CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Chaos on the leaderboard. Final group is struggling. Tiger’s in contention. No, wait, Tiger’s leading! No, wait, now he’s not. Then a six-way tie for first … and how the heck did Rory get in the mix? Thought we wrote him off two hours ago. Sunday was a delicious mess, a day in which a dozen or so guys seemed to sneak peeks at the Claret Jug. It was fun, entertaining, a roller-coaster ride of epic Open Championship proportions, as the real Carnoustie – the nasty one, thanks to stiffer winds and tougher pin placements — finally showed up. In the end, though, it belonged to the calmest guy in the room. En route to becoming the first Italian to win The Open, Francesco Molinari went about his business this weekend like a meticulous craftsman patiently working on a Stradivarius. He put his head down, never drew attention to himself, and never made a mistake. He played beautiful bogey-free golf for 36 holes on a course that, frankly, he’s avoided in recent years. Carnoustie is one of three venues for the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship; Molinari has only played the event once since 2012 and has never finished inside the top 35. “I got beaten up around here a few times already in the past,â€� he said. “I didn’t particularly enjoy that feeling.â€� That’s why he didn’t fancy his chances this week, even though the 35-year-old from Turin was on the hottest streak of his career and the hottest golfer on the planet. Two wins on two continents in his last five starts, including the Quicken Loans National earlier this month on the PGA TOUR. He also threw in a couple of runner-up finishes, including a T-2 in his last start at the John Deere Classic. So how did we overlook this guy? The big reason on Sunday was obvious – his playing partner. Tiger Woods was the host at the Quicken Loans and the one who handed the tournament trophy to Molinari. Now they were in the same twosome battling for golf’s most historic trophy. With Tiger close to turning back the clock – not exactly to year-of-2000 standards, but closer to 2008, the year of his 14th and last major victory – Molinari was relegated to sideshow status. “Clearly in my group, the attention wasn’t really on me, let me put it that way,â€� Molinari said. “If someone was expecting a charge, probably they weren’t expecting it from me, but it’s been the same the whole of my career.â€� Look at the names on that Claret Jug. What can you say? It’s the best golfers in history, and to be on there, it’s incredible. From someone like me coming from Italy – not really a major golfing country – it’s been an incredible journey. Indeed, Molinari had no problem working in the shadows. He grew up as the younger brother to Edoardo Molinari, who in 2005 became the first continental European to win the U.S. Amateur. Francesco had already turned pro, making his debut on the European Tour with muted performances. Edoardo eventually turned pro himself, and along with Francesco, began making their presence known — particularly as teammates at the 2009 World Cup and 2010 Ryder Cup. Since then, Edoardo’s career has stalled due to two hand surgeries. On Sunday, he texted his brother to wish him good luck. “I would love for him to get back to where he was a few years ago,â€� Francesco said. “Golf is a tough beast.â€� But now Francesco is the beast. Jordan Spieth has seen it up close. “He’s been working his butt off,â€� Spieth said. “I see him in the gym all the time, going through his routine, grinding on the range, doing his own stuff. It truly is hard work that paid off for Francesco. I’m certainly happy for him. I’ve watched this through the PGA TOUR this year, day in and day out, seeing him work as hard as anyone else.â€� Spieth, of course, was hoping for his own payoff Sunday after entering the final round as a co-leader with Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele. But the defending champ, who displayed a magic touch down the stretch last year at Royal Birkdale and who on Saturday morning got a haircut at a local shop called Magic Barbers, could conjure up very little on Sunday. A bogey-double bogey stretch midway through his front nine gave the opening his chasers needed. Schauffele and Kisner also had struggles, particularly out of Carnoustie’s bunkers; in fact, Schauffele, last year’s PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, was forced to hit three one-legged bunker shots Sunday due to some awkward lies. As a result, Molinari – who started the day three shots off the lead – moved up the leaderboard simply by working his way out of trouble and stringing together par after par after par. Woods had moved ahead of him, and for a 23-minute span, even had the solo lead. Asked if leading a major felt familiar after so many years out of the mix, Tiger simply said, “Oh, yeah.