Molinari reacts after being caught 'farting' at The Open during first tee shot

22 July 2023 , 13:17

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Francesco Molinari appeared to fart when teeing off at The Open

The third day of The Open is underway, but fans are still remembering a hilarious moment from day two as Francesco Molinari appeared to fart when teeing off.

The Italian made an interesting start to his second round of the Royal Liverpool Golf Course, as microphones picked up what sounded like a fart as he hit his first drive off the tee. His ball ended up in the rough, and his embarrassing moment may have had something to do with it.

But Molinari denied the rumours and instead claimed that his shoes were to blame for the suspicious noise. Golf coach James Ridyard shared the clip and tagged Molinari on Twitter, and the golfer attempted to set the record straight.

"Unfortunately it was just the shoes. You know me James, it would have been a lot louder than that," Molinari responded. Fans aren't completely convinced though, and only Molinari will know what really caused the noise.

Fans couldn't help poke fun at the 40-year-old for his fart when teeing off, with one supporter on Twitter writing: "Let's hope he didn't have problems with his follow through." Another said: "Was the applause for the fart or the shot?”

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Molinari didn't make the cut for day three, but his tee shot continues to trend even after his elimination from the tournament. The Italian won The Open back in 2018, but leaves with different memories this time around.

The 40-year-old finished day one two over par, but was four over on day two as he exited the competition with a score of +6. Brian Harman is currently leading the way on -10, with the American five strokes ahead of Tommy Fleetwood in second.

Molinari is well respected in the world of golf, once being ranked as the fifth greatest player in the world. The Open remains the only major he's ever won, but he's gone close in other tournaments.

As for this season, it's looking like another international winner at The Open, as no English player has won the event since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992. British winners have occurred since then, with Rory McIlroy winning in 2014.

But Fleetwood is the best hope England have at this stage of the tournament, although he'll need a faultless third round to stand a chance. He'll also have to rely on Harman slipping up, but he's barely made any mistake through 36 holes.

Harman hasn't won a tournament since 2017, but was positive when speaking to the press on Friday. "I don't know. I don't know why it hasn't happened, but I'm not going to quit. I'm going to stick with it and just keep after it, and hopefully it'll pop one day."

Joseph McBride