Carnoustie, Scotland(CNN) It's been a tough few months for the average Italian sports fan, watching on with envy as 32 other nations vied for the Russia 2018 World Cup.
Not since 1958 had the four-time champions failed to qualify for football's greatest showpiece, prompting the president of the country's football association to compare the outcome to "an apocalypse."
Francesco Molinari isn't a household name like the stars of the Azzurri, but the Italian golfer might just have put a smile back onto the faces of those reading Monday's back pages.
The 35-year-old from Turin held off several more established players on the links of Carnoustie this weekend, including a resurgent Tiger Woods, to win the 147th Open and make history.
Indeed the wait for something to smile about has been a whole lot longer for Italian golf fans, at least when it comes to the country producing a major champion.
Molinari is the first, thanks to his remarkably consistent closing run of 37 holes in a row without a bogey.
And the newest name on golf's Claret Jug believes his eight-under-par victory "should" get his compatriots cheering again.
"I'm not sure if it will make up for Italy missing the World Cup, but it's a first step forward," Molinari told CNN Sport's Alex Thomas. "Let's put it like that."
The best photos of the 2018 British Open
Francesco Molinari celebrates after sinking a putt on the last hole of the Open Championship on Sunday, July 22. He won by two strokes for his first career major.
Molinari kisses the Claret Jug after the final round. He is the first Italian to win a major.
A look at the final Open leaderboard and its traditional note of congratulations.
Jordan Spieth plays out of the rough on the sixth hole Sunday. He was tied for the lead after Saturday but struggled on Sunday and finished four back.
Tiger Woods plays a shot from the ninth tee on Sunday. He had the lead at one point but finished three strokes back.
Rory McIlroy reacts after sinking a long eagle putt on the 14th hole Sunday. He was among a group of golfers who finished tied for second.
Rickie Fowler plays a tee shot on the third hole Sunday.
A greenskeeper trims the edges of a hole during the final round of the Open.
Tyrrell Hatton plays a shot from the rough on Sunday.
Tommy Fleetwood greets fans as he walks to the second hole on Sunday.
Zach Johnson throws a ball to his caddie during the third round on Saturday.
Zander Lombard throws a ball to the crowd after an eagle on the 18th hole Saturday.
Spieth tees off the third hole Saturday.
Xander Schauffele chips from a bunker during the third round.
Cameramen film Spieth's second shot on the 14th hole Saturday.
Kevin Kisner on the first tee Saturday. He and Johnson shared the lead going into the weekend.
Fans are reflected in sunglasses on Saturday.
Woods celebrates on the 18th hole Saturday.
McIlroy reacts to a missed eagle putt on Saturday.
Woods tees off on the fifth hole Saturday.
Fans don USA-themed trousers on the third day of the Open.
Johnson celebrates a birdie on the 18th hole Friday.
McIlroy plays a tee shot Friday.
Woods plays a shot on the second hole on Friday. He shot an even-par 71 for the second straight round.
Tommy Fleetwood pumps his fist after a birdie on No. 18 on Friday. He finished with a 65.
Kisner reads a green on Friday.
Woods tees off from No. 10 during the first round on Thursday. It was his first time back at the Open since 2015.
Kisner hits a bunker shot Thursday. He was the first-round leader after a 5-under 66. Three people were behind him at 4-under.
A view of McIlroy's soles. He was three strokes back after round one.
A course marshal uses a rangefinder during first-round play.
Dustin Johnson plays his tee shot on the ninth hole Thursday. The dark clouds symbolized his tough first round (5-over). He ended up missing the cut.
Paul Casey watches a tee shot on Thursday.
Woods lines up a putt on the first green Thursday.
Haraldur Magnus hits a tee shot on No. 18.
Brooks Koepka, who won the US Open in June, reacts after a wayward shot on Thursday.
READ: Molinari wins British Open
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'A different level'
The golfer had come close to major championship glory once before, finishing second to Justin Thomas at the 2017 PGA Championship.
Sunday's finish will place him under a whole new spotlight.
"Yeah, obviously you kind of expect it," said Molinari, having been paired with Woods on the final day.
"I was close to the lead and I knew I had a chance. You know there's going to be a different level of attention if you pull it off.
"So yeah, I'm very proud of what I did today. It was a tough day but I handled myself very well and here we are!"
Much has been made of Molinari's work with performance coach Dave Alred, a figure who was instrumental in Englishman Luke Donald's rise to world No. 1 in 2011.
"He's a personality and a figure that I was missing and the whole team was missing," Molinari told CNN Sport earlier in the week, acknowledging he'd been "pushed a little bit more."
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But asked to single out the decisive factor that's allowed him to make the step-up in the wake of Sunday's triumph, Molinari gave a more philosophical response.
"I've done nothing differently to be honest," he said. "It's just a matter of keeping working at it, little by little getting better and, you know, sometimes good things happen."
A bad summer for Italian football has been a good one for this Italian golfer.
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