British Open 2019: 5 bold predictions for The Open Championship

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PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 16: Francesco Molinari of Italy plays his shot from the first tee during a practice round prior to the 148th Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 16, 2019 in Portrush, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) /

4. Francesco Molinari fails to make the top 40

Most golf fans would agree that the 2018 British Open was one of the most exciting tournaments and majors in recent memory. There were wild swings in scoring throughout the leaderboard and massive names such as Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy were all in contention to hoist the Claret Jug. At the end of 72 holes, though, it was Francesco Molinari that emerged on top.

The reigning Champion Golfer of the Year earned that title with a phenomenal weekend run at Carnoustie, shooting a 6-under round of 65 on Saturday to vault up the leaderboard and then stay solid with a 2-under round of 69 on Sunday that clinched his victory, making him the first Italian born major championship winner ever.

No one has questioned the validity of Molinari’s win and he’s been good this season as well. You could even argue that, had he not broken down at The Masters, he could’ve added another major championship to his trophy case. And yet, when you look at that collapse and generally where Molinari’s at right now in this season, it’s not something to wholly feel confident in.

Molinari has only played in four PGA Tour tournaments since May and the results haven’t been all that great. He finished tied-48th at the PGA Championship, tied-53rd at the Charles Schwab, tied-16th at the U.S. Open and lastly tied for 57th at the Travelers. Given that form and his limited number of tournaments played, fade Molinari at Royal Portrush as he won’t come close to a back-to-back win at The Open.

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