Quicken Loans National Recap: Molinari Wins by Eight

Francesco Molinari's runaway win at the Quicken Loans National will have ramifications for golf both in the United States and Europe. But still, the sport's Richter scale moves most when Tiger Woods is involved, as was the case over the past four days outside Washington, D.C.

We said last week in the DraftKings preview that this would be Woods' best chance to win all season, because it was a small and especially weak field. If not for the eight-stroke win by Molinari, who knows? Woods was at times electric in shooting a 66 on Sunday, a score that left him at 11-under-par and in a tie for fourth, two strokes behind runner-up Ryan Armour. If you take away Molinari, all of a sudden everyone else is playing for first, and that ratchets up the pressure exponentially. Maybe nerves would've gotten to Woods, but the others would've been more nervous.

Okay, yes, we know what you're thinking: It's silly to play the what-if game. So we're done with that.

Here's what really happened: Woods struck his irons beautifully (12th in strokes gained: tee to green). His putting with his new mallet on one hand was great, as he was seventh in the field in strokes gained: putting, but he was also last in the field inside 10 feet. His second-best finish since returning to the Tour moved him inside the top-50 in the FedEx Cup point standings and inside the top-70 in the world rankings. Woods will next play at the British Open, his last chance to qualify for the WGC-Bridgestone at Firestone, a track at which he's dominated through the years.

So what are Woods' chances at Carnoustie? Probably not as good as his odds, currently 25-1 and tied for about the No. 10 betting choice, or his DFS prices, which usually get Tiger-inflated. To reach Firestone, Woods is projected to need a finish in the top-10. Even that would be quite an accomplishment.

It's still relatively early in Woods' comeback, but it's still hard to envision a return to greatness. Certainly he'll never reach the heights he used to, but he might simply be a very good golfer going forward – someone who could reach the top-20 or -30 in the point standings to qualify for the Tour Championship and the top-25 or so in the OWGR, which would get him into all the majors and WGCs. There are players every year who do that without winning a tournament. It's entirely possible that could happen for Woods. He normally plays only the top tournaments with the best fields – the National was an exception because his foundation was affiliated with the event – and that makes winning even harder. That's why the National was his best chance all season. Woods has played in 11 events, with three top-fives and five top-12s.

Eventually, that good-but-not-great existence could and would wear thin; it would be hard to watch perhaps the best ever to play out his days in mediocrity. But for now, for times like last week, when Woods' 21 birdies tied Molinari for the most in the field, when the gallery's roars left no mistake who the fans were cheering for, it was wonderful for the opportunity to watch.

True story: I have Molinari on my team in the RotoWire season-long Fantasy Golf league. I picked Molinari this week in the RotoWire one-and-done pool. He was in the DraftKings value picks, as well. And still I found myself at the start of the day rooting for Tiger.

That's the beauty of Woods. We just have to be prepared in case he doesn't win.

Francesco Molinari

Molinari made the curious decision to bypass the French Open on the European Tour, a prestigious, big-money event, not to mention one played at Le Golf National, site of this fall's Ryder Cup in Paris. But he said he wanted to solidify his precarious position on the PGA Tour, and he thought TPC Potomac would fit his game.

Did it ever.

Molinari shot a course-record-tying 62 on Sunday to win by eight strokes. He moved from 123rd in the FedEx Cup point standings – in danger of missing the playoffs – to 42nd. He not only locked up his Tour card for two years with the win, he's now setting his sights on the Tour Championship, which he barely missed last year.

This was Molinari's second win in a month, having captured the BMW PGA at Wentworth. So he's peaking at the right time for Carnoustie, where his ball striking again matches up perfectly. And even though the Ryder Cup is still a few months away, the Euros have to be thrilled to see another star emerge to combat the loaded American squad. With the win, Molinari moved to No. 16 in the OWGR.

Fun fact: Molinari is the first Italian-born player to win a PGA Tour event since Toney Penna, who notched the last of his four wins at the 1947 Atlanta Open.

