Molinari wins at Arnie’s event

Kokrak finishes tied for 10th

Associated Press

ORLANDO, FLA.

Francesco Molinari had seen so many clutch birdie putts on the 18th green at Bay Hill, most of them by Tiger Woods in the final group, usually with Arnold Palmer standing next to the green expecting like everyone else for them go in.

It was Molinari’s turn Sunday in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with a few big differences.

This putt was from 45 feet, longer than anything Woods ever made. And while it capped off an 8-under 64 and eventually gave Molinari a two-shot victory, the British Open champion had to wait nearly two hours to see if his score would hold up.

One more difference.

“I was the first to make it with the flag in,” Molinari said with a big smile, alluding to a new rule that allows the flag stick to stay in the cup with putts on the green.

All that mattered was that it dropped, capping off a five-shot rally with a final round no one imagined on a fast Bay Hill course with putting surfaces that looked closer to white than green, making it difficult for anyone to get it close to the hole.

“He’s obviously holed a lot of putts to do that because you can’t get close to these pins,” Matt Fitzpatrick, the 54-hole leader, said after a 71 to finish second. “There’s no way he’s knocked it to 6 feet on every hole. But he played very, very well to shoot that, and hat’s off to him.”

Fitzpatrick managed only two birdies, the same number as Rory McIlroy (72), who played in the final group for the third time in five starts this year without winning. McIlroy’s downfall was the par 5s — for his second shots, he had 5-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron and wedge into the green. He played the four par 5s in 1 under.

“I’m playing well,” McIlroy said after a tie for sixth, his worst finish this year. “My Sundays haven’t been what I would have liked, but I’m putting myself in that position. So good golf is good golf.”

Warren JFK graduate Jason Kokrak shot a 2-under 70 to finish in a five-way tie for 10th place. His Sunday round included three birdies and one bogey.

Molinari delivered the highest quality on a day that required nothing less. His five-shot comeback was the largest at Bay Hill since Woods in 2009.

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