Matt puts on the gloss in Sweden

Matt Fitzpatrick holds a five-shot lead at the Nordea Masters in Stockholm.

Fitzpatrick took a three- shot lead into the third day at Bro Hof Slott Golf Club thanks to a flawless 65 on Friday but saw that wiped out in the space of eight holes by playing partner Colsaerts.

Colsaerts, who has not won since victory in the Volvo World Match Play Championship in 2012 led to him being selected as a Ryder Cup wild card, birdied the fourth and sixth to close the gap as Fitzpatrick recorded a string of pars.

And the 33- year- old Belgian then moved into the outright lead thanks to a two- shot swing on the eighth, where he holed from 20 feet for birdie and Fitzpatrick failed to get up and down from short of the green. However, Fitzpatrick instantly bounced back from only his second bogey of the week with a birdie on the par- five ninth and regained the outright lead with another two- shot swing on the 10th, the 21-year-old holing from 20 feet for birdie as Colsaerts bogeyed following a wild drive.

Fitzpatrick, who won his first European Tour title in the British Masters last year and was seventh in the Masters in April, then rolled in a hat- trick of birdies from the 13th and eventually signed for a 68 to finish 15-underpar, five shots ahead of Colsaerts and defending champion Alexander Noren.

Victory t o d ay wo u l d see Fitzpatrick regain third place in the Ryder Cup qualifying race from Chris Wood, who won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last week.

Fitzpatrick said: “I’m delighted. There’s still a round to go and it’s golf so anything can happen but obviously it’s nice to have played well and, hopefully, I can take it into tomorrow.”

Lee Westwood’s chances of a record fourth victory in the event look to be over after the former world No 1 carded a 72 to finish five- under- par, one ahead of home favourite Henrik Stenson.

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