 2000. He acts as the Italian's main swing coach.

As well as Molinari, Pugh also coaches five-time European Tour winner Ross Fisher and used to coach Edoardo Molinari.

Francesco Molinari What’s In The Bag?

Who Is Francesco Molinari’s Coach?

Who Is Francesco Molinari’s Wife?

Who Is Francesco Molinari’s Caddie?

Pugh also had 12 years coaching former European number one Colin Montgomerie.

He has coached over 200 Touring Professionals according to the Golf College, and coached at over 100 majors and five Ryder Cups.

Pugh is a co-founder of the Golf College in West Sussex along with former European Tour pro Paul Lyons.

He got his start in coaching in America whilst working under renowned coach David Leadbetter and was involved in starting up the David Leadbetter Academies in Europe.

Pugh is also well known for his role on Sky Sports as a pundit.

Francesco has recently been working with performance coach Dave Alred, who made his name in rugby, most notably helping Jonny Wilkinson.

Alred has also worked with former world number one Luke Donald.

Molinari said of Alred during The Open, “In many ways, I think he’s been a great addition to the team. He’s probably a personality and a figure that I was missing and the whole team was missing. So I think he pushed us all a little bit more. You can see the results, the difference that he’s made.

He’s worked on a lot of things mentally, on my game, on my short game, on my long game. He’s really helped me a lot. One more day.”

Molinari has turned into a formidable putter this year and that can be partly credited with Phil Kenyon.

Putting guru Kenyon has recently joined up with Molinari to add to his current stable including Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.

For all golf news, check the Golf Monthly website and follow our social media channels.

Here, we take a look at five of the greatest Ryder Cup comebacks

In the history of the Ryder Cup there have been nine final-day comebacks that have resulted in either a draw or a win. For sheer drama and excitement on a golf course, there is nothing quite like the biennial contest that pits the best of Europe against the best of the USA, so in this piece we have taken a look at five of the greatest Ryder Cup comebacks.

And what better place to start than with one of the most incredible sporting events in recent memory, the Miracle at Medinah.

Top-

Top 5 Greatest Ryder Cup Comebacks

2012 - Medinah Country Club

In what should be described as the greatest ever comeback in the Ryder Cup, the 2012 Miracle at Medinah was pure sporting theatre throughout. At one point, the US, playing on home soil, had a six-point lead at 10-4 on the second day with two fourball matches still out on the course.

Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald managed to sneak a 1-up victory against Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker to cut the deficit to 10-5, before the final match gave the Europeans a glimmer of hope.

Taking on Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner, Ian Poulter produced one of the most memorable finishes in the event's history, birdieing the last five holes to clinch a crucial 1-up win for he and partner Rory McIlroy, which swung the momentum the way of the visitors.

Heading into the singles with a new lease of life, Europe got off to a fast start and managed to win the first five matches, with Justin Rose's being particularly improbable. The Englishman holed incredible putts on the 17th and 18th to beat Phil Mickelson.

Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood secured a further two points for Team Europe, leaving Martin Kaymer with a six-footer on the 18th green to retain the trophy. It was a moment of the utmost drama and the steely German made no mistake, slotting it straight in the middle and sparking emotional scenes that will live long in the memory.

In the anchor match, Francesco Molinari put the icing on the cake, with his half-point against Tiger Woods ensuring Europe won the cup outright. It was an incredible comeback made all the more significant with the passing of Seve Ballesteros a year previously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8wkT2fZxQg

1999 - The Country Club, Brookline

Sadly, this Ryder Cup will always be remembered for the unsavoury scenes on the 17th green and the shocking behaviour of the American players and fans. But both of those factors should not detract from what was an incredible comeback.

Down 10-6 going into the singles, the Americans came out firing, winning the first six matches. Padraig Harrington and Paul Lawrie stemmed the flow briefly, before the pivotal match between Jose Maria Olazabal and Justin Leonard reached its defining moment.

Having been four-down early on, Leonard staged a remarkable turnaround and holed a now-infamous monster putt on the 17th to secure the half-point the Americans needed for glory. We all remember what happened next.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mCW-VO8m8w

1995 - Oak Hill Country Club

Another European comeback on American soil, the deficit this time was 9-7 heading into the singles.

The Americans got a point on the board early when Tom Lehman beat an out-of-sorts Seve Ballesteros 4&3, making the task even greater for the away side. But the Europeans responded emphatically, picking up 6.5 points from the next eight matches, before Phillip Walton's 1-up victory against Jay Haas sealed the victory.

When it was all said and done, the Europeans had comeback to win the match 14.5-13.5, sparking an era of dominance that would last more than two decades.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1z9u8fqD_A

1993 - The Belfry

Two years earlier, the Americans were pretty much trailing throughout the entire tournament. After day one, they were down 4.5-3.5 and the Europeans extended their advantage in the Saturday morning foursomes, winning the session 3-1.

Although the Americans did the same in the afternoon fourballs, they still trailed 8.5-7.5 ahead of the Sunday singles matches.

In an unusual twist, Sam Torrance had to withdraw due to injury, meaning his match with Lanny Wadkins was ruled a half and the Americans would claim seven points from the remaining 11 matches to win the 1993 edition 15-13.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfRs1en84Cg

1957 - Lindrick Golf Club

During this era of the event, the Americans utterly dominated the Ryder Cup. They had won nine of the previous 11 matches ahead of the 1957 contest, and this trend would continue into the 60s and beyond. But the match at Lindrick Golf Club proved to be a welcome exception.

Back then only 12 matches were played and after the opening foursomes, it looked like it would be another rout as the US won three from four.