â€� Meanwhile, the cool Molinari just maintained his par train, letting others self-destruct. Woods lost the lead with a double bogey at the 11th, moving Molinari into a share of the lead with Spieth, Kisner and Kevin Chappell. McIlroy soon joined them after a 59-foot eagle putt at the par-5 14th, as did Schauffele with a birdie at the 10th. Finally, Molinari took the lead with his first birdie – or non-par – of the day at the 14th. Schauffele joined him 30 minutes later, and that’s when the crowd finally started to thin out. The possibility of a playoff loomed, but then Molinari delivered the decisive blow – a 60-degree wedge from 112 yards at the 18th hole. The ball finished 5 feet from the pin, just inside Woods’ well-struck approach. He and Woods then walked up the fairway toward the large grandstands and the Carnoustie hotel in the distance. Woods crossed the Barry Burn on the left side, while Molinari crossed it on the right. Woods missed his putt, Molinari made his and was now the leader at 8 under. “He chipped it beautifully,â€� Woods said about his playing partner. “I know he made a couple of putts here and there for par but to get it to where it was basically kick-in from some of the spots he put himself, that was impressive. Great touch.â€� The waiting game then began for Molinari. After signing his card, he retreated to a couch to watch the coverage and see if Schauffele could catch him. It was a helpless feeling, and sitting there only made it worse, even though Schauffele dropped two strokes back with a bogey at 17. He buried his head; for the first time today, he did not appear calm. “That’s why I went to the putting green because I probably would’ve felt sick watching on TV,â€� he said. “Big credit to my wife, who watches me all the time. I don’t know how she does it. I couldn’t do it.â€� Having hit a few putts, he suddenly stopped. Finally, it was official. Schauffele had not holed out at 18. It was 6:52 p.m. local time; more important, it was 7:52 p.m. back in Turin. The chaos had finally ended. A new chapter has begun. Italy has its first major golf champion. “Look at the names on that Claret Jug,â€� Molinari said, staring at the shiny object within arm’s length. “What can you say? It’s the best golfers in history, and to be on there, it’s incredible. From someone like me coming from Italy – not really a major golfing country – it’s been an incredible journey.â€� Given his form, don’t expect it to end anytime soon.

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From the comeback of Tiger roars on Sunday at a major to a Jordan Spieth detour round a forgotten part of the course, The Open’s final round had everything, including a nerveless champion.

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Francesco Molinari won The Open on Sunday, outlasting a star-studded field at Carnoustie to clinch his first career major championship.

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CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Sam and Charlie Woods were waiting for their father behind Carnoustie’s 18th green. He wanted to give them a trophy. They wanted to give him a hug.   Only one got their wish.   Tiger Woods briefly was the solo leader on Sunday of The Open Championship, but he couldn’t hang on long enough to hand his children the Claret Jug.   “I told them I tried and I said, ‘Hopefully you’re proud of your pops for trying as hard as I did,’� Woods said. “It’s pretty emotional because they gave me some pretty significant hugs there and squeezed.�   He looked like the trophy-hoisting Tiger of old when he violently extricated a short-iron shot from a fairway bunker on the 10th. Then he struggled to find fairways and couldn’t keep pace with Francesco Molinari, the unflappable Italian with the tempo of a metronome.   Woods shot 71 on Sunday, including a back-nine 37, to finish in a three-way tie for sixth at 5-under 279 (71-71-66-71). He finished three shots behind Molinari and one back of the four players who tied for second: Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele.    Anything less than a victory used to be unacceptable to Woods, but spending so much time bedridden and unable to swing a club has a way of changing one’s perspective. After leaving Carnoustie, he anticipated a phone call from friend Serena Williams, who also had a close call after a recent return from a lengthy absence. The 23-time major winner finished runner-up last week at Wimbledon after giving birth to her first child late last year.   “I know that it’s going to sting for a little bit here but given where I was to where I’m at now, (I’m) blessed,� Woods said. I know that it’s going to sting for a little bit here but given where I was to where I’m at now, (I’m) blessed. A return to Akron, Ohio, is a consolation. Woods moved into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, which qualified him for the final World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone. He has won the event eight times.   