Francesco Molinari shot a stunning final-round 62 to win his first PGA Tour title by eight shots at the Quicken Loans National in Maryland.
The 35-year-old Italian began the final round level with Mexico’s Abraham Ancer on 13 under, but carded six birdies and an eagle to win from American Ryan Armour and become the first Italian to win on US soil since Toney Penna in 1954.
Tiger Woods achieved his second-best result of the season, finishing in a tie for fourth on 11 under. The 14-time major winner ended with a final round 66 and has only finished higher once since August 2013, when he tied for second at the Valspar Championship in November.
But Molinari ensured those chasing him were of little threat, as after making two birdies on the front nine, he made a 50-foot eagle putt on the 10th hole and followed it with four consecutive birdies.
The two-time European Ryder Cup team member moved from 123rd to 42nd in the FedEx Cup standings, and justified his decision to play at the tournament rather than take part in the European Tour’s French Open, which was held at Paris National, venue for September’s Ryder Cup.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” said Molinari, who is currently fourth in the European Ryder Cup points list and seventh in the world points list. “I thought until the last minute whether to go to France or to play in the States, but it seems like it was the right choice in the end. I came here because I was right on the bubble in the FedExCup, and I wanted to gain a better position, so I guess it’s job done. It was a big risk not playing in France, but the risk on the other side was that I would miss out on qualifying for the FedEx Cup.”