Edoardo Molinari of Italy was not to know for sure that his performance on Friday and Saturday at The Johnnie Walker Championship had already secured him a favourable position amongst Colin Montgomerie's possible wild card picks for the 2010 Ryder Cup.
So faced with the doubt, and in the knowledge that a win would it impossible to be ignored, the talented Edoardo set about his business on the Sunday at Gleneagles in the final pairing with his Brother, Francesco, to try and write a new chapter in Ryder Cup History.
And so he did with birdies on the last three holes to win the event outright in impressive style and render Australian Brett Rumford’s routines on the practice area redundant after a superb finish on the eighteenth green with his new caddie, Dubliner Colin Byrne, alongside him.
The 29 year old Italian was two behind Rumford with three holes to play before he two-putted the long 16th; sank a curling 30 footer at the 194 yard 17th and then hit a chip to within 18 inches of the final hole.
“Playing on 16, I thought I was one behind, and I had two par fives to play and thought that I still had a chance to win the tournament if I make two birdies in the last three,” said Molinari.
“So I was playing very well and I knew I could do it and when I got on to the 16th tee and hit a great second shot I thought I had a great possibility.
“I knew I had to do two birdies on the last three at least to tie him and I had a big putt on 16, I think that was very important. And I hit it safely on the green on 17, and just before I hit the putt, Colin, my caddie told me I was owed a putt, because I hit a lot of good putts today that didn't go in, and he was right, because it went right in the divot and it was a difficult putt, as well.
“And then playing the last, I played a nice second shot, and made a great chip, again. Colin, he is the winner this week, not me, because we spent probably more time this week on the chipping than in the last six months. I started working with him three tournaments ago, at Bridgestone in the States, and I think he's the best caddie.”
Molinari, who won the Barclays Scottish Open and with his brother Francesco gave Italy their first-ever Omega Mission Hills World Cup victory last year, was then handed one of Captain Colin Montgomerie’s Ryder Cup wildcards.
Molinari's latest triumph, which left him an agonising one point short of gaining automatic selection off the world points list, came with a one under par 71 in the windy conditions.
In the past year the Turin golfer has climbed from The Challenge Tour into the top 20 of The Official World Golf Ranking, took the €282,773 first prize with a ten under par total of 278.
Rumford was second and then two shots further back were Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiménez, Welshman Jamie Donaldson and Molinari's brother, who had been the overnight leader and was still in with a chance until he closed with a bogey six.
Jiménez and Swede Peter Hanson were able to start celebrating without waiting for Captain Montgomerie's decision an hour later as they had done what they to clinch the final two automatic spots for The Celtic Manor Resort, while Simon Dyson, who began the week hoping that a win would get him into the side, finished sixth.
Jiménez needed a top nine finish to make sure and was joint third, while Hanson required top 43 and was 19th.
The Irish interest did not end with Edoardo's caddie as Damien McGrane battled the windy conditions to come home in 74 shots finishing 5 under par in a share of 7th place – despite opening with a bogey on the first. McGrane recovered to make the turn level but dropped shots on the back nine to fall back down the leader board by the end of Sunday’s final round.
Simon Thornton of Team Ireland had a tougher battle dropping three shots – on holes 6, 7 and 8 – to make the turn in 39 shots - then adding to the damage with a double bogey on the 13th to sign for a 78 and one under par total.
Thornton secured a share of 26th place and a valuable cheque for €15,100 with three events left to still to play this season – Omega European Masters in Crans-Sur-Sierre; The KLM Open in Hilversum and the Austrian Golf Open in the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg.
Paul McGinley ended his round with a 76 to finish level par after which he joined his fellow Ryder Cup Vice Captains and Team Captain, Colin Montgomerie, to contemplate the impressive finish of the unflappable, Edoardo Molinari.
History was indeed written at Gleneagles as brothers will now play together in the biennial golf event between Europe and the United States in WAles. No brothers have played in the same match since Bernhard and Geoff Hunt in 1963.
The 2010 Ryder Cup will be played from October 1st-3rd at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.
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