But despite the clear superiority of the US side - seven of the eight Americans had won, or would later win, majors - the Europeans fought back to claim 6.5 points from the eight singles games and pull off a miraculous and totally unexpected victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=gKIKTvxx5fY

Take a look at these 10 incredible records from the Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup has seen some of the greatest golfers in the world from both sides of the Atlantic do battle. Unsurprisingly then, there have been some incredible Ryder Cup records set throughout the history of the event.

Below we take a look at ten of the best - which one is your favourite?

Top-10 Ryder Cup records

1. Phil Mickelson holds the record for the most Ryder Cup appearances with 12, although the 2021 PGA champion missed out on the team this year for the first time since 1993. One behind on 11 are English duo Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood, with the latter qualifying automatically for the 2021 edition at Whistling Straits.

2. Spain's Sergio Garcia is the youngest player to play in the Ryder Cup at 19 years, 8 months and 15 days old. Raymond Floyd is the oldest player at 51 years old.

3. Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal are the most successful pairing ever, winning 12 points. Their record was 11-2-2 (W-L-D).

4. Colin Montgomerie, Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer and Neil Coles share the record for the most singles points won with seven.

5. After picking up three points at Le Golf National in 2018, Sergio Garcia became the contest's record points scorer with 25.5, eclipsing the previous benchmark set by Nick Faldo by half a point.

6. The largest margin of victory in one singles match was 10&8 as George Duncan smashed Walter Hagen in 1929 (it was a 36-hole match).

7. Tom Watson is the oldest Ryder Cup captain to date. He was 65 years old when he took the reins at the 2014 Ryder Cup.

8. Gardner Dickinson holds the record for most match wins in a row – nine.

9. There have been five sets of brothers who have competed at the Ryder Cup, the most recent being the Molinaris (Francesco and Edoardo) in 2010.

10. In 2008, Oliver Wilson became the first European golfer to make the team without a victory on the European Tour. In 2010, Jeff Overton and Rickie Fowler were selected having not yet tasted success on the PGA Tour.

A former World No. 1 and recent Major winners are among those who have failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs

7 Big Names Missing The FedEx Cup Playoffs

The conclusion of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club signalled the end of the regular PGA Tour season, as players fought to secure a place in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The Wyndham Championship proved a significant event, with Kevin Kisner's win marking just the third time a playoff on the PGA Tour has featured six golfers.

However, the tournament also became important for other reasons too, as seven big names in golf won't feature in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which begin on August 19, after they all failed to score enough points in the regular season.

Justin Rose

Justin Rose narrowly missed out on the playoffs by finishing 126th - the top 125 go on to play in The Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club, the first round of the Playoffs.

The former World No. 1 bogeyed the final hole at the Wyndham Championship, ensuring he won't get the chance to win a second FedEx Cup.

Rose's bogey saw him drop from 119th to his eventual finish of 126th, meaning he's failed to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time in his PGA Tour career.

Rickie Fowler

Fowler will miss the Playoffs for the first time in his PGA Tour career after missing the cut at Sedgefield Country Club, while Sabbatini's T10 finish wasn't good enough to make the top 125.

Tommy Fleetwood

Tommy Fleetwood's T65 finish saw him drop to 137th overall, and despite only missing four of 18 cuts on the PGA Tour this season, the Englishman could only achieve four top-25s.

He will likely return to the European Tour for the Omega European Masters and BMW PGA Championship prior to his second Ryder Cup appearance for Team Europe.

Francesco Molinari

The Open winner from 2018 Francesco Molinari has had a season to forget too, making just seven of 15 cuts to finish 142nd overall.

It follows another indifferent season last year when he missed most of the action after moving to California from London.

Incredibly he looks set to miss out on the Ryder Cup, despite going 5-for-5 in Paris last time out.

Rory Sabbatini

Also among the players to miss out is Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Rory Sabbatini, who finished 133rd in the overall standings.

Sabbatini is heading back to Europe now rather than competing for the FedEx Cup, surely looking to continue his new-found form and add a trophy to his silver medal.

Danny Willett

Danny Willett was a lowly 152nd in the pecking order after achieving just two top-tens all season.

The 2016 Masters champion will likely miss out on the Ryder Cup following a season of inconsistency, although a second BMW PGA Championship triumph next month could get him back on the team.

Rafa Cabrera-Bello

Rafa, like Willett, is also another player from that 2016 Ryder Cup team who will likely miss out on this year's match.

The Spaniard languished in a lowly 170th in the FedEx Cup standings to round out an assortment of notable golfers who won't be competing in the Playoffs.

The Playoffs begin with The Northern Trust on August 19, from which only 70 will advance to the BMW Championship a week later.

They'll then conclude with the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 5, with just the top-30 players battling it out for a share of the lucrative $60 million prize money.

The Englishman currently worked with Sean Foley for a long time but who is the current coach?

Who Is Justin Rose's Coach?

Justin Rose is one of the game's best ball strikers and has one of the best functioning and aesthetically pleasing swings. But who coaches the Englishman?

Who Is Justin Rose's Coach?

It appears right now that Justin Rose does not have a swing coach.

Rose had been working with Sean Foley for a number of years and they have had plenty of success together, but in 2020 they split after Rose said he wanted to oversee his own golf swing. That being said the pair were spotted working together at the 2021 Masters so the partnership could be starting up again.

Foley, from Ontario, Canada, began working with Rose since late 2009 and since then Rose has cemented himself as one of the world's elite players.

The pair were incredibly analytical together when it comes to the golf swing, focusing on biomechanics and trackman numbers.

Their partnership yielded 10 PGA Tour wins and five European Tour titles including the 2013 US Open and the 2016 Olympic Gold.

Related: Who Is Justin Rose’s Caddie?

Foley coached Rose at Lake Nona in Florida.

