Francesco Molinari hopes Open win inspires older brother Edoardo

New Open champion Francesco Molinari is hoping his Carnoustie success can inspire his older brother, Edoardo, to regain the sort of form that earned him two victories in Scotland.

Edoardo Molinari won the Scottish Open in 2010. Picture: Bill Murray/SNS

Francesco finished joint fourth when his sibling won the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond in 2010, the same year he landed the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

The latter secured Edoardo one of Colin Montgomerie’s wild-cards on a team that also included Francesco for the Ryder Cup that year at Celtic Manor in Wales.

Francesco was also on a winning side at Medinah two years later and is now Italy’s first major champion, but the past few years have been a struggle for his brother. Hampered by a thumb injury,­ he lost his tour card at the end of the 2015 season and needed two successive visits to the Qualifying 
School to retain his playing privileges.

He then ended a poor run of form to win the Hassan Trophy last year, but is sitting 152nd in this season’s Race to Dubai, which now has Francesco at the top of the rankings after his bumper pay-day in Angus.

“I would love for him to get back to where he was a few years ago,” said Francesco.

“Golf is a tough beast. He’s experienced some bad injuries and two hand surgeries, but he’s come back from this one again already.

“I wish him all the best, and I’m sure this will motivate him even more to achieve some great things in the game of golf in the future.

“Hopefully we’ll be competing more together again very soon.”