Francesco Molinari hasn’t “disappeared” so much as slipped out of the spotlight: after a peak around 2018–2019, his form dipped, he dealt with some injuries and swing issues, and in recent seasons he’s played lighter schedules with mixed results but is still active as a touring pro and team-event figure.

What Happened to Francesco Molinari?

From champion to “where did he go?”

  • Molinari reached his peak by winning the 2018 Open Championship and starring at the Ryder Cup, becoming a top‑10 player in the world and a major winner.
  • Not long after, a combination of a costly collapse at the 2019 Masters, technical swing problems, and later a back issue marked a clear turning point in his momentum.

“On paper Molinari’s game looks to have fallen off a bit of a cliff, relatively speaking.”

Those who remember the “Moliwood” Ryder Cup hero and the ice‑cold Open champion now often ask: what happened to Francesco Molinari?

Key turning points

1. The 2019 Masters heartbreak

  • At the 2019 Masters, Molinari held a two‑shot lead over Tiger Woods on Sunday with only one bogey in 54 holes, then found the water on the iconic 12th and again later, and lost the tournament.
  • He later said that the “chippy 8‑iron” into 12 and another wedge that also went in the water became a mental watershed moment that changed the feel of his season.

This is often cited in golf media and forums as the psychological hinge where his aura of invincibility started to crack.

2. Technical struggles and swing issues

  • After that season, Molinari openly admitted there were “technical issues” in his swing, saying he’d hit some “pretty poor shots” and that it would take time to figure out what was going wrong.
  • Statistics at the time suggested regression “in all parts of his game” compared with his peak ball‑striking years.

He was known as one of the most precise ball‑strikers in golf; once that edge dulled, his results naturally slipped.

3. Back problems and withdrawals

  • He withdrew from a much‑anticipated title defense at Bay Hill because of a back injury, after previously grinding through back pain (even during his Ryder Cup heroics) with anti‑inflammatories and adrenaline.
  • He has described being unable to tie his own shoelaces the morning after playing through that back issue, underlining how physically limiting it became.

Back trouble for a compact, torque‑heavy swing like Molinari’s is a big red flag and can quietly sap both speed and practice volume.

Where he is now: still playing, just not dominating

Current competitive status

  • Recent season stats show Molinari still competing on major tours, but with modest earnings, missed cuts, and scattered top‑10s rather than regular contention.
  • He has continued to record occasional strong performances, including a top‑five finish at the Dubai Invitational and solid strokes‑gained numbers in approach and tee‑to‑green at certain events.
  • Schedules in the last few years have tended to be lighter and more selective, and he’s no longer a fixture on leaderboards at every big U.S. event.

He isn’t retired; he’s transitioned into the phase many former major winners hit: still dangerous in weeks when the game clicks, but no longer week‑in, week‑out elite.

Roles in Europe and team events

  • Molinari remains a notable figure in European golf, appearing in DP World Tour news as a draw for events like the Soudal Open and the Irish Open.
  • He has been named as a playing captain or team captain figure in warm‑up or exhibition team events, alongside other major champions such as Justin Rose, reflecting continued respect from organizers and peers.

So while casual fans may mainly see fewer PGA Tour highlights, inside European and team golf circles he’s still treated as a star presence.

How fans and forums talk about it

  • Golf forums and social feeds often frame the story as a contrast: the “surgical” 2018 Open champion who closed like a machine versus the post‑Masters version battling confidence and form.
  • Some posts nostalgically recall his 2018 Open win and Ryder Cup performance as one of the coolest runs of precision golf in recent memory, and speculate whether the Masters collapse plus injuries eroded his edge.

You’ll frequently see threads titled almost exactly like your question—“what happened to Francesco Molinari?”—where the consensus is: nothing scandalous, just golf’s brutal combination of scar tissue, injuries, and age.

“When you lose a tournament or a game or something like that, it takes a toll mentally… something obviously changed that week.”

Multiple viewpoints on his “decline”

  1. The mental scar theory
    • Supporters of this view say that blowing a Masters while paired with Tiger, on the biggest stage, left a long‑lasting mental mark that subtly changed his risk tolerance and confidence.
  1. The swing/age theory
    • Others point to normal aging and swing evolution, arguing that a small dip in ball‑striking for a player who never relied on power or putting makes his margin for error razor thin.
  1. The injury/physical theory
    • A third camp emphasizes his back problems and general wear‑and‑tear, suggesting you can’t really separate his technical decline from his physical limitations.

All three explanations probably blend together: a painful loss, a body under strain, and a finely tuned swing that drifted just enough to move him from world‑beater to solid veteran.

Quick fact-style rundown

  • Major highlight: 2018 Open Champion, first Italian major winner and Italy’s first top‑10 in the world rankings.
  • Ryder Cup peak: Went 5–0 in Paris in 2018, becoming a European folk hero and part of the famous “Moliwood” pairing.
  • Turning point: 2019 Masters Sunday collapse from leading position with two balls in the water.
  • Health: Ongoing back issues that led to at least one high‑profile withdrawal and limited practice capacity.
  • Recent years: Light schedules, more missed cuts than in his prime, but occasional top‑10s and good weeks, particularly in Europe and co‑sanctioned events.
  • Present role: Active tour pro, respected major champion, occasional team captain/playing captain in special events.

TL;DR: If you’re wondering “what happened to Francesco Molinari,” the story is not a dramatic fall or disappearance, but a gradual shift from peak major‑winning, Ryder‑Cup‑dominating form into a still‑active but less dominant veteran, shaped by one painful major loss, swing issues, and back trouble over the last several years.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.