‘Fed Up With This Idiocy’ – Francesco Molinari Lashes Out At Social Media Claim

The Italian has rubbished a suggestion his poor form is because of family problems

Francesco Molinari takes a shot during the 2022 RSM Classic
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Mike Hall
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Francesco Molinari leads Continental Europe in this week’s Hero Cup as Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald casts his eye over potential players to compete in September’s tournament at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

However, while that is undoubtedly an honour for the Italian, it is far from the high point of a career that has seen him claim ten professional wins, including one Major, the 2018 Open. Molinari’s most recent win came in the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational, a result that saw him sit comfortably inside the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

That is in stark contrast to his current World No.164, which led one Twitter user to suggest family problems may have affected his form. However, Molinari hit back at the remark in a series of tweets where he attributed his decline to poor decisions in tournaments. He wrote: “Could you please tell me what my family problems are, so maybe if I know about them I can solve them. I’m honestly fed up with this idiocy, more or less openly expressed. Golf is a sport, I’ve had a decline in recent years because I’ve made wrong decisions on the course."

“No one is infallible, least of all me who has always made mistakes, even in the best of times. One thing that has never been lacking is commitment and dedication. And I assure you that it is not missing now. Best wishes for a 2023 full of satisfactions to everyone.” 

Molinari reached a career-high of World No.6 after finishing tied for 16th at the 2019 US Open. As well as his sole Major victory, he has also achieved top-10 finishes in five other Majors, most recently in the 2019 Masters at Augusta National. He has also won the Ryder Cup with Team Europe three times. 

While those successes have dried up in recent years, Molinari’s reasoning for his decline is refreshingly honest. He'll hope to begin putting that form right, starting this week at Abu Dhabi Golf Club as his team takes on Great Britain and Ireland, captained by Tommy Fleetwood.

Mike Hall
Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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