Francesco Molinari is on the right side of the bag at PGA Championship
Francesco Molinari listens to a question during a news conference at the PGA Championship on Tuesday at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. Credit: AP/Jeff Roberson
ST. LOUIS — As the newly crowned British Open champion, Francesco Molinari enters the PGA Championship with a weight of expectation. Trust him, he has carried a more onerous burden into a major.
The first time he was inside the ropes at one of the Grand Slam tournaments, he was toting clubs for his brother, Edoardo, at the 2006 Masters. Plus, he did it alongside Tiger Woods.
“I remember the bag being very heavy because my brother likes to carry around a lot of stuff that is not needed on the golf course, really,” Francesco said Tuesday at Bellerive Country Club, recalling how as a 25-year-old he caddied for his older brother, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, who was paired with the defending Masters winner.
Just after Molinari won the British Open at Carnoustie last month, playing alongside Woods, photos surfaced of him wearing the Masters white overall with No. 18. When he was asked about it Tuesday, Molinari recalled, “The feeling of not liking being on the other side of the bag, having someone (else) hitting the shots. Obviously, I would have much rather been playing that week, but it was an amazing experience.”
Relaxed dress code
The PGA Championship is relaxed in one obvious aspect: dress code. During practice rounds, players are allowed to wear shorts, a rule that comes in handy in August. Many of them have taken advantage of it, or at least would liked to have done so. “I definitely forgot to pack them,” Dustin Johnson said, adding that he went with the more casual look last year at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. “It almost felt kind of weird wearing shorts, especially when I wear pants every single day out here (on tour). At home, I do wear them a bunch, but yeah, I definitely forgot.”
Davis Love's 100th major
Davis Love III this week will become only the 15th player to have participated in 100 majors. He began at the 1986 PGA. “I remember how excited I was to get in the PGA Championship,” he said. “With my dad as a club pro, the PGA Championship was a big deal to him.”
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