Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Molinari plays his second shot on the 3rd hole during day three of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 17, 2018.  

By Kent Gray
Francesco Molinari admits he is running on empty. Thankfully for the Italian, his best pal on tour doesn’t exactly have his game purring either.

Molinari is 18 holes from becoming the first Italian to clinch the Harry Vardon Trophy as European No.1, presuming of course Tommy Fleetwood doesn’t produce an improbable final round to win the 10th DP World Tour Championship. 

The problem for Fleetwood is he went backwards on moving day, a two-over 74 seeing him tumble 18 places down the leaderboard to a share of 24th, a shot ahead of Molinari but a long way from the summit of a leaderboard he’d need to reach come Sunday night to deny Molinari, as long as his Ryder Cup sidekick also finished outside of the top 5.

The way Molinari is playing – a third round 70 leaving him -5 and in a share of 28th place – he’ll win the Race to Dubai by stumbling over the line rather than bursting through the winner’s tape. Not that the reigning Open and BMW PGA champion would mind too much.

“It would mean a lot, no doubt,” said the 36-year-old from Turin.

“I don’t know how many chances you get in a lifetime, in a career, to achieve something like that. It would be great.

“Obviously it’s not really so much in my hands now. I need to go out tomorrow and try to shoot 8-, 9-, 10-under [total] if possible, and if not, just sit down and see what happens.”

Sitting down seems to be something the Italian is looking forward to doing after a dream, but long, season that included his historic five-point haul in Europe’s Ryder Cup success at Le Golf National.

“A mixture to be honest,” Molinari said when asked if the issue was mental or physical fatigue.

“It’s something new I’ve never really experienced this like this and I kind of tried to convince myself that I’m feeling better week-after-week, but then a round of golf and I’m back where I started.

“I think on Thursday, there was a little bit of adrenaline going and that helped me, definitely, to start with, but at the moment it’s just hard to keep the focus or 18 holes.

“It is what it is. Tomorrow, I feel there’s a low one this there because I’m hitting the ball well and I’m putting well enough; it’s just a matter of doing it for 18 holes.”

After rounds of 68 and 73, Molinari started moving day on Earth with a roar, birdieing his first two holes. But he gave them straight back with a double bogey on the par-3 4th before trading four further gains with two more dropped shots, the last on the 18th.

“Just another wasted opportunity to be honest but you know, it is what it is. This time of the year, I think I’m trying my best but there’s not a lot in there left.

“So yeah, a shame, I’m playing well. I’m putting well, but I’m just dropping shots for fun. So it is what it is. One more round, and we’ll see what I can do tomorrow.”