SEQUEL TO PERFORMANCES IN IRISH OPEN

EDOARDO MOLINARI, BALDWIN AND 

WILLETT SECURE PLACES IN OPEN

 NEWS RELEASE FROM R and A

Edoardo Molinari, Matthew Baldwin and Danny Willett secured their places in The 143rd Open Championship today after the final round of the Irish Open at Fota Island Resort.

Molinari closed with a 67 to finish in second place on 12-under-par, one shot behind winner Mikko Ilonen of Finland.

The 33-year-old Italian will now make his fifth appearance at The Open when it is played from July 17 to 20 at Royal Liverpool.

The two-time European Tour winner and 2010 Ryder Cup player has not played at a Major Championship since The Masters in 2012 and has been focused on returning to form after two surgeries on his left wrist.

“It is very exciting that after two years with an injury and all sorts of problems that I will be back to play this Major, especially now that I’m hitting the ball probably the best I’ve ever hit,” said Molinari

“I played Royal Liverpool in my last event as an amateur so it has a special place in my heart. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Molinari will be joined by England’s Baldwin and Willett after both finished tied third on 11-under-par alongside Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg. 

The pair earned the second and third qualifying places based on their higher positions in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Baldwin has a single victory on the Challenge Tour and played his first Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2012 when he finished tied 23rd. The 28-year-old is looking forward to making his second Major Championship appearance close to home.

“I grew up playing golf at Ascot and moved to Royal Birkdale when I was 18 so I've grown up on links golf,” said Baldwin. “It’s definitely always been a dream of mine to play and possibly win The Open one day. It’s brilliant.”

Willett posted the only hole-in-one of the Irish Open on his way to establishing a new course record of 63 in the third round. 

The 2012 BMW International Open Champion is a former Walker Cup player and in March of 2008 was the number one ranked player in the WAGR before turning professional. He will make his third Open appearance at Hoylake after finishing tied 15th in 2013 at Muirfield.

“I remember watching Tiger win at Hoylake a few years ago and it looks like a special place to have an Open Championship. I’ve played a lot of links golf and it’s a different kind of test but it’s one that I look forward to,” said Willett.

The Qualifying Series continues and the next event on the European Tour will be The Alstom Open de France from July 3 to 6 at Le Golf National near Paris.

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