Woods also moved from 50th to 43rd in the FedExCup. The most important number for Woods is ‘15’, though. There’s only so many years remaining for a 42-year-old with a surgically-repaired back. “Today was a day that I had a great opportunity,� Woods said.   He started Sunday four shots behind the trio of leaders, a deficit that offered no margin for error, but his inability to close it out still reminded us that winning majors is more difficult than he once made it seem. McIlroy said that even 14-time major winners need to re-learn how to win golf’s biggest trophies. It’s been five years since Woods’ last win and a decade since he won a major.   “The Tiger we have to face, he does things that maybe he didn’t do (before),� McIlroy said. “But it’s still great to have him back. It’s still great for golf. It will be interesting to see going forward, but this was his first taste of major championship drama for quite a while. Even though he’s won 14, you have to learn how to get back.�   Woods arrived at all three of this year’s majors with high hopes after promising finishes. There were the close calls in Florida before the Masters, but he couldn’t break par at Augusta National until Sunday. Then he flirted with contention at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide but missed the cut at Shinnecock Hills.   Woods played Sunday alongside a man who was flawless in his pursuit of the Claret Jug. A few weeks ago, Woods handed Molinari the trophy at the Quicken Loans National. Molinari won that event by eight shots as part of an incredible recent run. He has three wins and two runners-up in his past six worldwide starts. Molinari’s 69 was the only bogey-free round on the final day at Carnoustie.   But while Molinari was making nine pars on the front nine, Woods was making an early move. Carnoustie’s first few holes are supposed to offer a warm welcome before its brutal finish, but several of them played into the wind Sunday. Woods made two birdies and no bogeys over the first seven holes. The other nine players who teed off in Sunday’s final five groups were a combined 17 over par on that stretch.   Woods nearly reached the green in two on the par-5 sixth hole that still bears Ben Hogan’s name. He almost holed the eagle putt from across the green before making birdie. After Spieth doubled that same hole and Schauffele made a 6, Woods was tied for the lead.   Schauffele made a double on the next hole after getting tangled in the rough, and all of a sudden Woods was alone atop the leaderboard.   Sitting atop the leaderboard felt familiar, Woods said. He saved par from greenside bunkers on Nos. 8 and 9 to make the turn in 2-under 34. He struggled off the tee after the turn, though.   Missing the 10th fairway gave him the opportunity to execute an exciting shot that harkened back to his best days. With his ball sitting near the vertical sod face of a fairway bunker, Woods took a violent swing to lift the ball vertically, but with enough strength to advance it to the green.    “Either I hit that shot and it clears the burn, or I hit it right next to my feet,� he said. “I’ve got to try and pull it off.�   It was a stroke that made Woods look almost unbeatable, but his dreams quickly ended.   He made double-bogey on the 11th after needing four shots to reach the green. His approach from the fairway hit a fan left of the green, and his first pitch shot didn’t reach the putting surface. Another missed fairway led to bogey on the 12th hole.   He had to scramble to make birdie on the day’s easiest hole, the short par-5 14th hole, but his 20-foot birdie putt kept his chances alive. He parred the final three holes, missing a 6-foot putt on the final hole that would have given him his seventh runner-up in a major.   He said it felt like old times. For the game’s newest stars, it was their first opportunity to face in a major the man they saw in video games and highlight reels. The combined age of Schauffele and Jordan Spieth, the two players in Sunday’s final group, wasn’t much more than Woods’. Schauffele is 25. Spieth will celebrate his 25th birthday next week.   Woods, 42, was in Sunday’s third-to-last group. He thought he would have to reach 9 under par to have a chance, but the leaderboard bunched up as the leaders struggled. There was once a six-way tie for the lead. Schauffele called it “chaotic.�   The San Diego native who saw Woods’ last major win was now being chased by him in the game’s oldest championship. Schauffele was standing near Torrey Pines’ 18th green when Woods holed that 12-footer to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate.   “It was a little bit louder probably when he did that than today was,� Schauffele said.   But it was close.