Despite the partnership with Foley ending, we believe Rose also works with putting guru Phil Kenyon to keep his stroke solid.

Kenyon works with dozens of professionals including Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson.

He and Kenyon have clearly found something with the stroke, grip and putter model to get him holing putts.

Who Does Sean Foley Coach?

Sean Foley coaches, and has coached, numerous other world class professionals.

Foley famously coached Tiger Woods between 2010 and 2014 and was credited with increasing Tiger's distance off the tee and turning him into a more fade-bias player.

The Canadian currently coaches Danny Willett, Si Woo Kim and Cameron Champ.

Related: 20 Things You Didn't Know About Justin Rose

He can be credited with 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett's uprise in form after Willett struggled with his swing and injuries following his Green Jacket win.

As well as Woods, Foley has in the past worked with Lee Westwood, Sean O'Hair, Hunter Mahan and Sang-Moon Bae.

Foley also works for the Golf Channel as a host of their 'Playing Lessons' programme.

Related: Who Is Justin Rose's Wife?

The Italian won't compete in the PGA Championship this week, after suffering with a back injury in his warm up for the start of play on Thursday.

Francesco Molinari Withdraws From PGA Championship With Back Injury

Francesco Molinari has withdrawn from the PGA Championship this week, citing a back injury as the reason for him to not participate.

Molinari took to Twitter to share a message in both Italian and English with his followers.

"Unfortunately I had to withdraw this morning during my warm up due to an issue with my lower back," Molinari told his followers on Twitter.

"I hope to get better quickly and be able to get back playing as soon as possible."

One of the world's best players in 2018, Molinari has endured a difficult couple of years in his golfing career.

The 38-year-old hasn't won on either the PGA Tour or European Tour since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2019, and has dropped to 144th in the Official Golf World Ranking after reaching a career high of fifth in 2018.

That year he won The Open Championship, while also scoring five out of five points at the Ryder Cup as Europe defeated the US 17.5 - 10.5.

However, his Ryder Cup place for September at Whistling Straits seems in jeopardy now, which his PGA Championship withdrawal certainly won't help.

Last year he didn't play much after moving from London to California, having lived in the English capital for 11 years.

This also isn't the first time the Italian has suffered with a back injury, as he withdrew from the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational with a similar issue.

First alternate Brandon Hagy, from Arizona, will replace Molinari in the field, with Hagy having practised at Kiawah Island this week.

Hagy turned professional in 2014, though he has only competed at one Major, the 2015 US Open, where he was cut.

He currently competes on the PGA Tour, though he hasn't won an event while playing on it.

We look at how Molinari's Augusta challenge fell spectacularly apart with a devastating stretch on yet another dramatic final nine holes at the Masters.

Francesco Molinari's Masters Meltdown: How It Fell Spectacularly Apart

It all seemed so easy. For three days, Francesco Molinari hardly put a step wrong as he precisely plotted his route through the 2019 Masters.

With his ever-dependable long game joined by a newly rejuvenated short game, the Open Champion looked every inch the Green Jacketeer.

Related: Best Black Friday Golf Deals

There is something about the final nine holes at Augusta National however, that delivers excitement year after year.

The cheers and groans dominate the air and last year, the latter came courtesy of the diminutive Italian.

As Molinari boarded the 12^th tee he appeared unflappable, self-assured and confident, the product of a major win and a spectacular Ryder Cup performance.

Related: Masters Betting Tips 2020

A Masters win seemed to be the natural progression for a player who had transformed himself into a world class winner.

However, beneath the surface there was clearly a question mark.

Through the front nine, his long game had uncharacteristically misfired, his rock solid putting stroke ensuring that he reached the turn with his starting two shot lead in tact.

Molinari will not be the last front-runner to find the water on 12 but his mistake was more than just a wrong club.

With a two shot lead, there was no need to take on the flag, a safer target further left would surely have been smarter.

Related: 7 Biggest Masters Water Disasters

To his credit, he bounced back quickly with an impressive two-putt birdie on 13. Where many have compounded the initial error in the past, so Molinari gathered himself to regain a share of the lead.

The Italian’s next mistake came with a pushed drive on 15. In the pine straw and stymied behind the trees, he was forced to play for position but missed the fairway to the left.

A relatively straight-forward (by Augusta’s standards, at least) pitch resulted in disaster.

The ball shot up off the blade of his wedge and struck an overhanging branch that he clearly hadn’t previously noticed.

Taking all pace off the shot, the ball barely made it half way across the water. In that moment, his chances were gone.

Winning any golf tournament is hard but the Masters takes the self-doubt all golfers battle with and amplifies it.

Molinari’s mistakes were small and in truth probably wouldn’t have cost him so badly in other major Championships.

But the Masters is a different beast.

As he reached Amen Corner, his game was not as strong as it had been earlier in the week. Those niggling self-doubts were exposed and Molinari looked fallible for the first time.

Another chapter in the legend of this historic sporting landscape had been written.

The next player to stand on the 12^th tee with the lead on Sunday afternoon will have to contend with images of yet another player to have fallen foul of this place.

Getting over the line at Augusta National, it seems, gets harder and harder.

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Get to know the 2018 Champion Golfer of the Year a little better.

20 Things You Didn't Know About Francesco Molinari

A player looking to find some form again after a lengthy layoff in 2020, Francesco Molinari will undoubtedly have his eyes set on the Ryder Cup next year.

Get to know the 2018 Open Champion with these 20 facts below...

