Matt and Charley have Major futures in golf
WHAT a fantastic Sunday it was for English golf to see Matthew Fitzpatrick and Charley Hull achieve such notable victories.
Aged 22 and 20 respectively, it shows the future is in safe hands with such brilliant talents.
Fitzpatrick’s credentials have been strong right through his amateur career and he has done really well in the pro ranks.
But last Sunday’s win in Dubai was a big leap forward. It was Matt’s third on the European Tour. But by far the most significant.
He proved he could win on a long course against an elite field packed with Major winners.
Matt is not a bomber off the tee and we are living in an era of power players, so giving up 30 yards to opponents can be intimidating. But there are other strengths to his game.
He is very accurate and he holes important putts at the right time. Like on the 72nd hole on Sunday to edge out Tyrrell Hatton.
He made his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine, but lost both his matches. It’s obvious that he has worked hard since then with his coaches, Pete Cowen and Mike Walker. It has produced a big result inside two months.
Victory in Dubai has secured his place in the top 50 and all the Majors and WGCs for 2017, so he can plan a new schedule.
He’s played more than 30 events this year, which is the right thing for a young, up-and-coming player. But now he can tweak it a bit.
Next year is possibly too early for him to expect to win a Major and I don’t think he would put that pressure on himself.
What I want to see is him get into contention at one of the big events after 36 or 54 holes. Then he’ll be able to see where his game is in the heat of battle.
While Matt’s win was great, Charley’s success was even more of a game-changer.
By winning the LPGA Tour Championship, her first in America, she proved she is ready to win a Major.
The two players at the top of the women’s game, Lykia Ko from New Zealand and Ariya Jutanugarn from Indonesia, are only 19 and 21, and Charley is in between them.
She has been a pro for four years and has already been a stalwart of two Solheim Cup teams.
There is no reason why she can’t replace Dame Laura Davies as a Major winner and the figurehead of women’s golf in this country.
I met Charley at a charity event at Wentworth a couple of years ago and was immediately struck by how focused and determined she was.
Those attributes will take her to the very top. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was next year.
While everything looks rosy for English golf, things are a little bleaker for Scotland.
That’s where our golfers need to take inspiration from the world’s best tennis player, our very own Andy Murray.
Be hard on yourself and be desperate to improve. All the Scots on the European Tour are good players and it only takes one event to change a season, or even a career, for the better.
I WILL be a fascinated viewer when Tiger Woods makes his long-awaited return to golf at his own tournament in the Bahamas on Thursday. This is the right event for his return. It’s an 18-man field and the atmosphere will be relaxed.
But make no mistake, the golf will be competitive. Ten of America’s winning Ryder Cup team are there along with Open Champion Henrik Stenson and Olympic hero Justin Rose.
There are so many questions about Tiger and some of them will be answered this week. He’ll be looking for some good play and positive signs to take into the PGA Tour.
What a present it would be for new commissioner, Jay Monahan, if Tiger could return, fit and well, to take on Rory McIlroy and the rest.