CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — Francesco Molinari’s first taste of major championship golf was caddying for his older brother at the Masters.
But 12 years on, he was the Molinari saving the pars and making the putts under duress, and he is no longer under the shadow of any Italian golfer after his pressure-proof performance at this year’s British Open.
At age 35, Molinari gave Italy its first victory in a major on Sunday by outplaying a tightly packed field that included the defending champion Jordan Spieth, a resurgent Tiger Woods and the leading European players of Molinari’s generation: Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy.