Francesco Molinari

Molinari had a breakout season in 2018, as he won his first major and earned over $5 million. After claiming the Arnold Palmer this past March, it looked like his 2018 was no fluke. As he held the lead in the final round of the Masters a month later, it was safe to wonder if he was taking control of the PGA Tour. His season pivoted at that point however as he went on to finish 5th at the Masters and never really regained his best form after that. Age really isn't a concern yet for Molinari as he'll turn 37 this season, but the fact that he only played 15 events on the PGA Tour last season is a little concerning. Molinari is legit, but his limited schedule combined with his high number from this past season makes him a questionable salary cap selection this season.

Molinari has been around for a while, but it wasn't until last season that he captured the attention of the entire golf world. Molinari did so by capturing the Open Championship. Just a month prior, he had picked-up his first official victory at the Quicken Loans. For the span of about four weeks, Molinari was the best golfer on the planet. Not surprisingly, Molinari was unable to keep up that pace and he faded towards the end of the season. There is no reason to think that Molinari's game will fall off greatly this season, but there's also little to no chance that he can improve upon his numbers from last season. With that in mind, he's not a good salary cap option this week. As for other formats, Molinari has plenty of value as he'll compete at all the majors and WGC events.

Molinari took a huge leap forward last season, going from more than $1 million in earnings during the 2015-16 season to just under $3 million in earnings last season. He also jumped from five top-25s to 14 top-25s last season. The addition of a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship did wonders for his overall numbers as well as it nearly vaulted Molinari into the top-30. As for the upcoming season, it's hard to imagine that Molinari has another significant jump in him as his previous jump was so large. As such, he's not a great salary cap option this season.

Molinari has been a staple on the European Tour for quite a while now and when he made the move to full-time on the PGA Tour, big things were expected. After two years on the PGA Tour, Molinari has yet to make a splash. He's spent the first two seasons hovering around the $1 million mark in earnings and it doesn't look like that number is about to jump any time soon. With that in mind, he doesn't hold a lot of value in salary cap leagues, but considering his status, he holds a little extra value in draft leagues, where he should go near the 8th-round.

Francesco and his brother Edoardo have been mainstays on the golf scene for years now, with Francesco ending the 2013-2014 PGA Tour season with the better results. He finished the season with only two top-10s, a T5 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard and a T6 at The Players Championship. However, of his 12 PGA Tour starts, seven were in the top-25, and over time he accumulated enough points to get his PGA Tour card. The concern with Molinari, however, has nothing to do with his 2014 season. Instead, it’s his lack of knowledge of PGA Tour venues. Because he’s been a non-member since he started qualifying for majors, Molinari’s PGA Tour schedule has consisted solely of the majors, the WGCs, and the events surrounding those such as Doral. However to be successful on the PGA Tour you need to perform well in all parts of the schedule, including at many venues Molinari has never seen before. There’s a reason why many guys win in their second and third year on tour: that process takes time. Expect the same for Molinari.

Molinari is a top player on the European Tour, but that success has not translated to the PGA TOUR in recent years. Although he has made a good percentage of cuts, he's lacked the high-end finishes in the states. Expect more of the same this season with Molinari showing up here and there on the leaderboard, but not accomplishing much in the big picture.

Last year was a tale of three seasons for Molinari. The first was impressive with a Top-15 at the Honda Tournament of Champions and a Top-3 at the WGC Cadillac Championship. The second was horrifying with a string of missed cuts that lasted from the Masters through the British Open. The final act was just OK with no missed cuts but no Top-10s, either. Of all the acts of his 2011 season, the middle one was the most puzzling as Molinari is too good to miss that many cuts in a row. Expect more consistency this season and maybe an appearance on a Sunday leaderboard at a major.

The other Molinari brother fared about the same as his brother, Edoardo, last season, but without the top-3 finish. Francesco Molinari's top finish on the PGA TOUR last season was a T9 at the Players Championship. Much like his brother, though, Francesco had little success at the four majors. He'll mostly play in Europe in 2011.

Molinari could be a nice sleeper pick. He played well at the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship where he earned a top-10. He capped the season with a win at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup, but that was an unofficial event. Still, a win is a win and will certainly help his confidence. Francesco (OWGR #38) and brother Edoardo (OWGR #48) will be playing in the 2010 Masters based on their world rankings at the end of 2009.