	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE RYDER CUP

September 28, 2010

Francesco Molinari

NEWPORT, WALES

GORDON SIMPSON: We are very pleased to welcome our first Italian Ryder Cup player since Constantino Rocca, and, in fact, we have two coming up, just after the other, we have Edoardo coming up after Francesco. This is your first experience. You joined the team last night at Celtic Manor and you had practise today. What is your initial impression of Ryder Cup golf?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Well, it's a great feeling. You know, it's a lot of fun to be here and to be part of this team with some of the most amazing golfers in the world.
So I'm really proud to be here and you know playing today was great. We had a little nice match with Rory, and the tournament is still quite far away. It's a lot of fun and I guess we should just try to have fun all the rest of the week.
GORDON SIMPSON: G-Mac said it was a little bit of World Cup/Mission Hills needle in that match.
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: They won this one, but we won the most important one. They won 2-up.
It was still the first day out so a couple of things to get used to, but the four of us played quite well and we are really excited about it and we will do our best to win the Cup back.

Q. Watched a lot of your round today and not many putts seemed to drop in. Did you struggle with the greens?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: No, not really. I mean, it was the first round we played here, so we need to get used to the pace and everything. But they are rolling fine and Edoardo and G-Mac holed most of the putts today. I think it's just a matter of getting used to the greens, and also me and Rory are going to hole some.

Q. Constantino Rocca is said to have wept with joy when you made The Ryder Cup Team; what does this mean for Italian golf back in Italy?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: It's great for Italian golf and Italian sports in general. To have two guys here is something that only a few years ago was almost unthinkable.
So it's great to be here, and I guess everyone who has been involved with us, with our career, is really proud that we are here, and obviously it's quite a big news, two brothers in The Ryder Cup. So it's going to be good for golf in Italy to get more popular.

Q. And they are aware of your achievement back in Italy?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah, yeah, they are, all of the main newspapers are talking about and it, and TV, as well. Italian television is going to cover the tournament, so I think it's going to be quite big for golf.

Q. A lot has been made of you and your brother getting to play together. Now that you're actually here, is it what you expected? What's it like to actually be here with him for a Ryder Cup?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: For us, maybe it's weird to say, but it feels quite normal to be here together. We had a steady improvement during our careers, and you know, we got here step-by-step and it feels obviously great, but it's nothing, I mean, you know, I almost expected my brother to be here, and I guess it was the same for him.

Q. How much do you all talk out on the course? How much do y'all help each other? Do you play your own games or --
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: We help each other a little bit. Just we know this golf course, obviously, quite well, but we were trying to spot any difference from what it was back in June when we played here. If one doesn't see one thing, the other one is obviously telling him and trying to help. But then we are two different players and we play in slightly different ways, as well. So I think that's about it.

Q. And can I ask one other thing, how much do y'all hang out together?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah, when we are not on tour, I live in London and Edoardo lives in Italy, so we don't spend a lot of time together. But when we are out on tour, yeah, we hang out together during the night and have drinks together. So it feels like we are back home a little bit.

Q. Everyone sort of has taken it almost as read that you will play with your brother. Do you actually see it that way, or is there scope for you to play with other teammates?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: I mean, watching the players in the team, I'll be happy to play with anyone in the team to be honest with you. Obviously I think if we are playing both decently, we will play maybe some matches together but you know, it depends on Colin and it depends on how everybody is playing, who is playing well, who is not playing well. So, we'll see during the week.
I don't expect to play every single match with Edoardo.

Q. A couple of questions, what do you think of your brother's comments that you will win every match?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: That he was mad? (Laughter). I guess he was trying desperately to make the team and he did great in doing that. We play really well together and we are a strong pairing, but, you know, we are not going to play against some -- we are definitely going to play against some of the best of the world players.
So it's not going to be easy, but we'll do our best. Four points, it's a lot, but we will try our best if we play all the matches.

Q. You are portrayed as the quiet one and Edoardo as the excitable one; is that fair?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah. (Laughter).

Q. Why do you live in London and what do you like to live in London?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: I moved to London last year because of the travelling mainly, and because our coach lives there and I get to spent more time with him, Denis Pugh. And I just like the city and going out and finding new restaurants and going to plays and to the cinema. I just love the city life. I live in town in Kensington, so it's about 40 minutes away from Wisley.

Q. What plays have you seen recently?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Well, last time we went last winter because we don't have much time and we went to see some Keira Knightley play or we just watch whatever we can.

Q. Does anybody recognize you who you are out in London?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: No, not really. Maybe if I spend some time in the airport maybe, but usually not in town.

Q. When Edoardo was playing those last three holes at Gleneagles, were you able to watch? Was it difficult being his brother and seeing what he had to do, or did you just look away?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: No, no. I was watching. But I was obviously mainly focused on winning the tournament myself, and you know, I was watching him as a competitor. And you know, it not easy when you play with your brother, because in some ways you obviously want to beat him because you want to win the tournament, and some others you want him to do well.
So it's a bit of a conflict, but yeah, usually I watch him when he plays. That's not a problem.
GORDON SIMPSON: Now we'll see if Edoardo's answers correspond with yours. Thank you.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297