Edoardo Molinari is one of the top golfers on the Challenge Tour, a second-tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. He was born Nov. 2, 1981, in Turin, Italy, where he currently resides. He also has played on the PGA European Tour since turning professional in 2006 after earning an engineering degree at the University of Torino.
Major Tournaments
Molinari qualified for three major tournaments in 2006 by winning the 2005 U.S. Amateur. His best finish came at the British Open at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England, where he finished tied for 68th place, the best finish for any amateur in the tournament. He missed the cut in the Masters and the U.S. Open at the Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
European Tour
Molinari played the 2008 season on the European Tour, earning $173,035. But he missed the cut in 11 of his final 13 tournaments, so he returned to the Challenge Tour for 2009.
Statistics
After struggling on the European Tour in 2008, Molinari showed improvement in many areas of his game in the first five tournaments he has competed in this year. He improved his stroke average (71.06 from 71.84), driving accuracy (67.86 percent from 65.9 percent), driving distance (315 yards from 295.27 yards) and greens in regulation (77.08 from 66.41).
Other Professional Highlights
Molinari has three career professional victories, all on the Challenge Tour. His first professional victory came at the Club Colombia Masters in Bogota in February 2007. Molinari's next victory came at the Tusker Kenya Open in Nairobi one month later. Molinari's most recent victory came at the Piemonte Open in his hometown of Turin, Italy, in May 2009.
Amateur Career
The highlight of Molinari's amateur career was becoming the first European golfer to win the U.S. Amateur since 1911. He beat Dillon Dougherty 4 and 3 in the championship match at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania. Other amateur victories include the 2003 Turkish Amateur Open Championship, the 2001 Italian Amateur Championship and the 1996 English Boys Under-16 Championship.
About The Author
Darin McGilvra is a writer in Southern California. He has been a writer since 1997. He worked as a sports writer and copy editor for newspapers for more than 12 years before becoming a freelance writer. His articles have appeared recently in "The Californian" newspaper in Temecula, Calif. McGilvra holds a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics education from Northwest Nazarene College.
