The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Fitzpatrick’s French fancy
Golf: Englishman eyes starring role in Europe’ s Ryder Cup redemption
Matthew Fitzpatrick is targeting a second Ryder Cup appearance in Paris next year and already has clear ideas of how to ensure the result will be entirely different.
Fitzpatrick, who will defend his DP World Tour championship title in Dubai this week, was part of the team beaten 17-11 at Hazeltine in 2016, Europe’s first defeat since 2008.
The 23-year-old was one of six rookies in Darren Clarke’s side and did not win a point from his two matches, losing in the Saturday foursomes alongside Open champion Henrik Stenson and against twotime major winner Zach Johnson in the singles.
The world number 31 feels he will need to play more at Le Golf National in
“One foursomes game – it didn’t feel like I was hitting any shots”
2018 to be able to contribute effectively to Europe’s bid to regain the trophy under captain Thomas Bjorn.
“My goal is to make the team, basically. That is my main aim of the year,” Fitzpatrick said.
“Within that I’ll be playing a little bit in the States as well and if I happen to pick up enough points for a PGA Tour card, I’ll probably take it up the year after. But mainly just focus on Europe, play well over here.
“The Rolex Series is exciting. It’s done a great job this year. I think that’s the good thing about playing in Europe now, you’ve got these big events that carry big world ranking points. It’s where you want to be.”
Speaking about Hazeltine, Fitzpatrick added: “I think the big thing I did learn was that I feel like I’ve got to play a four-ball game. I feel like you’ve got to play your own ball before you play on Sunday so you have a feeling of what it’s like to hole out from 6ft for the half or for the win, whatever it might be. I just think it gives you a bit more confidence playing the golf course. I played one foursomes game last year so I was hitting half the shots, not even that – it didn’t really feel like I was hitting any shots at all.
“So, there’s never any momentum to your game and you turn up Sunday and you almost don’t really know what’s going on in a way. You almost don’t know where you’re hitting it because you’ve never played the golf course other than in practice – and that is nothing like the real thing.”
Bjorn feels none of the six rookies at Hazeltine will be “scarred” by the experience and Fitzpatrick, who occupies one of the automatic qualifying places following his victory in the Omega European Masters, is in agreement.
“Without being rude, I barely played,” he added. “I don’t think I played enough to really have made it make an impact on me personally. I’d love the chance to make the team and play again next year.”