Francesco Molinari is aiming to cap a “dream” season by becoming the first Italian to be crowned Europe's Number One at this week's DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
A finish of tied fifth with one other or better at Jumeirah Golf Estates would see Molinari win the Race to Dubai, with great friend and Ryder Cup partner Tommy Fleetwood the only man who can deny him.
It has been an incredible 2018 for Molinari, who won his first Rolex event at the BMW PGA Championship and later in the summer claimed a maiden Major at the Open Championship.
He then became the first European in Ryder Cup history to win five points out of five, securing the winning point in the singles against Phil Mickelson.
Molinari has not missed a cut all season - extending his run in regular European Tour events to over four years - and with a second placed finish in the Rolex Series on home soil at the Italian Open, winning the Harry Vardon Trophy would cap a remarkable season.
“It feels incredible,” he said. “A new position for me, I've never been here in the past.
“I think it's just a consequence and a sign of an incredible season. I would have never guessed that I would be here in this position if you told me in April or May this year but it's been an incredible summer, topped by an unbelievable Ryder Cup.
“Really, it's a dream season for me and it's nice to be here in this position. Hopefully I'll be able to close it out. I know it's not going to be easy and I'm not making any assumptions but I'll do my best on the course to do the job.
“You can have the best week of your life and win one tournament but to win a competition that lasts throughout the season, with the amount of talent there is right now on the European Tour, is something really hard to do but it's also still hard to figure out for me how I'm here in this position."
It's a dream season for me and it's nice to be here in this position. Hopefully I'll be able to close it out - Francesco Molinari
Molinari and Fleetwood claimed four points as a pairing at the Ryder Cup, earning the name Moliwood and taking their place in Ryder Cup folklore.
Only a victory for Fleetwood over the Earth Course could possibly deny Molinari the Race to Dubai title, and the Italian would not begrudge his friend a successful defence of his crown.
“I know we said this and we're going to sound really cheesy but if I don't win, I'd rather see him win than anyone else,” he said.
“We really are good friends and he's had an amazing season. To think that he won last year and to come here, still with a chance to win two in a row, it's incredible, really.
“So fair play to him. What I can say for me is that it's been a great season and however it goes this week, I'm still going to have lots of great memories from all of what I've done this year, and probably the best memory is what we've done together with him in France.
“I can't really be mad at him, even if he wins.”
A win for Molinari this week would make him just the third player to win multiple Rolex Series events and he has hailed the introduction of the European Tour's prestige level of tournaments.
“There's a few events that we target every year,” he said. “It's great for us to have the opportunity to play in such special tournaments.
"Especially for guys like me, playing a home event in Italy that is part of the Rolex Series, just gives a completely new meaning to the Italian Open.”