20 Things You Didn't Know About Francesco Molinari

1. He is a West Ham Fan due to Gianfranco Zola managing the East London side in 2008

2. He lives in London and practises at The Wisley in Surrey

3. He married his now wife Valentina in 2007. The pair have two children - Tomasso and Emma

Find out more about Valentina Molinari

4. He and his brother Edoardo played together at the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, where the song "there's only two Molinaris" became popular

5. The two Molinaris also won the 2009 World Cup together for Italy at Mission Hills GC in China

6. He was born in Turin, Italy

7. As well as being a Hammer, Francesco is a massive Inter Milan fan - arch rivals to his home side Juventus, who his brother supports

Related: Black Friday Golf Deals – Don’t miss out

8. He secured the winning half point in the 2012 Ryder Cup, known as the Miracle at Medinah, against Tiger Woods

9. Continuing on from number 8, that was revenge for getting beaten by Tiger 4&3 at Celtic Manor two years prior

10. He caddied for his brother Edoardo in the 2006 Masters

11. He turned pro in 2004 off a handicap of +4

12. He is a keen snowboarder

13. He can be considered as the best Italian golfer of all time. He has passed Constantino Rocca's total of five European Tour wins - Molinari reached six after the Open

14. He is the only European in history to win all five matches in a single Ryder Cup

15. He won the WGC-HSBC Champions in 2011, beating Lee Westwood by a stroke

16. He is coached by Denis Pugh and has last year teamed up with Dave Alred and Phil Kenyon - more on his coaching team here

17. He played in his first major championship at Carnoustie in 2007 - it didn't go well for him, shooting rounds of 76 and 74 to miss the cut at +8

18. He is the first Italian man or woman to win a golf Major

19. His career-high world ranking is 5

20. He won the 2018 BBC World Sports Star award

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The Italian has lived in London for 11 years, playing and practising at The Wisley in Surrey

Francesco Molinari To Swap London For California

Francesco Molinari has announced that he is leaving London after 11 years living in England's capital city.

The Italian says he is moving to California after the Covid-19 break gave a him and his family a chance to sit back and thing about things.

The 2018 Open champion is swapping London for the Golden State to spend more time with his wife and children.

Molinari has lived in London for over a decade and played and practised at The Wisley in Surrey, where his coach Denis Pugh is based.

It remains to be seen whether he will remain with Pugh.

The 37-year-old split with his caddie Pello Iguaran late last year to team up with Justin Rose's former bag man Mark 'Fooch' Fulcher.

"It's been a very strange few months for everyone lately, facing challenges that we never thought possible," Molinari said.

"As many of my colleagues, this forced break gave a chance to sit back and think about many things.

"It mostly made me think about the future and what I want to achieve in the coming years, from a professional point of view but mostly from a family standpoint.

"This is why we've decided to leave London after 11 happy, intense, satisfying and consuming years.

"The next chapter of our life is going to be in California, where we hope to be safe, happy and spend more time together as a family.

"This is what's keeping me busy now and away from tournament golf, the hope is to be back for the US PGA Championship."

Molinari currently ranks 30th in the world, having been as high as 5th in September 2018.

His last victory came at the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational and he is without a top-10 since his T5th at the 2019 Masters where two back nine double bogeys cost him a chance at the Green Jacket.

Tiger Woods went on to win his fifth Masters title that day.

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Take a look at some of the best golf courses in Italy, including the 2022 Ryder Cup course.

The Best Golf Courses In Italy

Thanks to the 2022 Ryder Cup heading to the country, and the rise of Francesco Molinari, Italy and golf have fast become a quality pair.

The incredible natural beauty and wonderful weather mean there are some truly outstanding golf courses, many of which we have included in the piece below. 

Villa d'Este

Villa d'Este, set amongst chestnut, birch and pine forests, lays claim to being one of the most difficult par-69 layouts in Europe. The clubhouse has outstanding views over Lake Como.

Don't be fooled by its length! Six short holes combine with a couple of monster par 5s to make this a proper, but hugely enjoyable, test.

Verdura

Verdura, close to the city of Agrigento, is arguably the jewel in the golfing crown of Sicily, with its two 18-hole Kyle Phillips-designed courses providing a wonderful test for golfers of all levels.

The renowned American architect also designed a wonderful par-3 nine-hole course here, perfect for honing your short-game skills.

After severe flooding, Phillips was brought in to do major renovations to both the East and West courses and they should open to much fanfare.

Il Picciolo

Verdura and Donnafugata are two of Sicily’s premier offerings, with two courses each on the west and south of the island respectively. But the Pìcciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa in the north-east offers a terrific test of golf in a wonderful setting at the foot of Mount Etna.

Its hilly landscape provides a varied test like no other on the island. Some would describe the course as quirky, with a number of blind tee shots and severe doglegs that weave through tight valleys, but it offers a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Bogogno

Circolo Golf Bogogno is set in the countryside between Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore, and boasts a splendid view of Monte Rose. Its two 18-hole courses are both characterised by sinuous ups and downs.

Roma Acquasanta

Circolo del Golf di Roma Acquasanta is the oldest golf course in Italy as it dates from 1903. In its early days its members were mainly British and American diplomats who are said to have laid out the course. 

Arzaga

Arzaga Golf is located inside Palazzo Arzaga, a 15th-century mansion converted into one of the most prestigious golf and spa resorts in Europe. Both of its courses lie in a 144-acre estate in the hills facing Lake Garda.

The 18-hole course is a parkland layout with typical Jack Nicklaus II-style features, while the nine-hole layout is a Gary Player design.

Donnafugata

Head down towards the south-east tip of the island and you’ll come across the delightful Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa with its Links and Parkland layouts, the latter of which is a Gary Player design.

But many regard the Links, designed by Franco Piras, as a more interesting test. A warm welcome is guaranteed and both courses offer an enjoyable challenge without being overly punishing, despite their numerous hazards.