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Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the 147th The Open Championship gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom plays to Par-71 (36-35) and is hosting for the eighth time. Champion Golfer of the Year Francesco Molinari fired a final-round 69 to post eight-under-par 276 to win The Open Championship by two shots. Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele all shared second place. Molinari’s first major championship was also the first for Italy as he picked up his third win in his last six events worldwide. Even more impressive than his recent run of form, Molinari didn’t make a bogey in his final 37 holes as he tamed the feared Carnoustie on the weekend. He was 74th of 79 players in hitting fairways but still kept squares off his card and he made par-saving putts all day. His winning round included 13 consecutive pars to begin Sunday and finished with his second birdie from five feet on the 72nd hole. Playing with Tiger Woods, it was never going to be easy, but he looked anything but fazed by the situation. He joined Justin Rose as the only two players to post both weekend rounds in the 60’s as he signed for 65-69. The 35-year-old has now rattled off T2, T20, T25 and WIN in his last four majors as he’s in the form of his life. Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. Not even a pair of firsts in his last five events plus a runner-up finish last week at the John Deere Classic could convince a majority of gamers to stick Molinari into the lineup! Don’t worry, he’ll be in the other three majors for the next five years and The Open Championship until he’s 60. PAIN OR GAIN These were the top-10 selected golfers (plus one) in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: It was incredible to see five of the top six players in the conversation at some point on Sunday. Molinari should be a popular selection at the PGA Championship at Bellerive next month or the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational before that. Winning for the first time on the PGA TOUR didn’t bother him so I doubt a major championship will cause him to shut it down. … Of the last 12 major champions, 10 have been first-timers. Only Koepka and Spieth have won more than once. Justin Time After making birdie on the last Friday to make the weekend, England’s Justin Rose took full advantage of his second chance. He backed up his 64 on Saturday, the lowest round of the week, with a grandstand finish on Sunday. His 69 included an eagle on No. 14 and taking the clubhouse lead after making birdie on the final hole for the fourth round in a row. His T2 is his best Open Championship finish and is his fifth top-10 in his last five starts worldwide. Return of the McIlroy In his last four Open Championships Rory McIlroy has nearly won them all. His T2 this week adds to T2 (’14), WIN (’15) and T5 last year. It’s not a surprise he heats up this time of year and this week he put all four rounds in the red this week. Sadly he didn’t make anything besides the monster eagle on No. 14 in the last round. Gamers do know when he turns on the class, it’s time to jump on board and they will have MULTIPLE events to use him coming down the stretch. X Marks the Spot If Xander Schauffele (T2) was your entrant in this week for lowest score of Class of 2011, please step up and claim your prize! Playing in the final group with Spieth won’t do anything except enhance his confidence moving forward in his second season on TOUR. His four top-10 paydays this season have come on Riviera, TPC Sawgrass, Shinnecock Hills and Carnoustie. He’s played six majors over the last two years had has three top-six finishes including the best of the bunch from this week. Scar Tissue Kevin Kisner shared the 54-hole lead with Spieth and Schauffele but posted 74 Sunday to share second. Kisner was the solo 54-hole leader last summer at Quail Hollow Club at the PGA Championship and also posted 74. He’s now played from the final group and the penultimate group in two of the last four majors. Remember in 2015 when he lost three playoffs before finally breaking through? This was his first top-10 paycheck since Harbour Town the week after the Masters. Sunday Stunners Tiger Woods led in the final round in a major championship after his first 10 holes on Sunday. He was seven-under before doubling No. 11 and squaring a bogey on No. 12 to knock him out of the top spot. He rallied for a birdie on No. 14 and shared T6 three ways, just enough to get him to No. 50 in the OWGR and into the field at the WGC-Bridgestone in two weeks. He’s won that event eight times and this will be the final year it hosts this or any PGA TOUR event. … Eddie Pepperell was T16 at Erin Hills in 2017, the last major he played before T6 this week. … Kevin Chappell is now working with Sean Foley. I’d say it’s working after picking up his first top 10 (T6) since API in March. … The defending champion, Jordan Spieth, and runner-up, Matt Kuchar, from Royal Birkdale both cashed T9. It’s Spieth’s second top 10 in the majors after solo third at Augusta. It’s Kuchar’s first top 10 since Houston in late March. I didn’t know Carnoustie had such healing powers. I thought it was supposed to be difficult and punishing! … Tony Finau has hit the top 10 in all three majors this season after finishing T9. Study Hall As predicted by many Marcus Kinhult (T61) and Erik Van Rooyen (T17) led the field in fairways with 42 of 60 (70%). … Tommy Fleetwood (T12) and Finau (T9) were Nos. 1 and 2 in GIR. … Molinari was joined by Koepka and Cameron Davis (T39) in circling the most birdies for the week with 17. In 2007 the leader in this category circled 18. … Gary Woodland has never MC in seven Open Championships but only has one top 25 (T12, 2016). … Jason Dufner has now made the weekend in seven straight across the pond. … The 2019 Open Championship will be contested at Royal Portrush. The Barbasol Championship has been fighting weather all weekend and is currently suspended in Round 4. The top 20 players haven’t been on the course yet.

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