Francesco Molinari Nominated For BBC World Sport Star Award

The Italian is on the four-person shortlist for the BBC's World Sport Star of the Year award

Francesco Molinari Nominated For BBC World Sport Star Award

The Italian is on the four-person shortlist for the BBC's World Sport Star of the Year award

Francesco Molinari Nominated For BBC World Sport Star Award

Francesco Molinari has been nominated for the BBC's World Sports Star of the Year award, a new addition to this year's Sports Personality of the Year awards.

The award was previously named Overseas Sports Personality of the Year and this time around votes can be cast from outside of the UK.

The Italian, who lives in London and practises at The Wisley, is one of the four nominees, along with American gymnast Simone Biles, Ukranian boxer Oleksandr Usyk and Czech skier/snowboarder Ester Ledecka.

Molinari had the season of his life in 2018, winning three times including his first major plus putting in a record-breaking Ryder Cup performance.

VOTE FOR MOLINARI

The 36-year-old got his first win of the season at the European Tour's flagship event - the BMW PGA Championship - where he duelled and beat Rory McIlroy to win his fifth European Tour title.

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Molinari's BMW PGA Championship triumph was the biggest win of his career at the time

Molinari then finished 2nd at the Italian Open the following week before winning his maiden PGA Tour title at the Quicken Loans National by an incredible eight strokes.

He was dominant in his Quicken Loans National victory, his first win Stateside

He was just getting started, however, as he would go on to lift the Claret Jug and his maiden Major title at Carnoustie where he went bogey-free for the final 36 holes to beat the likes of playing partner Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele.

He became the first Italian to win a Major title at Carnoustie

Molinari wasn't finished there and put in one of the all-time great Ryder Cup performances, going 5-0, becoming the first ever European to achieve that feat.

Ryder Regain Ryder Cup

His Ryder Cup performance was one for the ages

He and partner Tommy Fleetwood, now known as 'Moliwood', won all four of their matches and the Italian also won his singles match on Sunday vs Phil Mickelson to clinch the winning point.

Molinari was crowned Race to Dubai champion in November

The Open champion would also go on to win the Race to Dubai title to be crowned Europe's number one.

Molinari reached a career-high of 5th in the world in 2018 and has now firmly cemented himself as the greatest Italian golfer of all time.

VOTE FOR MOLINARI

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV