GOLF/EUROPEAN MASTERS:EUROPEAN GOLF'S man of the moment, Edoardo Molinari, will try to follow his Ryder Cup call-up this week by becoming the first player to win three times this season.
But two things would appear to be against the 29-year-old at the Omega European Masters – he is not in Scotland and he does not have his brother Francesco with him.
Remarkably, the victories in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and then on Sunday in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles were both achieved with Francesco as his final-round playing partner.
The younger of the first siblings to make the same Ryder Cup team since Bernard and Geoff Hunt in 1963 is having the week off before returning at the Dutch Open next Thursday.
But wild card Edoardo is at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland, and he considers last year’s tournament as the start of his amazing burst into Colin Montgomerie’s side.
“I was lucky enough to get an invitation,” he recalls. “I was leading the Challenge Tour by a little bit, but had not played a (European) Tour event for three or four months.
“I had a decent week (he came 14th) and that was big for the confidence, because I didn’t know where I was compared to the guys on the European Tour.
“It wasn’t a great finish, but I knew this year that I could play well, although I didn’t imagine I could make the Ryder Cup.
“Obviously it’s been a great 12 months and hopefully I’ll keep improving.”
Molinari began 2009 at 653rd in the world, by this time last year was up to 166th and then a month later climbed into the top-100.
Now he is 15th, which makes him the highest-ranked player in this week’s field ahead of British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
That will guarantee Molinari a star group in the first two rounds wherever he plays on the circuit – and on this occasion he finds himself paired with Australian great Greg Norman.
This is the 55-year-old’s first appearance since a shoulder operation last September – surgery which he originally hoped would keep him out of action for only two months.
It is only two years ago, of course, that Norman – newly married to tennis legend Chris Evert at the time – led the British Open at Royal Birkdale with only nine holes to go.
Oosthuizen, meanwhile, partners Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, the only other member of Europe’s team taking part.
The 46-year-old felt he had to add Gleneagles to his schedule for fear of losing his Ryder Cup spot. As things turned out he could have gone to his nephew’s wedding instead, but finishing joint third was another boost to his confidence in the countdown to his fourth cap against the Americans.
Tired though he is, Jimenez competes in the Swiss Alps for the 22nd successive time, and said: “I never miss that tournament.”
Like Molinari, he is going for a third win of the year.
Jimenez has won the European Tour’s Shot of the Month for July for his escape from beside the wall behind the 17th green during the Open at St Andrews. With his back to the green, Jimenez rebounded the ball off the wall and onto the putting surface.
Ryder Cup vice-captains Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley are among a strong Irish contingent which includes Shane Lowry, Peter Lawrie, Michael Hoey and Gareth Maybin.
Simon Thornton is fourth on the reserve list.
The lowdown
Course: Crans-Sur-Sierre Golf Club, Crans Montana, Switzerland
Length:6,822. Par: 71.
Prizemoney: €2 million (€333,330 for the winner)
Layout: With greens like upturned saucers and four par fives and five par threes, this is an unusual course with a very tough finish. Good test.
Field:156.
Defending champion: Sweden's Alexander Noren.
On TV:Sky Sports 3 (10.30am today)
Weather forecast: A mix of a day today with some cloud and sunshine. Temperatures of 19 degrees. Mainly sunny for the rest of the tournament.
