But for Francesco Molinari there would be an air of certainty about who would be walking away with the Green Jacket on Sunday, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
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The Italian’s ruthless efficiency has put a question mark on Woods’ ability to sweep the field on one of his most notorious battlegrounds.
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Molinari and Woods have a long history but it is the former’s recent body of work that will have the mental scales evenly balanced.
Not only did the reigning Race to Dubai champion defeat Woods at Carnoustie last year when the American was charging and contending at Major level for the first time since his latest back surgery but he stamped his authority in their newfound rivalry at the Ryder Cup; he defeated Woods three times at Le Golf National.
Molinari’s game has intensified over the past 18 months and he was won on both sides of the pond. He was flawless en route to his first Major and now stands on the brink of a second. The key? Mistakes have all but dried up as he notched up his own piece of Masters history on Saturday.
It has been 43 holes since his one and only bogey which makes for the best run at the course for a quarter of a century.
And he has no plans of letting up, regardless of what Woods, the patrons or any player further back in the field has to say.
‘My plan for tomorrow is to go out and do the same but I think there’s going to be a few guys trying to mess up with my plan,’ he said.
‘He (Woods) obviously loves this place and he’s playing great golf so I’m aware that it’s not going to be easy tomorrow. I can just do my best but it’s not like I can only worry about him.’
With the scales leaning towards him in the head to head battle with Woods, Molinari could stamp his arrival at the elite level of the Major game by becoming the fifth reigning Open champion to don the Green Jacket.