Torino

Founded in 1924 and transferred to its current site in 1957, Golf Torino encompasses two courses, both characterised by mature trees fringing the holes and fairways, and natural water hazards comprising streams and small lakes.

Royal Park I Roveri

Just a short drive from the main airport in and a few miles from Turin's  historic city centre, the beautiful and surprisingly peaceful I Roveri Golf Club is home to not one but two excellent courses.

The club dates back to 1971 and its name is Italian for The Oaks, in reference to the older of its two courses, which runs through stately specimen trees that were once part of a vast hunting estate. Robert Trent Jones Senior leant both his creative skills and his name to the original par-72 design, and it is a perfect blend of golfing examination and visual feast that will keep you entertained from start to finish.

Marco Simone

The Ryder Cup will be played at the Marco Simone club in Guidonia, 17 miles north-east of central Rome. Marco Simone has an 18-hole championship course and a nine-hole layout, and is centred around a stunning 11th-century castle.

The Jim Fazio-designed course will undergo reconstruction for the Ryder Cup. “The plans are spectacular and run alongside the commitment to develop all levels of golf in Italy,” explains European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley.

Biella

This is a rare example of a top-drawer and beautiful course designed in the '50s. There is a dramatic backcloth of the Alps as well as streams, ponds, and rocky outcrops.

Castelconturbia

In glorious countryside 20 miles from Milan, this tough course features large greens that are difficult to read.

Olgiata

Olgiata, just outside Rome to the north-west, opened in 1962. It has 27 holes and it was here that in 1973 Tony Jacklin won the Italian Open, and where, in 2004, Ian Poulter did so. It has also hosted the World Cup.

Argentario

The course, which dates from 2006, was designed by architect David Mezzacane and professional golfer Baldovino Dassu. The holes were then shaped by Brian Jorgensen.

The best stretch of holes comes on the front nine. The par-5 6th hole has its tees built up onto a steep hill giving a stunning view out towards the town of Orbetello.

The short par-4 7th is then Italy’s version of the 18th at TPC Sawgrass, with the 200-yard par-3 8th probably the hardest hole of all.

Notable Mentions: Milano, Pevero, Bergamo-L'Albenza, Venezia, Castelfalfi, Udine, Royal Golf La Bagnaia, Tanka Golf Villasimius, Puglia, Golf Nazionale, Is Arenas, Gardagolf, Poggio Dei Medici

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Here are a selection of the best videos and tournaments to watch during self-isolation.

The Best Videos And Tournaments To Watch On YouTube

With no golf on whatsoever thanks to the Coronavirus, the best thing we can do to get our golf fix is to turn to the past. Luckily in this day and age there are countless videos and tournaments available to watch on YouTube.

Below we have taken a look at some of the best.

Shell's Wonderful World of Golf Matches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ScccJDJgQ&list=PLx35jhgeoIPCbI_ATiCnyvkpl5-T_A6Bi

This series of golf matches started in the 1960's and put the world's best golfers against each other. The above match featured Ben Hogan going up against Sam Snead at Houston Country Club. Other matches include players like Nicklaus, Ballesteros, Palmer, Player and others at courses like St Andrews, Pine Valley, Sunningdale and Pebble Beach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxeTZk-uuqU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oROIjEJjgRo

2008 Final Round Full Telecast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvi_LtvptKs

Watch Tiger battle it out at Torrey Pines in what many consider to be his greatest victory ever. In fact the USGA Youtube account is a good place to go for lots of full-round broadcasts. They also have broadcasts on US Women's Opens too.

Brooks Koepka's 63 At Bethpage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dlgPrBYcuY

Playing alongside Tiger Woods and Francesco Molinari, watch Brooks Koepka put an incredible round of 63 together at an extremely tough Bethpage Black during the 2019 PGA Championship. In fact the PGA Channel has lots of highlights from events gone by including Tiger's famous win in 2000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92v3t2pQBjg

Nicklaus-Watson Duel in the Sun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlJe8puoLz0

Watch the climax of one of the greatest Open Championships ever.

Sky Sports 2018 Ryder Cup Stream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsT15HRVtww

If you want to relive the session where Europe won four matches from four, Sky Sports have a lot of the action in this video.

Jose Maria Olazabal On Miracle at Medinah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8wkT2fZxQg

In fact why not relive the greatest day in European Ryder Cup history through the eye of Jose Maria Olazabal, the captain for the event. The official Ryder Cup channel has also uploaded videos with Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and other players perspectives.

No Laying Up: Strapped

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ethv_V9p6yk&list=PL5vefWGHKLbNNXOaMYYERsSLulrhN6yGn

No Laying Up make a lot of very good content, such as their Tourist Sauce series of golf tours, but we think the best videos they make are part of the series known as Strapped. In these videos Neil and Big Randy go on golf tours for less than £500 and so far they have gone to Iowa, Northeast, Louisiana, Reno and Baltimore.

The Masters Broadcasts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbsVaBDRtBI

The Masters may be postponed for 2020 but there are several tournaments that can be found on YouTube. For example Jack Nicklaus winning in 1986, Tiger Woods in 1997, Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Phil Mickelson in 2010. There are lots more on the channel too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bBcS5fc5FY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sV4la-XBYk

Tiger Vs JB Holmes At The 2008 WGC-Dell Match Play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WP6a1vX9lg

With 2020's Match Play event cancelled, go back over a decade and watch one of the most hotly contested tie's ever with Tiger going up against fellow American JB Holmes. The PGA Tour have also posted Rory McIlroy's match in 2015 against Gary Woodland.

Tiger Vs Rory Match

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEcFj5zW4Rg

The pair went up against each other in 2013 and YouTube has nearly four hours of coverage.

