Francesco Molinari Bio
Francesco Molinari, born on 8 November 1982, is an Italian professional golfer widely regarded as one of the most successful Italian players in the history of the sport. He is best known for winning the 2018 Open Championship, the first major championship claimed by an Italian professional golfer. Standing 1.72 m tall and weighing 72 kg, Molinari has spent his entire adult career competing on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour.
Across his professional career, which began in 2004, Molinari has collected 10 professional wins, including six on the European Tour and three on the PGA Tour. He reached a career-high Official World Golf Ranking of fifth in September 2018 and was a member of the top 100 from November 2008 to November 2020. He is also a three-time Ryder Cup winner with Team Europe in 2010, 2012, and 2018.
Early Life and Background
Francesco Molinari was born on 8 November 1982 in Turin, Italy, where he also grew up and still keeps a home. Turin, a major cultural and industrial city in northern Italy, provided the backdrop for his introduction to golf and to competitive sport in general. He is the younger brother of Edoardo Molinari, who would later become a respected playing partner and fellow European Tour professional.
As an amateur, Molinari built an impressive record in Italian competition. He won the Italian Amateur Stroke Play Championship twice and added the Italian Match Play Championship in 2004, the same year he turned professional. He also attended the University of Turin, where he graduated with a degree in economics, balancing a serious academic path with a demanding amateur playing schedule.
The influence of his older brother Edoardo, combined with strong amateur results, convinced Molinari that a professional career was realistic. His economics background also gave him a measured, analytical approach to tournament golf that has remained a hallmark of his career.
Path to Professional Golf
After turning professional in 2004, Molinari earned his European Tour card for the 2005 season through qualifying school. His rookie year on the European Tour ended with an 86th-place finish on the Order of Merit, a modest but solid start against stronger international fields. He returned the following season with sharper form and greater consistency.
In May 2006, Molinari claimed his first European Tour title at the Telecom Italia Open, becoming the first Italian winner of the event since Massimo Mannelli in 1980. That breakthrough victory elevated him to 38th on the Order of Merit and signaled his arrival as a legitimate contender on the European stage. He continued to refine his game through the late 2000s, recording twenty top-10 finishes between 2007 and 2009, including three runner-up results, and reaching the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in October 2009.
Late in 2009, Francesco teamed with his brother Edoardo to win the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China, giving Italy its only victory in that event. The World Cup title marked an important step in his transition from promising European Tour player to established international competitor and laid the groundwork for his first World Golf Championships appearance the following year.
Francesco Molinari Career
Early Career (2005-2009)
Molinari’s early professional years were defined by steady improvement rather than rapid success. After his 2006 Telecom Italia Open win, he went through a long stretch without a tournament victory, yet he continued to compile top-10 finishes across European Tour events. His ranking climbed gradually, moving from 60th on the Order of Merit in 2007 to 24th in 2008 and 14th in the Race to Dubai in 2009.
Those developmental seasons taught him how to compete week after week against elite fields and helped him earn a regular place in higher-profile European events. By the end of 2009, he had reached the top 50 of the world rankings and won the World Cup with his brother, setting up his breakthrough on the global stage the following year.
Global Breakthrough (2010-2012)
On 7 November 2010, Molinari won the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, defeating Lee Westwood by one stroke at 19-under par. That victory, his first on the World Golf Championships stage, lifted him to 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking, then his highest career position. Later that month, he made his Ryder Cup debut at Celtic Manor Resort as part of Europe’s victorious 2010 team.
After a winless but consistent 2011 season highlighted by a third-place finish at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, Molinari returned to the winner’s circle on 6 May 2012 at the Reale Seguros Open de España. Trailing by four strokes entering the final round, he fired a 65 to win by three. Later in 2012, he earned an automatic spot on the European Ryder Cup team and contributed a crucial halved singles match against Tiger Woods as Europe completed a dramatic comeback victory at Medinah.
PGA Tour Arrival (2013-2016)
Across 2013 and 2014, Molinari did not record a tournament victory, but his steady top-50 world ranking allowed him to play several PGA Tour events as a non-member. He posted three top-10 finishes on U.S. soil, including a sixth place at the 2014 Players Championship, results that helped him secure a full PGA Tour card for the 2014-15 season.
In September 2016, he became the first Italian to win his national open twice, capturing the 2016 Italian Open by one stroke over Danny Willett. He also finished second at the 2016 Open de France and third at the 2015 Memorial Tournament, demonstrating that he could compete on the biggest PGA Tour stages. A highlight during this stretch was a hole-in-one at the famous 16th hole of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Major Triumph and 2018 Season
In May 2018, Molinari captured his fifth European Tour title and first Rolex Series victory at the BMW PGA Championship, edging Rory McIlroy by two strokes with a flawless closing round. Weeks later, he won the Quicken Loans National by eight strokes after a Sunday 62, becoming the first Italian to win a PGA Tour event since 1947. He then arrived at Carnoustie for the 2018 Open Championship, where he carded a total of 8-under par to win his first major championship.
