Winnings Ways: Italy

Last updated: 30th November 2009

World Cup winners - Francesco and Edoardo Molinari of Italy

In the bag - Francesco Molinari

Driver - Nike Sumo 5000
Irons - Nike VR forged split cavity
Wedges - Nike VR
Ball - Nike One Tour

Teamwork

Just as in the Ryder Cup and other team events, the World Cup calls for slightly different skills from sportsmen who are more used to concentrating on their own game and nothing else.

Runners-up Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy have formed a strong bond in the last couple of years that has served them well in recent events - and is already being viewed as a possible Ryder Cup partnership of the future by captain Colin Montgomerie.

So, too, could Team Molinari.

Although they are brothers, the family link is no guarantee of on-the-course compatibility (indeed two brothers I learned the game with would often go at one another in a very un-brotherly fashion; a strong team is the last thing they were).

But the two Italian brothers have proved that they have the humility to accept lesser roles when it is called for within the partnership.

When Edoardo's 2005 US Amateur win earned him a spot at the 2006 Masters, Francesco happily carried his bag.

Similarly when Francesco's career took off (just weeks after the 2006 Masters when he claimed the Italian Open) and Edoardo's stalled a little, the latter simply worked harder rather than sulked about his brother's new-found success.

Winning habit

Francesco has earned the reputation as one of the European Tour's finest ball strikers over the last four years and his consistency has seen him rise to 37th in the World rankings.

However his putting is a weakness which explains why he hasn't added to that 2006 Italian Open title.

Edoardo, on the other hand, has claimed many wins, but achieved them all on the lower rungs of the professional ladder.

He won twice on the Challenge Tour in 2007, added another three wins this year and then also triumphed in the Dunlop Phoenix event in Japan two weeks ago.

Edoardo's winning habit may have helped Francesco over the line and now he has tasted success again it may not be long before he does it on his own for a second time.

The back nine

For much of the week the event was a birdie-fest with the Irish team scoring 58 on the first day and Italy getting back into the event on the third day with a 61.

But as the three leading teams hit the back nine on Sunday, playing in the trickier foursome (alternate shot) combination finding the bottom of the cup suddenly became a more difficult proposition.

Italy played the last 11 holes in four-under par, the only team to maintain their momentum.

The Irish stalled completely to play the back nine in one over whilst the Swedes could only manage one under the card.