The Open

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkhvnVqXYTE

The Open has a wide range of videos to watch including highlights, official films, the greatest shots and escape shot videos like the one above.

Mickelson-Stenson Duel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDQqqbR_T6M

The two players battled it out in a stunning display of scoring at Royal Troon.

Golf Monthly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC0ZtUJXElM&t=119s

Based in the UK, we are the world's oldest Golf Magazine, established in 1911. We regularly upload fresh, original content including tour player tips, instruction from our selection of coaches and the latest gear reviews and comparisons. If you want a golf fix then the Golf Monthly YouTube channel is definitely a place to visit.

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With the Majors crammed into a 14-week stretch this season, it's easy to remember the winners, but how did the rest fare?

2019 Golf Majors Reviewed - The Winners And Losers

Words: David Taylor and Nick Bonfield

The Masters

The Major season began with the most memorable four days of golf we have witnessed in decades.

Tiger Woods produced a faultless display of strategy and ball-striking to win his first Major since 2008 – an incredible 3,955 days between numbers 14 and 15.

For most of Sunday it looked like he’d struggle to catch overnight leader Francesco Molinari but Augusta’s 12th once again had its say and the Italian’s rock-solid game crumbled.

Woods’ five at 18 led to joyous scenes with his family. Never before has a bogey been celebrated so wildly by so many.

Big hitters

Molinari started Sunday two clear but the back nine bared its teeth and the water on 12 and 15 dashed his hopes.

Brooks Koepka, Tiger’s nemesis in last year’s USPGA, spurned birdie chances at 17 and 18 to end one adrift, tied with Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele.

Jason Day, Webb Simpson and Tony Finau finished alongside Molinari in 5th.

Surprise packages

Big names dominated but one surprise was Patrick Cantlay who briefly led on Sunday after eagling 15.

His challenge fizzled out and he ended up tied for 9th.

Ian Poulter had a fine week but faded a little to end up five back in 12th, alongside South African debutant, Justin Harding, who was three off the lead on day one.

Disappointments

Justin Rose was many people's pre-tournament favourite but rounds of 75 and 73 meant he missed the cut.

Paul Casey suffered a similar fate after carding a first-round 81.

Rory McIlroy once again failed to live up to the career Grand Slam hype and never threatened, finishing tied for 21st.

Bryson DeChambeau was tied for the lead after day one but couldn’t capitalise, ending up in 29th spot.

Stat: Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are the only two players to win The Masters in three different decades

USPGA

Brooks Koepka established himself as one of the finest players of this generation, overcoming a late wobble to hold off Dustin Johnson and win his fourth Major at Bethpage Black.

He is just the fourth player to win four Majors in a span of eight starts, joining Ben Hogan, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

No other golfer has ever held two back-to-back Majors at the same time.

Koepka set the Bethpage Black course record and, with a tally of 128, shattered the 36-hole Major Championship scoring record.

Big hitters

Koepka started Sunday seven clear, but stumbled on the back nine as Johnson turned the screw.

He rallied after 14, partly motivated by chants of “DJ, DJ” from the fans.

“I’ve never been so excited in my entire life,” he said afterwards.

Patrick Cantlay built on his Augusta finish with a 3rd alongside Jordan Spieth, who put a run of poor form behind him.

Rory McIlroy recorded his 19th Major top ten.

Surprise packages

Matt Wallace had a brilliant week recording his best Major finish with a tie for 3rd.

Big-hitting American Luke List also had a career-high tie for 6th.

Young Thai, Jazz Janewattananond, captured the hearts of the American public as he mounted a charge, only to drop seven shots in his last seven holes on Sunday.

Disappointments

Tiger Woods, on his first outing since Augusta, looked rusty, firing rounds of 72, 73 to miss the cut.

Sergio Garcia missed his seventh consecutive Major weekend!

Stat: Dustin Johnson became the eighth player to finish 2nd in each of the four Major Championships

US Open

Gary Woodland played the best golf of his career to hold off the challenges of two recent World No.1s and secure his maiden Major at Pebble Beach.

Woodland held the 36-hole lead and never relinquished it, despite Justin Rose drawing level with a birdie on the 1st on Sunday and Brooks Koepka – seeking his third US Open in a row – applying serious pressure with birdies at four of his first six holes.

Seven times previously on the PGA Tour, Woodland had held a 54-hole lead and failed to get it done, but he ended that unwanted record in superb style.

His second to the par-5 14th was a masterstroke that gave him breathing space, bettered only by his par-saving chip from on the green at the short 17th.

Big hitters

Koepka sat alone in 2nd, becoming the only player in US Open history to shoot four rounds in the 60s and not win.

Xander Schauffele continued his fine Major form with a tie for 3rd, alongside Jon Rahm and Rose.

Adam Scott recorded his third Major top ten in his last four starts to share 7th with Louis Oosthuizen, while Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy finished a shot further back.

Surprise packages

No lesser lights were able to threaten the lead, but Americans Chez Reavie and Chesson Hadley did finish in ties for 3rd and 9th to secure their first Major top tens.

Viktor Hovland finished in a tie for 12th to claim low-amateur honours, as he had also done at The Masters.

Disappointments

In the lead-up to the tournament, much was made of Tiger Woods’ record-breaking performance at Pebble Beach in 2000.

He birdied six of his final 12 holes to notch a top-25 finish, but was never in contention.

Bubba Watson missed yet another Major cut – his fifth in his last six starts – as did Ian Poulter, Tony Finau and Justin Thomas.

Stat: Viktor Hovland's score of 280 was the best in US Open history by an amateur

The Open

Shane Lowry sparked joyous scenes at Royal Portrush as the island of Ireland came together to salute his maiden Major victory.

