This is Francesco Molinari's eighth appearance at the US Open, the second major of the season to be played between today and Sunday in Wisconsin, in Erin, on the field of the same name inaugurated in 2006. The Turinese has the opportunity to win, given the extraordinary period of form he is going through, but also to beat his own all-Italian record: reaching and exceeding the threshold of 14th place in the world order of merit. If the 34-year-old succeeds in this feat it will be thanks to a good performance over these four days and this is even more to be hoped for. His best placement in a major tournament is still at position 23 and the time has come to go beyond that limit, given the quality of the game of the national Chicco.
The participants are the best in the world and the competition is tough and open. The favorite is Dustin Johnson, reigning champion and number one in the world ranking. However, the fall down the stairs before the Masters put him out of action for a couple of months and this could compromise his performance. All the big names also accuse some ailments: Rory McIlroy has back pain, Jason Day as well and also has family worries, because his mother is not well. Jordan Spieth does not accuse pain, yet he has not yet entered the ball this year.
A little thriller takes center stage regarding Phil Mickelson: this morning the Californian champion is 2000 kilometers away, at the Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, where his daughter Amanda is graduating, yet he is also registered for the race and leaving in the early afternoon. Will he succeed in this enterprise? There are no technical times, but the left-handed player is hoping for a postponement due to bad weather. For now, however, the weather forecasts are not on his side. The course is a long and difficult par 72, with practically no tree and with a hellish rough. If the wind has a hand in it it will be a perfect Irish links. It seems like an ideal premise for Rory, who in fact observes “I like the track, because it allows you to be aggressive, and I feel aggressive, even if it's necessary to avoid the rough. However, it offers a different challenge from what we are used to”.
In a tweet, Molinari also leaves a comment: “It's a field – says the blue – where the wind will be decisive for the scores. The fairways are generous enough, but many shots are blind. But the rough is out of control." The prize pool is stellar and equal to 12 million dollars.