MONDAY BACKSPIN

Ryan Armour, Sung Kang, Abraham Ancer, Bronson Burgoon

By finishing in the top-12, Armour (solo second), Kang (solo third), Ancer (T4) and Burgoon (T6) all qualified for the British Open. Don't expect any of them to make a dent at Carnoustie, but we did see that all four have the capability to be in the mix in a lesser PGA Tour event. Armour, of course, even won last fall. Ancer particularly seems on the rise, with a sixth top-25 this season.

Beau Hossler

It's apparent that the 23-year-old Hossler's time is coming. In truth, it should've happened already, had it not been for a dagger of a putt by Ian Poulter to force a Houston playoff, which the Englishman won. Hossler is proving to be among the best putters in the world, which plays on any course. It worked so well at TPC Potomac that he tied for sixth, which moved him to No. 64 in the world (three spots ahead of Woods). One caveat: Hossler has a bit of a temper, which could cost him in crunch time if he doesn't get it under control.

Rickie Fowler

Fowler played decently while finishing solo 12th. The week set up nicely for him – weak field, course that suits his game. As with Woods, it really was his best chance to win all year. We're not saying that he can't win now; he could win the Scottish Open, which will be his next start in two weeks, or a major or anywhere. It's just that he keeps not winning, which is odd for someone in the top-10 in the world. One of these days, Fowler will win again, and we won't be surprised.

Dylan Meyer and Doc Redman

The pair of freshly minted professionals each had a great tournament, showing that they bear watching in the weeks ahead. Meyer, after an all-American career at Illinois, closed with a 3-under 67 to tie for 17th. Redman, the former U.S. Amateur champion out of Clemson, shot a 64 for a T33. That's the best we've seen from either of them so far, although Meyer also tied for 20th at the U.S. Open.

J.B. Holmes

Holmes got a lot of attention heading into the week, after a series of high finishes, but he missed the cut. Someone ranked about 150th on Tour in driving accuracy was not a good fit for TPC Potomac. But Holmes appears to be a good option to continue his strong run this week at the Greenbrier, where he's had a bunch of top-25s through the years.

Alexander Noren

Noren came from seven shots back to win the French Open, the third of eight events in the Rolex Series, which comprises the most important and largely richest tournaments on the European Tour calendar. Two more are coming up: Next week it's the Irish Open and the week after it's the Scottish Open, which will feature many Americans on the eve of the British Open. Noren now puts himself squarely in the conversation for the year's third major, though he likely was already there. It's the Swede's first win in more than a year, but he had a number of close misses on both sides of the Atlantic. He's up to No. 14 in the world. Noren could also be a force in the FedEx Cup playoffs. And in the Ryder Cup at the same Le Golf National course he just conquered.

Julian Suri

The New York City native who plays on the Euro Tour had the biggest win of his burgeoning career in sight, but he doubled the last hole and wound up one stroke back. The 27-year-old is trying to make it in the States, and has played a number of events on the PGA Tour, where he could be much more prominent next season. For now, Suri heads to the Irish Open next week and he could be a sleeper in the British. He's up to No. 63 in the world, four spots ahead of Woods.

Jon Rahm

Rahm was tied for the lead in Paris until a crushing triple-bogey on 12. He also bogeyed 18 to end in a three-way tie for fifth. The Spaniard is heading to the British Open under the radar despite an excellent past few months – a win at the Spanish Open, solo fourth at the Masters, a tie for fifth at Colonial and now this T5. But until that great Masters, Rahm never had had so much as a top-25 as a pro in a major. The upcoming British Open at Carnoustie is probably not his best chance to win one.

Justin Thomas

Thomas was the only American of consequence to make the trip to Paris, and that's surprising considering this is the course for the Ryder Cup in mere months. Thomas didn't contend, finishing in a tie for eighth with Sergio Garcia and others, but that's not the point. He learned about the course, and getting another taste of Europe in advance of Carnoustie will only enhance his chances to win a second major.