The 32-year-old’s win was set up on the Saturday with a course-record 63 that gave him a four-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood.

The only wobble came when he bogeyed the 1st on Sunday but he kept his cool and the win never looked in doubt.

Lowry went into the week on the back of four consecutive missed Open cuts, the longest stretch before a win.

Big hitters

Fleetwood was the only conceivable threat to Lowry at the start of the final day but he struggled to put any real pressure on, partly due to the weather but mainly due to Lowry’s superb front-running.

Brooks Koepka started the final round with four bogeys and had to make do with 4th, his worst finish at a 2019 Major.

He was perhaps hampered by the snail-like pace of playing partner JB Holmes, who carded a 16-over 87, the worst final round at an Open since 1966.

Surprise packages

Scottish youngster Robert MacIntyre had a dream Open debut finishing tied for 6th.

It was the best Open finish by a Scot since Colin Montgomerie’s 2nd at St Andrews in 2005.

Lee Westwood rolled back the years to finish tied 4th, his 12th top-five Major finish, and qualified for next year’s Masters after missing out in the previous two years.

Englishman Tom Lewis finished tied 11th, his best Major finish.

Disappointments

Rory McIlroy never recovered from a quadruple bogey on his very first hole and ended Thursday eight-over.

He fought valiantly on Friday but missed the cut by one.

Questions are again being asked about his ability to perform when the pressure is really on.

Tiger Woods looked underprepared and out of sorts as he also missed the weekend.

Every performance like this makes his victory at Augusta appear even more remarkable.

Stat: Shane Lowry is the fourth player in the last 100 years to win his first Major by six or more shots

2019 Major Leaderboard of those who made all four cuts -

Brooks Koepka: -36 Xander Schauffele: -14 Dustin Johnson: -14 Patrick Cantlay: -12 Webb Simpson: -9 Francesco Molinari: -9 Matt Kuchar: -8 Rickie Fowler: -7 Matt Fitzpatrick: -3 Jordan Spieth: -2 Louis Oosthuizen: -1 Henrik Stenson: E Tommy Fleetwood: +3 Aaron Wise: +3 Tyrrell Hatton: +5 Cameron Smith: +20

Stat: Koepka’s score of 36-under-par was the third-best in a Major season over the past 30 years. Jordan Spieth leads the way with -54 in 2015 with Tiger recording -53 in 2000.

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The 2018 Open champion announced that he is splitting with his bagman Pello Iguaran and hiring Rose's former caddie Mark 'Fooch' Fulcher

Francesco Molinari To Team Up With Mark 'Fooch' Fulcher Next Year

Francesco Molinari has split with his long-time caddie Pello Iguaran and announced that he will be hiring Mark 'Fooch' Fulcher in 2020.

The Italian won his maiden Major at the 2018 Open with Pello and the pair had been together for four years.

He'll have Jason Hempleman on the bag until the end of the year before partnering up with Justin Rose's former bagman Fooch.

Hempleman was Molinari's caddie from 2011-2014 and has also caddied for Colin Montgomerie, David Howell and Richard Sterne.

Rose and Fooch announced their amicable split in May after Fulcher needed more time off following heart surgery.

They had been together for over 10 years through Rose's US Open and Olympic Gold wins plus many more tournament victories.

At the time, Rose said that he had "no doubts that we will stride up a 72nd hole late on a Sunday afternoon together in the future.”

That is now looking more unlikely with Fooch's new partnership with Francesco Molinari.

Molinari released a statement to announce the split:

"It's been nearly 4 seasons of incredible emotions and really productive work, but unfortunately relationships sometimes come to an end, even if it's not what we wish for.

"Pello will always be a member of my team and more importantly my family.

"He's one of the most hardworking, loyal, positive, reflective people I've come across during my career.

"We've had both good and tough times on the course, but most importantly we both grew together and as individuals during our time together.

"Best of luck for the future and thanks for an amazing run together."

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The Italian began playing in Turin and now calls London his home

What Is Francesco Molinari's Home Club?

Francesco Molinari hails from Turin and it is at Turin Golf Club where he began playing the game.

He and his older brother Edoardo were members of the course that was opened in 1956, after the club was initially founded in 1920 before moving destinations a couple of times.

The club's home is in Parco Regionale la Mandria, the old hunting estate of the former House of Savoy.

It is some 15 miles north of the centre of Turin, with the park lining the River Po.

It has two courses, the Blue and Yellow, with the Blue Course the original, being designed by Englishman John Morrison.

The two courses are tree-lined parkland style as you'd expect from their home in the Mandria park, with views of the Italian Alps.

Both Francesco and Edoardo played there from a young age, at the club known as Circolo Golf Torino - La Mandria, with the brothers' parents members of the club.

The 2014 Italian Open was hosted there, which was won by Henni Otto.

Nowadays, Francesco lives in London and plays his golf in Surrey.

The 2018 Open champion is a member at The Wisley in Ripley, Woking, Surrey.

The club is exclusive and owned by its 700 members, featuring three loops of nine and high quality practice facilities.

Its three nines are called the Church, the Garden and the Mill, with all three combining to make three different 18 holes with pars of 72.

The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, with the club opening in 1991.

"Yes, we are a select bunch, but you certainly won’t find any elitist customs or stuffiness here," the club's Chief Executive John Glendenning says on the Wisley's website.

Denis Pugh is head pro and Vice President of the club, and it is Pugh who has been Francesco's swing coach for a number of years.

Its Church and Mill loops of 18 ranked 88th in Golf Monthly's 2014 UK and Ireland Top 100, although it has since been taken out of the list for its exclusivity.

