SOTOGRANDE, Spain – Matt Fitzpatrick won the Andalucia golf Masters in Sotogrande, Spain to claim his seventh European Tour title after the Englishman shot an error-free round of 69 on the final day to finish at six-under overall and win by three strokes.
Down by three shots at the start of the day, Fitzpatrick made 15 consecutive pars followed by birdies on the 16th and 17th to rise up the leader board as others struggled on the Valderrama course where only 14 players finished under par.
Fitzpatrick took the lead at the 16th from Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg, who effectively handed over the title after he double-bogeyed the par-five 17th to finish tied for second along with Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
“It’s on the bucket list to win a round at Valderrama with the history that it has. I’m delighted,” Fitzpatrick said according to Reuters.
“It’s amazing, particularly the way I did it — very patient all day, didn’t try to press anything, stuck to our targets and managed to hole the putts at the end.
“You can hit half decent shots and be behind a tree and you’re chipping out or you’ve got to manoeuvre something. It’s a true test and to be patient the whole 72 holes, I’m really pleased with the way my attitude was all week.”
Seven others — England’s Laurie Canter, James Morrison and Robert Rock, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, Sweden’s Alexander Bjork, American David Lipsky and Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti — finished a further stroke behind.
“I felt if I could hang in there, hang around and pick up a couple of birdies if possible, pars were never a bad thing, and that’s what I did.
I’m happy with where my game is at. I played really well at the Ryder Cup, to no avail, unfortunately. But I was really pleased and almost disappointed to have two weeks off after it. I wanted to play again. So to come here and continue that is a positive”
Lee carded a 70 to share second with Soderberg, a shot clear of a group containing Englishmen Laurie Canter, James Morrison and Robert Rock.
Canter had entered the day with a three-shot lead but carded a closing 76, eight shots more than Morrison, while Rock signed for a 69.
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