With the (prestigious) signatures of Francesco Molinari and Guido Migliozzi, Continental Europe wins the Hero Cup with a score of 14.5 to 10.5 over the Great Britain & Ireland team. A great injection of optimism for blue golf in view of the Ryder Cup in September in Rome.
Hero Cup, results
With Victor Perez and Nicolai Hojgaard, Molinari (captain and player) and Migliozzi are the only players to be unbeaten in Abu Dhabi. The Continentals took the lead in the opening fourballs (3 – 2). Then they conquered another point margin in the two foursomes sessions of the second day (splits of 2.5 to 2.5 and 3 to 2) for an 8.5 to 6.5.
The partial became the definitive 14.5-10.5 thanks to the superiority also evident in the singles (partial of 6 to 4). No way for Great Britain & Ireland led by Tommy Fleetwood. To sign the putt that sanctioned the arithmetic victory of Continental Europe was the Polish Adrian Meronk who defeated (1up) Callum Shinkwin.
Among the British none has remained undefeated. They got 3 Fleetwood and MacIntyre, (one loss for both) 2.5 Wallace, 2 Hatton and Smith, 1.5 Shinkwin, 1 Ferguson, Mansell and Power and none Lowry. On the continental side Straka and Detry brought them two points, 1.5 Pieters and Noren and one Rozner and Meronk.
Migliozzi and Molinari gave the continental cause 3.5 points out of the four available with two successes in double foursomes matches, one in singles and a draw in double fourballs. All this, in front of the eyes of the Englishman Luke Donald, captain of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in Rome.
In the single, Molinari had the better (3&2 the final result) on the Irishman Shane Lowry. Francesco dominated right from the start of the game (he was 3 up after the first five holes played) and after suffering the return of his opponent, who brought the match to a draw at 11, from 12 to 16 he made three decisive birdies .
Migliozzi also mastered the match, who left no way out for Richard Mansell (4&3 the outcome of their challenge). With the lead from the first hole, the 25-year-old from Veneto scored four birdies. “The Hero Cup is a fantastic victory and now I can finally relax.
I’m delighted for all my team, guiding these guys has been pretty easy. My compliments to them, they were very good” said captain Molinari. After dragging Europe to triumph in 2018 at the Ryder Cup in Paris and missing the match against the USA in 2021 in Wisconsin, he wants to be in Rome. And with him Migliozzi, a budding talent of Italian golf.
