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Latest > Custom-fit Bettinardi puts Molinari in Ryder Cup record books
Oct 3rd, 2018
Custom-fit Bettinardi puts Molinari in Ryder Cup record books
Paris performance follows Open Championship glory
Words: GolfPunk
Bettinardi Golf has taken custom putter fitting to the next level as the form of brand ambassador and Ryder Cup record holder, Francesco Molinari has demonstrated over the past five months.
Armed with the confidence gained from his trusted hand-crafted Bettinardi putter, the Open Champion became the first ever European Ryder Cup player to win all five matches in the bi-annual event, where his standout performance on the greens saw him win 34 out of the 75 holes (45% played at Le Golf National, recording 25 birdies in the process.
Always known as one of the straightest hitters on Tour, it was once believed that putting under pressure was his Achilles heel. But, since he put a Bettinardi putter in the bag, he has climbed 15 places in the Official World Golf Rankings (OGWR), earning more than $6 million in prize money.
The 35-year-old Italian currently sits 6th in the world following a sizzling summer of golf. He currently leads the European Tour Race to Dubai rankings with the season ending DP World Tour Championships coming up in November, following a 17th place finish in the PGA Tour FedEx Cup.
Francesco currently averages 1.775 in putts per GIR on the European Tour this season along with an average of just under seven single putts per round. On the PGA Tour, his putting average is down to 1.546 with a 30% birdie or better conversion rate on GIR hit.
The popular Italian signed with Bettinardi at the start of the year and switched to his current Double Aged Stainless Steel (DASS) BBZero Tour putter before the Players Championship in May. Before his first Major win, Molinari claimed the European Tour’s flagship event at Wentworth - the BMW PGA Championship - and followed up with his first PGA Tour title at the Quicken Loans National in July with a resounding eight-shot victory.
“To be the best, you have to use the best and that’s why I choose Bettinardi,” said Francesco, during a recent visit to the state-of-the art Bettinardi factory, just outside of Chicago where his putter was hand-crafted from a single piece of high-quality milled double-aged stainless steel using hi-tech CNC milling technology.
“We’re so proud to see how much confidence Francesco has gained from using one of our custom-built putters,” said company President Robert Bettinardi. “He keeps topping up his achievements and breaking records and as a brand with an Italian heritage, we could not wish for better playing ambassador.
“He’s now a global player and his achievements amount to a great story for us, which shows if you get the custom-fitting for the most important club in the bag right, then results will surely follow,” he added.
For more information on Bettinardi 2018 putters, visit www.bettinardi.com
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