Related: 10 most exclusive golf clubs in the UK

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Here we take a look at some interesting facts about Europe's 2023 Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald

Luke Donald makes his debut as Ryder Cup captain this year after stepping in to replace Henrik Stenson - who lost the job after joining LIV Golf.

Donald represented Team Europe four times in the Ryder Cup as a player - being on the winning side on all four occasions - and was also a vice-captain for the last two events in 2018 and 2021.

He'll now be leading Europe into battle at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome for the 2023 Ryder Cup from September 25-October 1, as the hosts look to win back the trophy they lost in such disappointing fashion at Whistling Straits.

16 Things You Didn't Know About Luke Donald

1. He went to Northwestern University in Chicago

2. He has lived in Chicago ever since, although he has recently put his home on the market and is basing himself in Jupiter, Florida

3. He turned pro in 2001

4. He married his wife Diane in 2007 in Santorini, Greece. They have three daughters - Elle, Sophia and Georgina

5. Donald was world number one for 56 weeks

6. He was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to golf

7. Became the first person to win the money lists on the PGA Tour and European Tour in the same season in 2011

8. In 1999, he won the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships men's title, beating Tiger Woods' scoring record

9. He became the first amateur to win the Chicago Open in 2000

10. He has a passion for wine and even brought out a Luke Donald Collection of wines in 2018

11. Was made an honourary life member of the European Tour in 2012

12. He was signed with Top Flite in his early days as a pro (they owned the brands Strata and Ben Hogan which he used). He has been with Mizuno since 2004

13. His brother Christian caddied for him until 2009. He was with Paul Casey from 2009-2011, Martin Kaymer from 2011-2012 and is currently on the bag of Brendan Steele

14. His career on-course earnings are just shy of $36m

15. During his spell as world number one in 2011 he was working with elite performance coach Dave Alred, who helped Jonny Wilkinson and more recently, Francesco Molinari

16. He was club champion at Beaconsfield Golf Club aged 15

In this piece Sam Tremlett takes a look at every European winner of the Open Championship after World War Two.

European Winners Of The Open Championship

The Open Championship is the one Major of the year to take place outside the United States and is regularly held at a variety of courses around the British Isles. As a result we have seen 18 European winners of the event since the end of World War Two. Sam Tremlett takes a look at each champion and the years they got their hands on the Claret Jug below. Of course we start with 2018 winner, Francesco Molinari.

2018 – Francesco Molinari

Francesco Molinari shot a final round 69 to win the 2018 Open Championship by 2 shots over Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy. It was his first Major win, the first Italian winner at the Open Championship, and first Italian major winner ever. A momentous day for Molinari and Italian golf.

2016 – Henrik Stenson

Henrik Stenson became Sweden's first ever Major winner at the Open too at Royal Troon. Battling Phil Mickelson on the final day, Stenson had 10 birdies and shot an incredible 63 on Sunday.

2014 – Rory McIlroy

McIlroy picked up the third leg of the career Grand Slam in 2014 as he won by two strokes at Royal Liverpool. Going into the final day he had a six shot lead over Rickie Fowler and proceeded to shoot a final round 71 to win his third Major.

2011 – Darren Clarke

Darren Clarke showed excellent consistency throughout the week at Royal St Georges shooting two 68's, a 69, and a final round 70 to win his only Major Championship by three strokes over Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. His eagle at the par-5 7th on Sunday was particularly important.

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2007, 2008 – Padraig Harrington

Harrington won the first of his three Majors at Carnoustie in 2007 after Sergio Garcia's par putt agonisingly lipped out on the 18th. He birdied the first extra hole and would secure the victory by one shot over the Spaniard.

A year later he was again lifting the Claret Jug. Starting the day two back, the Irishman had a one shot lead after the 12th hole. He would then play the remaining six holes in four under par including a sublime eagle at the 17th to blow the field away.

1999 – Paul Lawrie

The 1999 Open Championship is best remembered for Jean Van Der Velde’s implosion on the last hole, where he had a seven to drop back into a playoff with Justin Leonard and Paul Lawrie. What gets forgotten is Lawrie shot 67 on the final day in an incredible round, and then birdied 17 and 18 in the four-hole playoff to win.

1987, 1990, 1992 – Nick Faldo

Faldo secured three Open wins with his first coming at Muirfield where he famously parred all 18 holes to win his first Major. Three years later he won at St Andrews, and finally won at Muirfield again in 1992.

1985 – Sandy Lyle

Like several other players in this list, Lyle also won his first Major Championship at The Open. Hosted at Royal St Georges in 1985, Lyle shot a final round level par 70 to win by one stroke over Payne Stewart.

1979, 1984, 1988 – Seve Ballesteros

Like Nick Faldo above, Seve also won two of his three Open wins at the same course, Royal Lytham and St Annes. Sandwiched in between those was a win at St Andrews in 1984.

1969 – Tony Jacklin

Tony Jacklin won his Open Championship at Royal Lytham after shooting 72 on the final day to beat Bob Charles, Roberto Di Vicenzo and Peter Thomson.

1951 – Max Faulkner

Going into the final round at Royal Portrush Max Faulkner was the only player under par at five-under. His six-shot lead proved crucial as he shot a 74 and won by two over Antonio Cerda.

1948 – Henry Cotton

Cotton leapt up the leaderboard on the second day shooting a masterful 66 at Muirfield and would go on to win by five shots over 1947 champion Fred Daly.

1947 – Fred Daly

In 1947 at Royal Liverpool the par for the course was set to 68 after all the par-5's were set as par-4's. Scoring was incredibly difficult as shown by Daly's winning score of 21-over-par. (This would be +5 if the course was played at its regular par 72). He became the first Irish winner of the Open Championship.

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