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DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI

November 18, 2018

Francesco Molinari

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

CLARE BODEL: Welcome, once again, Francesco.

FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Thank you.

CLARE BODEL: And this time you've brought a stack of trophies with you. We spoke a few days ago in this press conference room, you were leading The Race to Dubai. It's finally done. How do you feel now.

FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah, relieved more than anything to be honest. Clearly I wasn't bursting with energies the last few days, but I did what I could, and luckily it was good enough. I'm really incredibly proud to know that my name is going to be on that trophy with some incredible names.

So yeah, I can't wait to go back and sit down and really relive the last few months. You know, obviously this week, I'm not very proud of this week for the way I played but obviously I will remember it for a long time for winning The Race to Dubai. It's just an incredible achievement again. I know I keep saying everything has been incredible, but if I think where I was before Wentworth this year; if someone told me I would go on to win Wentworth, win on the PGA TOUR, win The Open, five points at The Ryder Cup, I probably would have laughed.

But it's happened, so evidently I've done something good, and I need to do more next year.

CLARE BODEL: You mentioned the fantastic things you've achieved this year. Do you have any sense throughout the season that this was becoming your best-ever season on Tour?

FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Well, yeah, I mean, already to be honest, already after winning Wentworth and on the PGA TOUR, I mean, if you stop there, it still would have been probably my best season, because to win on two different tours is really something.

Then on top of it, you put a major and it becomes something else, and then The Ryder Cup, and now this. So it's really, like I said all season, it's been happening so fast that today on the first tee, you know, they announced me as the winner of Wentworth and the Open Champion and the Race to Dubai leader, and it just doesn't sound real to be honest.

You know, like I said, I need to sit down and really think about what's happened and try to process it. Obviously next year, there's going to be a lot more expectation, and I need to be ready for that.

Q. Could you tell us what you think the one thing is that you have done so much better this year and that has resulted in you obviously winning, so exceptionally well. Lot of things, but the one you think is most important.
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Winning. (Laughter) And that takes a lot of things. Obviously, I mean, if I say one thing, then everyone is going to think it's only that, but it's many things. Obviously the progress I've made in the putting since working with Phil Kenyon has been really helpful.

The work that I've done with Dave Alred the last three years has been building through the years, and obviously kind of peaked this summer.

The work I do with Denis Pugh; we've been together 15 years. I think so many other teachers would have been happy the way I was swinging last year or two years ago, and he kept pushing me and he kept adding new things.

So everyone involved with me has really tried to make me better, and then that's made the difference.

Q. Well, you contributed, too. You've done a bit yourself.
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Maybe, yeah. I must be doing something right, yeah. (Laughter).

No, no, yeah, I couldn't do it without them. I don't have the knowledge to improve my putting. I don't have the knowledge to improve my swing. I don't have the knowledge and the experience coming from Dave from different sports and psychologically, he made me a lot stronger.

So when I say it's a team effort, it's because of that because everyone has been giving me things, and it's up to me to work on it and to improve in so many different ways. But I wouldn't know where to start if it wasn't for them.

Q. It does seem cruel to be asking you about next season when this one has only just finished, but are you the type of player that would set goals or set targets at the start of each season?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: No, because especially this year, going into next season, I think it could only hurt me to set goals.

So the goal, we've had a chat with the rest of the team, and the goal is going to be to improve my golf, to improve physically, to improve putting; so to try and be a better player. And if the results are going to show it, great. If not, I still want to finish next season feeling like I'm a better player.

I was feeling a better player this year before all of the wins happened. Obviously the wins give you maybe validation, but in the end of the day, you need to work on yourself and improve, and then, I mean, look at what Danny did today. He obviously went through a tough spell after winning the Masters, and fair play to him, because he's worked really hard. I played with him in Italy this year on the last round, and you could see he was definitely on the up. So fair play to him and well done.

And I need to do the same. I need to work on the things that I think I need to improve and just keep getting better, and then results will follow.

Q. You mentioned expectations there and being ready for more expectations next year. Would you speak to somebody like Rory or Ryder Cup Teammates who are perhaps more used to having that pressure? Would you speak to them for any sort of advice?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: No, I don't think so. Just because it's not really something I've ever done in my career. I'll speak to the guys that work with me, around me, and I think I just need to believe in myself. Obviously I've seen it a little bit the last few months after The Open, definitely, and when I say that I need to be ready, I just mean that I don't need to get sucked in with the things that come from the outside. We go back to being process-oriented more than outcome-oriented and just get better day after day. Simple as that.

Q. Could I just take you back to this summer, July, and slightly controversially, you were missing a couple tournaments in Europe, and Thomas was sending you a text saying, are you sure you know what you're doing; you're doing the right thing. Was that the real turning point; the next week you obviously win The Open and everything and you're proven right. But your thoughts of that period in your year.
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah, it wasn't easy at all obviously. After winning Wentworth and finishing second in Italy, I was doing great in The Race to Dubai and not so well in the FedExCup. So as much as it hurt missing Paris, and I knew if I didn't play well in the summer, probably having not played Paris, could have gone against me for picks and stuff like that. I thought it was the best choice, and obviously everything went even better than I expected.

But I think so many times in my career, when I make a decision, if I make it just to please other people, it never works out. So I'm proud that I was strong enough to say, you know, I know what I'm doing and I'm good enough to miss Paris and still qualify.

But I think that's one thing that really made me grow in the past as a player and as a person is to take responsibility and to make choices that sometimes maybe are not straightforward, but I need to choose with my own head and do what I think is best for myself.

Q. Are you planning a similar kind of schedule next season, playing bother tours, or can we have you just in Europe? (Laughter).
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: No, I think it's going to be similar. Well, it's going to be similar; meaning, I'm going to play both tours. It's going to be very different obviously for the changes, and yeah, with Wentworth and Italy being moved to the autumn, obviously it's going to be a little bit different. To be honest I haven't had much time or energies to focus on it yet, but in the next few weeks, I will make a plan.

Obviously it would be great to do what Tommy did, which is really hard, and come back here next year with a chance, at least, of retaining this trophy.

Q. Just a quick one. You talked about looking forward to going home to Italy. When you go back to Italy, what's the one thing you're looking forward to doing most? Will you go back to the golf club where you start of started and take the Claret Jug and that sort of stuff?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Just seeing my mom and dad to be honest, and then the rest of the family. Obviously we travel so much that we don't see them very often. Yeah, just bring the Claret Jug.

You know, I'm clearly not the kind of guy that is going to go parade around Turin with the Claret Jug, so I'll show it to a few friends and try to spend some quality time with the family, because then I won't get a chance to do it during the season.

CLARE BODEL: Thank you, everyone. Congratulations.

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