Masterful Molinari takes another title

23 Nov 2009 - 13:01:00

Edoardo Molinari's sensational season continued when he saw off Sweden's Robert Karlsson in a play-off to capture his fourth title of the year at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan.

After both men had finished on 13 under par, the Italian - who topped the Challenge Tour Rankings with record earnings of €242,980 thanks largely to three victories - sunk a birdie putt from four feet on the second extra hole to collect the US$444,000 first prize, the biggest cheque of his career.    

Molinari, who led a European Tour one-two-three with Ireland's Shane Lowry finishing in a tie for third place, said: 'I think I played very well today.

Also congratulations must go to Robert, because he played some fantastic golf. Today it was a hard round until the end, and I was lucky to come out on top.'The 28 year old will now make the short trip to China to team up with his younger brother Francesco for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup, where they will hope to become the first Italians to win the event.

Incredibly, despite Francesco's fine recent form - prior to last week's Dubai World Championship, he recorded three top ten finishes in a row - it is Edoardo who currently sits higher in the Ryder Cup World Points List in seventh, with his brother two places below him.Perhaps more impressively still, having started the season 653rd in the Official World Golf Ranking, Molinari Senior is now up to a career-high of 63rd place.