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THE 148TH OPENJuly 20, 2019Francesco MolinariPortrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom Q. How will you feel tomorrow? What will your emotions be like? FRANCESCO MOLINARI: I can tell you tomorrow when I finish. Definitely it will be a sense of closure, I guess. Yeah, I guess bittersweet. Obviously I would have liked to have a better defense of my title, but at the same time you realise that you don't have the trophy but your name is still going to be on it. So bittersweet for now, that's all I can think. And tomorrow I can probably give you a better answer. Q. Do you think it will be years down the line before you look back and realise what a special period it's been in your life? FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah, I think right now as golfers and athletes we are all too much trying to achieve more and too much in the present to fully appreciate for me what's happened last year. But once I hang the clubs I'll have time to think about it. Q. How much more difficult has it been for you this week because as a defending champion, more expectations on you? Did you feel more pressure this week? FRANCESCO MOLINARI: No. I guess the outside pressure is always there in majors. What I probably would do different is my expectations, myself, I put too much pressure on me, especially the first day. But it's understandable. It's not easy, obviously, especially the first time and having played well in other majors this year, obviously you come in with the high expectations. But you've seen it with Rory and other guys. Golf is a funny game. So even if you're playing well, the mental side is still the biggest priority. Q. How much would you like Tommy Fleetwood to win it? FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Well, it would make a good story for you guys to have the two of us, one next to each other, on the Claret Jug. Yeah, he's a friend and I'll cheer him on and hopefully he can get it done. There's still a long way. But he's there with a chance. If it's not this week, I think it's coming pretty soon. Q. Did you have an insight on how Rory must have felt on Thursday? FRANCESCO MOLINARI: I was probably feeling one-tenth of what Rory was feeling, if not less. But, yeah, it's not easy. Like I said, I guess he had very high expectations for this week and obviously you don't want to disappoint the crowd and all of that. I have experiences playing the Italian Open, and that's already a lot of pressure and expectations to play in a major at home on your own course pretty much. Is unthinkable really for me. Q. Obviously it doesn't change what he's done previously and what more he can achieve in the future. When something like that happens, what's the best thing to do? FRANCESCO MOLINARI: What he did yesterday, his reaction yesterday, he showed how much class he has as a player and as a person. It would have been very easy to just show up and go through the motions, but he fought hard until the last. I'm sure down the line he'll realise he had gained a lot from yesterday, more than what he lost on Thursday. Q. And then obviously what is it that gives Tommy a chance? FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Just the way he plays. He's a very talented player. He's still very young. And again, talking about expectations, I think he needs to wait for his time and it will come for sure. The way he plays and the way he handles himself, it's just a matter of time. I hope for him it would be this week. It would be great to, like I said, to have his name next to mine on the Claret Jug and we can have a big party next week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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