(ANSA) - Rome, July 16 - In the world's oldest golf
tournament, the (British) Open Championship, Francesco Molinari
will be defending his title in Northern Ireland from July 18 to
20.
The Turin native became the first Italian to win a Major
when he won the championship in 2018.
From Carnoustie in Scotland to Portrush, an hour from
Belfast, 'Laser Frankie' will be facing off against such big
names as Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, the
bookies' favourites for the title.
Some 84 of the best 85 best players in the world will be
vying for the Claret Jug, which Molinari gave back to the R&A
board this week. The trophy was awarded for the first time in
1873, 13 years after the tournament was created in 1860.
"What happened changed my life, Molinari said during a press
conference presenting the event, speaking about July 22 last
year. "Defending the title will be special. I want to enjoy
every moment, like I did during the Ryder Cup 2018 in Paris. The
Royal Portrush GC is a difficult course and a great one."
Eleven years after Padraig Harrington, captain of Team Europe
in Ryder 2020 (Wisconsin, US), the Piedmont native is trying for
a back-to-back win.
With him will be two other Italians: Andrea Pavan (second
time in a Major in his career after the IS Open 2014) and Nino
Bertasio in his debut in a Slam tournament.
The Northern Ireland course will be the last chance for glory
for Woods in 2019.
The latest exploit of the California native at 'The Open' -
as Brits are fond of calling it - was in 2006 at the Royal
Liverpool GC.
The tournament will be back at the Royal Portrush golf course
68 years after the first and only time it was previously held
there.
There will be Koepka, the 'man of the Majors' with
back-to-back US Opens and PGAs who wants to reaffirm his
leadership and take the top place of the FedEx Cup as well, as
well as second-ranked Dustin Johnson and Olympic champion of
Rio2016 Justin Rose.
From Bryson DeCheambeau to Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Tommy
Fleetwood, Phil Mickelson and many others, the international
elite of golf will be facing off.
From 1860 to 2018 there have been 96 editions played in
Scotland, 50 in England and only one (in 1951) in Northern
Ireland.
The legendary Old Course of St.Andrews is the course that has
hosted the most and in 2021, as part of the 150th edition of a
British Major (the only one of the four not played in the US)
will have hosted 30.
The record for the most wins - 6 - goes to Harry Vardon, who
was the first player in history to hold the golf club at the end
with both hands, which enabled him to invent the 'Vardon Grip'.
'Young Tom Morris' instead holds the record for four
consecutive titles, from 1868 to 1872, and for being the
youngest player as he was 17 years and 156 days old in 1868.
'Old Tom Morris' instead set the record for the oldest
player, at 46 years and 102 days old in 1867.
The first swing of the competition will be that of Darren
Clarke, 2011 champion, who - alongside Graeme McDowell and Rory
McIlroy - will be playing before his home public.
McIlroy, ranked 3rd in the world, got the lowest score on the
course (61) at age 16.
The challenge will be an interesting one, with Molinari
playing the first two rounds alongside Bryson DeChambeau and
Adam Scott.
The competition of the Race to Dubai 2018 champion will begin
on Thursday at 9:58 local time, while Woods will be facing off
against Patrick Reed and Matt Wallace.
Molinari, who also notched the first perfect record at last
year's Ryder Cup, is without doubt Italy's most eagerly awaited
player at this year's edition.