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Francesco Molinari has made the four-person short-list to win the 2018 BBC World Sport Star of the Year award.
Formerly known as the Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award, the renamed gong pits the Open champ against gymnast Simone Biles, winter sports star Ester Ledecka and Ukrainian boxing champ Oleksandr Usyk.
The award will be determined solely on the basis of public votes but, for the first time, those outside of the UK will be able to vote.
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Voting closes at 2pm on December 15, with the winner revealed on the BBC Sport website later that same day.
Should he win, Molinari would become the first golfer since Tiger Woods in 2000 to land the award.
Golfers have won this particular gong eight times since it was first presented in 1960: Gary Player (1965); Lee Trevino (1971); Jack Nicklaus (1980); Seve Ballesteros (1984); Greg Norman (1986, 1983); Mark O’Meara (1998); and Woods in 2000.
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Only tennis players and stars from the world of athletics have won this particular award more than golfers.
Incredibly, no Italian sportsperson has ever won the title.
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Molinari has had a spectacular 2018. In addition to winning his first major championship in convincing fashion at Carnoustie in July, he won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, landed his first PGA Tour victory, became only the second player to win all five of his matches at the Ryder Cup, and ended the season as Europe’s No.1 player with victory in the Race To Dubai.
#VOTEFRANKIE
To cast your vote for Francesco Molinari to win the 2018 BBC World Sport Star of the Year award, click here.
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