MAGIC MATT
Fitzpatrick defends Euro crown and Rose on brink of world No 1
MATT Fitzpatrick hit the heights yet again in the Swiss mountain resort of Crans yesterday, while Justin Rose has now got a clear view of the summit of the world game.
Fitzpatrick became the first player since Seve Ballesteros way back in 1977-78 to defend the European Masters successfully and did so following the gutsiest of victories in a play-off against the Dane, Lucas Bjerregaard.
Rose is on the brink of becoming world No 1 for the first time in his 20-year career after play was washed out at the BMW Championship in Pennsylvania.
They will try again today but with a similarly dire forecast and a saturated course that simply cannot take any more punishment, there is every chance the event will be reduced to 54 holes.
With Rose the third-round pacemaker, that would be enough for him to topple Dustin Johnson from top spot without hitting another shot.
Rose will hope the forecast is hopelessly wrong and he has the chance today to achieve it in style against Rory McIlroy, who is a shot behind, and Tommy Fleetwood, just two adrift.
But even if he doesn’t, it should be remembered that Rose would assume pole position on the strength of a fabulous body of work over the last two years, not a weather delay.
While Rose was doing a rain dance in the clubhouse, American Xander Schauffele must have cut a frustrated figure. Alongside McIlroy in a tie for second place, he needs to win to have any chance of claiming the last Ryder Cup wildcard, which will be announced today.
If no play is possible, US captain Jim Furyk will surely give it to another in-form twentysomething — Tony Finau.
As for Fitzpatrick, having been overlooked for a wildcard himself by one Dane last Wednesday, it did not take him long to get over the rejection.
If truth be told, Fitzpatrick should probably have finished third against Bjerregaard and the Frenchman, Mike LorenzoVera. For much of the round it was plain he could not call upon his ‘A’ game — but natural winners find a way, don’t they?
The 24-year-old picked up birdies at the 12th and 15th, while playing partner LorenzoVera went the other way with a double bogey at the 14th.
Needing another birdie at the 18th to catch Bjerregaard, who had posted a wonderful 63, Fitzpatrick struck his approach to 12ft and holed the putt. Just like last year, Fitzpatrick needed extra holes to win and he did it in grand fashion with another birdie at the 18th.
This was the fifth victory of his young career and no Englishman in European Tour history has reached that total at such an age.
‘This is what I wanted to achieve this season — another win,’ said Fitzpatrick. ‘To win here again is so special and to emulate one of Seve’s feats and get my fifth win feels amazing.’
Fitzpatrick’s victory was the third by an Englishman in the last four weeks, after Paul Waring in Sweden and Matt Wallace in Denmark.
Attention now turns to Rose in Philadelphia where he won the US Open in 2013.
The City of Brotherly Love appears ready to embrace him once more.