• Italian Open, Round One

Molinari outshines Ryder team-mates in Turin

ESPN staff
September 13, 2012
Francesco Molinari had a 68 on day one © Getty Images
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Francesco Molinari was the pick of the Ryder Cup trio on the first day of the Italian Open in Turin.

Molinari's 68 left him four-under, while Martin Kaymer and Nicolas Colsaerts shot 70 and 71 respectively at Royal Park I Roveri.

Italy's Molinari, who will compete in his second Ryder Cup later this month at Medinah, played the front nine in a four-under 32, then lost momentum on the way in, with two bogeys and two birdies.

Nonetheless, he is in touching distance of leader Joel Sjoholm of Sweden, who is eight-under, one ahead of England's Lee Slattery.

Kaymer, the former world No. 1, remains a long way from his best - but he is playing well enough to assuage fears ahead of the Ryder Cup. Nonetheless, he is without a top ten since April, and could do with one for confidence purposes. His was an uneventful round: three birdies, a bogey and 14 pars.

Colsaerts' aggressive style might have been expected to tame a course that has traditionally presented birdies, but he dropped too many shots at crucial times, notably when playing the final seven holes in three-over.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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