Italian Francesco Molinari believes beating Rory McIlroy down the stretch at Wentworth’s West Course, in May 2018, gave him the courage to claim the Claret Jug two months later at Carnoustie. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FRANCESCO Molinari is hoping to feed off the energy of the crowds this week as the Italian returns to defend his BMW PGA Championship title at Wentworth Club.

The 36-year-old overcame Rory McIlroy down the stretch in nerveless fashion last year.

Victory on the West Course kicked off a career-defining run of form which included his Open Championship triumph at Carnoustie, a record-breaking Ryder Cup performance and the title of European Tour No. 1.

Molinari said: “This week has always been special to me, even before last year, but obviously last year made it extra, extra special.

“Obviously I’ve got beautiful memories from last year. The duel with Rory on Sunday, and finally getting my hands on the trophy – it obviously gave me a lot of confidence for the coming months after that.

“I was watching a video yesterday of the last few holes on Sunday, and you could see I was uncomfortable in that position.

“I think that was the first step forward to getting more comfortable in leading a tournament and closing it out.”

Molinari leads one of the strongest fields in the tournament’s long history, joined among others by the man who succeeded him as Open Champion in July, Shane Lowry.

The Irishman was honoured by the European Tour for his achievement at Royal Portrush two months ago, following Molinari onto the esteemed list of life honorary members.

Lowry said of his award: “It’s pretty cool, isn’t it. You start playing golf when you’re a kid and you don’t know how good you can be, even when you started playing as a pro. I didn’t know that I would get to this day but it’s pretty cool.

“I’ve joined a nice list of names, which is pretty good. Obviously, my heart lies with the European Tour – I’ll always be a member.

“I love coming back and I love playing in events like this. It’s an extreme privilege.”

“I love it here. I think this is one of my favourite events in the world. Every time I come here, the area around Wentworth – Ascot, Sunningdale – it’s just a lovely place to be.

“The golf course, I’ve always really liked. Even when they made the changes first back in 2010.

“I actually really liked it and I just thought it was quite a difficult golf course and I just loved it. It’s one of my favourite events of the year and I just love coming back.

“I’ve got quite a few events left this year, and they are all big events. I’m obviously No. 1 in the Race to Dubai now – and I want to stay there.

“But I’m going to have to play some good golf and I’m going to have to maybe win again.

“But I’m just going to go out like I’ve been doing all year, day after day and try and shoot as good a score as I can and see where it leaves me the at the end of it. First and foremost, I want to win the Race to Dubai at the end of the year.”

Billy Horschel and Patrick Reed, meanwhile, are among the American stars playing the BMW PGA Championship for the first time this week, along with Ryder Cup player Tony Finau.

The date change from May to September allowed them to fit the prestigious tournament into their schedules.

Both European Tour members, they are relishing the opportunity to play the famous West Course for the first time in the fourth Rolex Series event of the 2019 Race to Dubai

Horschel, who played in the 2007 Walker Cup against Rory McIlroy, as an amateur at Royal County Down, said: “I’m excited.

“ I’ve been trying to get over to Europe to play a few European Tour events over the last few years, and unfortunately hasn’t worked in the schedule.

“This being one of the key ones, I grew up watching this event on TV. This event has always been a soft spot in my heart.

“When the schedule worked out with the new schedules on both tours and moved back to September compared to May, I was like, go ahead, sign me up. I’ll be there.”

Reed, who began playing in Europe even before his Masters win at Augusta, in 2018, said: “It’s amazing here. I thought the golf course was a lot of fun.

“I thought it was challenging in parts. It’s one of these golf courses you have to work the ball both ways.

“You’ve got the greens that are very firm, very fast, yet you have fairways that are a little softer, so you hit tee shots and the ball doesn’t quite go as far and the iron shots seem to have a lot of bounce in them.

“It’s going to be a premium this week on hitting fairways and playing from the right spots because you can put yourself in some bad spots here on these greens.”

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Kevin Kisner put the disappointment of last year’s final defeat to beat Matt Kuchar in the WGC-Dell Technologies World Match Play Final. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

KEVIN Kisner claimed a maiden World Golf Championships title after triumphing over Matt Kuchar in the final of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

In the consolation match European No. 1 Francesco Molinari overcame Lucas Bjerregaard in an all-European battle to finish third.

