Carlos Ortiz nabs first PGA win in Houston

OVERVIEW In a game increasingly dominated by youth, 36-year-old Francesco Molinari had a career-changing year in 2018. He did it by improving his play with both the longest and shortest clubs in the bag. He took a page out of the youngsters’ playbook by making distance a priority and addressed his longtime struggles with the putter. After going winless in his first 120 PGA TOUR starts, he won twice in a three-tournament stretch this summer. He picked up his first PGA TOUR win at the Quicken Loans National, shooting a final-round 62 to win by eight. Then he stared down Tiger Woods to win The Open Championship at Carnoustie. Molinari sandwiched a runner-up at the John Deere Classic between those victories. He was 48 under in those 12 rounds, including six rounds of 65 or lower. He also qualified for his first TOUR Championship with a career-best FedExCup finish (17th). And, after going winless in his first two Ryder Cups, he led Europe to victory at Le Golf National, becoming the first player to win a major and go 5-0 in the Ryder Cup in the same season. “This year, it’s been incredible,â€� he said. That may be an understatement. — By Sean Martin Click here to see who else made the Top 30 list. BY THE NUMBERS FEDEXCUP UPDATE Current 2018-19 position: 173rd Playoff appearances: 4 TOUR Championship appearances: 2 Best FedExCup result: 17th in the 2017-18 season SHOTLINK FUN FACT Francesco Molinari is one of five first-time winners since the 2013-14 season to win multiple times in the same year as his breakthrough PGA TOUR win. INSIDER INSIGHTS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Francesco Molinari in 2019. TOUR INSIDER: Molinari’s work with putting instructor Phil Kenyon undoubtedly paid dividends in 2018. But so did a 20-yard distance gain over the past three seasons, including a 10-yard gain since 2017. And he was able to do it with only a small loss in accuracy. Compared to 2015, Molinari is gaining nearly two additional strokes per event with his tee shots. He gained distance with both changes to his swing and more trips to the gym. “I was more of a couch guy a couple years ago,â€� he joked. – By Sean Martin FANTASY INSIDER: It’d be unfair to predict the kind of success that he enjoyed worldwide in the last six months, but it’s still a reminder of what’s possible when we position expectations properly. For dual-tour threats like the 36-year-old Italian, the customary advice is to invest lightly and surround with busier talent based in the U.S. It provides both insurance for the worst of times and an injection for the best of times. No doubt, his encore will include a few blue notes, but he already was a standard on every set list because of his world-class ball-striking. It’s a skill that rarely strikes the wrong chord. — By Rob Bolton EQUIPMENT INSIDER: Molinari was part of the Nike staff left without an equipment deal when the company left the hard goods industry, and he’s since switched into mostly TaylorMade clubs. He’s currently using a TaylorMade M4 driver, an M3 fairway wood, P-790 driving irons (2 and 4), P-750 irons (5-PW), and Milled Grind wedges. He fills out his bag with a custom Bettinardi Dass BB-0 putter, stamped with a skull in the cavity that has green and red eyes to represent his pride of the Italian flag, and green and red stampings on the back bumpers. — By Andrew Tursky STYLE INSIDER: While many Nike athletes favor the brand’s sporty looks, Molinari gravitates towards the classic designs in Nike’s collection. Expect the reigning Open champ to stick with a neutral palette of colors with the occasional splash of intense pastels in 2019. — By Greg Monteforte

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Three-time PGA TOUR winner and longtime golf instructor Dave Ragan, who proved himself a steady, consistent presence on the leaderboards in the 1950s and 1960s, passed away Tuesday. He was 82 years old. Ragan turned professional in 1956 after finishing a stellar career at the University of Florida, where he earned All-America honors that year after winning an SEC individual championship. The Gators have since enshrined the Daytona Beach, Florida, native into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. In his time on TOUR, Ragan missed just six cuts over 278 starts, finishing with 54 top-10 finishes and those three aforementioned victories. His first career victory came in June 1959, when he won the Eastern Open Invitational, before encountering his best run in late 1962, when in the span of a month he won the Beaumont Open Invitational and the West Palm Beach Open Invitational in a playoff over Doug Sanders. “My second year, I went right out to Los Angeles— finished seventh, I think—and I was kind of on my way,� he told the Daytona Beach News-Journal in 2014. “From there, I was consistently in the money, but we weren’t playing for very much then.� In 1963, he earned a spot on the Ryder Cup team, which the U.S. won, 23 to 9, thanks to his performance. He teamed with Billy Casper to win 1 up in foursomes, and won 2 & 1 in singles over Neil Coles. That year also saw his best finish in a major, when he finished second to Jack Nicklaus at the PGA Championship. His other showings in majors are highlighted by a pair of T25 finishes at the Masters and a T12 at the U.S. Open in 1963. “He was a peaceful gentlemen and the kindest soul who devoted his life to his family, the game of golf and the good book,� his son, Chuck Ragan, posted on Instagram. “Just like his sweet parents, he inspired and lifted up anyone that came close to him. He taught my brothers and I more about life, fishing, the outdoors, the game of golf, sportsmanship, love and never quitting than anyone ever had.� Ragan, who also spent time on PGA TOUR Champions, discovered instruction after his playing days ended. He was the Director of Golf and Teaching Professional at Pine Tree Country Club and Inverness Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Earlier this year, Pine Tree renamed their club’s tournament the Dave Ragan Cup in honor of his service. He is survived by his wife, Geraldine, and five sons.

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