Francesco Molinari was the top Ryder Cup performer on the first day of the Italian Open on Thursday, two weeks from Europe’s showdown against the US in Illinois.
The Italian carded a four-under 68 at the Royal Park I Roveri course to finish the first round four strokes behind the leader, Sweden’s Joel Sjoholm.
Molinari, the 2006 winner of this tournament, was two shots better off than Ryder Cup teammates, Martin Kaymer and team captain Jose Maria Olazabal, while Nicolas Colsaerts was a shot further back on one under.
“It’s fun playing in front of the home crowd, but there is a lot of pressure and everyone wants you to do well,” Molinari said.
“It would be nice to give them a nice week, but it’s quite tough. It was nice to spend some time together [with Nicolas Colsaerts and Martin Kaymer] and I’m sure we will have a lot of fun in America as well. We talked a little about a few things, but not too much,” he added.
The Ryder Cup takes place at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois from Sept 28 to 30.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Sjoholm, who missed the cut in his last two tournaments, was the first round leader after an eight under par 64.
“I want revenge. The last two weeks I actually played quite good golf,” the Swede said. “Normally when I score well, I have to putt well. The last few weeks I have putted quite poorly and missed the cut by one stroke. Both times I felt like I had a good chance to make the cut, but you have to forget and keep moving on.”
England’s Lee Slattery picked up three shots in his last four holes to snatch second late in the day on seven under.
France’s Victor Dubuisson, South Africa’s Keith Horne and Garth Mulroy, Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin and England trio Richard Bland, David Howell and Richard McEvoy all shot rounds off 66 to form a seven person tie for third place.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but