Kisner, who finished runner-up to Bubba Watson in this event last year, went one better at Austin Country Club with a 3&2 win over his American compatriot.

That made it six wins in seven matches, and in the process became the first player to lift the trophy after losing his first match of the week.

Georgian native Kisner said: “I was thinking out there it might be the hardest match just because you have the physical aspect more than any other week.

“It was grueling, definitely, with the winds and the temperature today. Overall it was a long week, but I prevailed and I’m a World Golf champion.

“I just learned a lot from last year. I learned about preparation. I learned not to get too amped up for that final.

“You still have to come out and play golf. I don’t think either one of us played our best golf. But I drove it great all week with my Callaway driver, and it was a great week.”

Kisner’s opening defeat came to Englishman Ian Poulter, whom he later beat in a play-off decider to emerge from the group stage, and he had to beat another Ryder Cup hero – Molinari – in the semi-final to earn his place in the decider.

Having been two down with three to play, the reigning Race to Dubai Champion birdied the 16^th and 17^th holes to bring the match down the 18^th all square.

But a disappointing three-putt on the last ended the Italian’s hopes of a maiden World Golf Championships victory.

European No. 1 Francesco Molinari in action in the third and fourth place play-off match at Austin Country Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Molinari said: “Obviously it was a very good start and then I think we were both really struggling for energy a little bit on the back nine.

“It was a very long week but we tried to keep going. And I think I played very well on the front nine this afternoon, so maybe a bit of consolation after this morning.

“It’s just one of those days, too many mental mistakes and some really weird shots around the greens. But all in all it’s a positive week.

“Obviously it’s bittersweet right now. I think going into Augusta, it’s a good week. Clearly I need to get my short game a little bit sharper than this morning, but otherwise it seems pretty good.

“It was definitely a positive week. Just a shame about this morning on the back nine.

“I didn’t play my best game and made too many mistakes, and kind of gave it away once, and then managed to fight my way back and then gave it away again.

“But it’s golf and it’s a long week, and with seven rounds it can happen to be slightly off for a few holes. So, it’s positive in general.”

Kuchar, meanwhile, dispatched of Bjerregaard on the 18^th hole in a tight semi-final match in which the Dane was never ahead but was never more than one hole down.

The American’s birdie at the par five 16^th put him one ahead with two to play and, although Bjerregaard held his nerve with a birdie putt at the penultimate hole to take it down the last, a pair of closing pars meant Kuchar progressed.

Having been embroiled in a row with Spain’s Sergio Garcia, who swiped at a tap in and missed before Kuchar could give him the nod for a concession, which ultimately cost the European in Saturday’s quarter-final, the 2013 World Match Play champion was disappointed not to  become the first player since Tiger Woods to win the title twice.

Kuchar, who already has two wins in the 2019 season under his belt, said after losing to Kisner: “It was certainly not what I’m looking for. It’s tough to maintain the high level of play the entire tournament.

“You hope to do it and I feel like I’ve kind of built a game that I could rely on playing some good, steady golf.

“But I gave too many holes away. It’s one of the things I pride myself on is not ever giving holes away.

“I knew against Kisner I couldn’t do it, and he just plodded along and played good, steady golf, and let me make mistakes. And that was good playing by Kevin.”

Both Molinari and Bjerregaard – who beat 14-time Major winner Tiger Woods in the quarter-final – could take consolation from their best respective finishes in a World Golf Championships event.

Big-hitting Bjerregaard, the last man in the field, was unhappy after coming down hard from his high after beating Tiger Woods to make the last four.

“There’s a lot of confidence from this. Today sucks, I’ll be honest with you. I had a lot of confidence from yesterday and the group play.

“But today really sucks – I didn’t bring my game today, unfortunately and I just kept making mistakes all day.

“Fran made it hard. I didn’t put pressure on him, but he put a lot of pressure on me right from the start.

“It was not really my match. It’s been a brilliant week. Of course, I can’t stand here and say it’s been a bad week.

“We were 64 to start and I’m in the last four. But to lose twice in a day, that hurts.

“I had a good match against Kooch this morning, and gave him a little bit for his money down the last few holes, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that against Frankie today.”

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