Seven players had a share of the lead at some point. Six were still tied on the back nine.
And through all that suspense, Molinari never flinched. He closed with a 2-under 69, playing the final 37 holes on the toughest links in golf without a bogey.
The clincher was a bold drive on the 18th hole that flirted with the edge of a pot bunker, a wedge to 5 feet and a birdie putt that made him a major champion.
Molinari, who finished at 8-under 276, raised his fist and shook it lightly before slamming it for emphasis. The 35-year-old then had to wait to see if anyone could catch him.
The first to congratulate him was Woods. They were together three weeks ago when Molinari closed with a 62 to win the Quicken Loans National, with Woods presenting him the trophy.
Xander Schauffele, the last one to keep alive the American streak of five straight majors, was 1 stroke behind until he sent a long iron well to the right of the 17th hole and failed to convert a 15-foot par putt to fall 2 strokes behind.
Schauffele had to hole out a wedge on the final hole and checked up well short of the cup.
“It’s been a tough fight,” Molinari said in congratulating the four guys who finished second. “But there can only be one winner. This time, it’s me.”
Schauffele had to settle for second-place tie with Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Kevin Kisner, all of whom had plenty of reason for hope on a warm, windy afternoon that put plenty of bite back into Carnoustie.
Kisner, who started the day in a three-way tie for the lead with Spieth and Schauffele, took double-bogey on No. 2. Spieth hit into a gorse bush and made double-bogey on the par-5 sixth. Schauffele made double-bogey on the next hole, leaving one in the wispy grass, another over the green.
Molinari twice saved par with 8-foot putts on the 12th and 13th, and he took the lead for the first time with a short birdie on the par-5 14th. With another tough save from off the green at the 16th, he didn’t miss a shot the rest of the way.
It capped off the best stretch of golf in his career. Over the past two months, Molinari has won three times and been runner-up twice, and his first major win moves him to a career-best No. 6 in the world.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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