That Open victory lifted him to a career-high sixth place in the Official World Golf Ranking. In September 2018, he went 5-0-0 at the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National, partnering Tommy Fleetwood in all four team sessions and beating Phil Mickelson in singles as Europe routed the United States 17.5 to 10.5. He then captured the season-long Race to Dubai title on 18 November 2018, completing one of the most decorated single seasons in European Tour history.
Arnold Palmer Invitational and Masters (2019)
On 10 March 2019, Molinari won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by two strokes over Matt Fitzpatrick, closing with a 64 that included a 43-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole. That victory gave him three PGA Tour titles and confirmed his status among the game’s elite players. A month later, he held the 54-hole lead at the Masters at 13 under, two strokes clear of the field.
Molinari led for two-thirds of the final round at Augusta National before his tee shot at the par-3 12th found the water, leading to a double bogey. A second water ball on the 15th knocked him out of contention, and he closed with a 74 to finish tied for fifth, still his best result at the Masters.
Driving Style and Strengths
Molinari is widely regarded as one of the straightest drivers in professional golf, a strength that allows him to attack narrow fairways and avoid trouble on demanding major-championship setups. He pairs that accuracy with a calm, methodical short game and a reputation for staying emotionally even under pressure. Since 2018, he has worked with performance coach Dave Alred on the mental side of the game, an area he credits as a key factor in his breakthrough major season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Molinari’s signature achievement remains his 2018 Open Championship victory at Carnoustie, the first major won by an Italian professional golfer. His perfect 5-0-0 performance at the 2018 Ryder Cup made him the first player in the event’s history to go unbeaten with five wins. He also made history at the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup and the 2016 Italian Open, cementing his place as Italy’s most accomplished golfer of his generation.
Francesco Molinari Career Wins
Across his professional career, Francesco Molinari has recorded 10 verified professional victories, spanning the European Tour, PGA Tour, and team events. Six of those wins have come on the European Tour, three on the PGA Tour, and one additional team victory at the World Cup level. He has also added numerous top-10 finishes in major championships and World Golf Championships events.
European Tour Highlights
Molinari’s first European Tour title came at the 2006 Telecom Italia Open, where he became the first Italian winner of the event since 1980. He added further wins at the 2010 WGC-HSBC Champions, the 2012 Reale Seguros Open de España, and the 2016 Italian Open, where he became the first Italian to win his national open twice. In 2018, he won the BMW PGA Championship, his first Rolex Series title and fifth overall European Tour victory.
His most recent European Tour triumph to date remains the 2018 BMW PGA Championship, after which he captured the season-long Race to Dubai title. Molinari has also finished runner-up at events such as the 2015 Open de España and the 2016 Open de France.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the European and PGA Tours, Molinari’s most celebrated team result is the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, won alongside his brother Edoardo in China for Italy’s only World Cup title. He has also represented Europe in three winning Ryder Cup teams in 2010, 2012, and 2018, going a perfect 5-0-0 in 2018.
Francesco Molinari Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Francesco Molinari was born and raised in Turin, Italy, and is the younger brother of Edoardo Molinari, a fellow professional golfer who has played on the European Tour. The two brothers have teamed together at the Ryder Cup and the World Cup, building one of the most successful sibling pairings in modern European golf.
Personal Life
Molinari is married to his wife, Valentina, with whom he has been together since 2007. The couple has two children and divides their time between Turin, Italy, and London, England. Molinari is a supporter of Italian football club Internazionale and also follows West Ham United, an interest he developed after Italian manager Gianfranco Zola began coaching the east London side in 2008. He is also an ambassador for Borne, a medical research charity focused on the causes of premature birth.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 season, Francesco Molinari continues to compete primarily on the European Tour while maintaining limited status on the PGA Tour. At 42 years old, he remains one of the most experienced Italian players in the professional game, with more than two decades of tour experience since turning professional in 2004. He has spoken publicly about focusing on selective major-championship schedules and high-profile Rolex Series events.
His recent form has been steady rather than spectacular, and he enters 2025 looking to add to his tally of 10 professional wins. Key targets include the Open Championship, where his lone major victory came in 2018, and the Italian Open, an event he has already won twice. Strong finishes at those tournaments would help him climb back toward the upper reaches of the Official World Golf Ranking.
Molinari’s long-standing work with performance coach Dave Alred and his family base in Turin and London provide stability as he targets another memorable season. With the Ryder Cup returning in 2025, he is also positioning himself as a potential candidate for the European team, continuing a partnership story that began alongside his brother Edoardo in 2010.
