The Masters has only been over for four days and it seems impossible to go beyond the emotions and beauty of Augusta, instead the golf season is in full swing and the important competitions, from now on, follow one another without stopping. Francesco Molinari, twentieth last Sunday, immediately gets back into the game for the RBC Heritage (April 12-15), a Pga Tour race, on the Harbor Town GL track in Hilton Head in South Carolina. Other top names do the same. Among them the number one in the world, Dustin Johnson, the young rampant Cameron Simth, the British Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, for a rich pot of 6,7 million dollars.
Among Francesco's objectives is to accumulate points and improve his position in the world order of merit, to obtain a place in the European team of the Ryder Cup, scheduled for the end of September, in Paris. He has already redeemed his ticket for that appointment, but on the opposing team, the American Patrick Reed, winner of his first green jacket on Sunday, at the end of four impeccable golf days. The last 18 holes were splendid, with an impressive comeback by Jordan Spieth and second place by Rickie Fowler.
However, Reed outclassed his opponents, proving to be worthy of a major and managing to sink decisive putts in moments of high tension. Disappointing Rory McIlroy, opaque especially in the last lap. The four protagonists of the race rest this weekend and so does Tiger Woods, after his 32nd place at the Masters. A satisfactory result, if one thinks of Tiger's conditions a year ago, but far from the dream of the first places in the standings. In any case, the champion, with this result, is among the top hundred players in the world (he is now number 88).
Even the European tour resumes its journey this week, after a month's break. It starts again with the Spanish Open, at the Centro Nacional de Golf in Madrid.
Great favorite is Jon Rahm, 23-year-old from Barrika and world number four, winner of two titles on the European circuit in 2017. His compatriots Rafa Cabrera Bello, Gonzalo Fernandez Castaño, Pablo Larrazabal, among others, will try to make life difficult for him. Six Italians in the field: Matteo Manassero, Edoardo Molinari, Renato Paratore, Nino Bertasio, Lorenzo Gagli and Andrea Pavan. The prize pool is 1,5 million euros.
