Northwestern University Athletics
Former Wildcat Matthew Fitzpatrick Earns Maiden European Tour Victory
10/11/2015 11:24:00 AM | Men's Golf
WOBURN, United Kingdom -- Former Northwestern golfer Matthew Fitzpatrick earned his maiden victory on the European Tour Sunday with a two-stroke win at the British Masters at Woburn Golf Club.
The win pushes the 21-year-old into the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking and solidifies his position in the European Tour's Race to Dubai. He has had five top-three finishes this year. The win gives Fitzpatrick a two-year exemption on Tour after he earned his card this year via qualifying school.
After entering the final round tied for the lead with Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Fitzpatrick fired a 3-under 68 to finish at 15-under par. He pulled away on the back nine with four birdies, including a dagger at the par-3 17th where he drew his tee shot back to within three feet of the hole.
Fitzpatrick signed an NLI to attend Northwestern in 2012 as the nation's 11th-ranked amateur. He would go on to win the Silver Medal as the low amateur at the 2013 British Open before becoming the 2013 United States Amateur champion, rising to No. 1 in the world before stepping foot on the Evanston campus.
As a Wildcat, Fitzpatrick won his fourth-ever collegiate tournament, earning co-medalist honors with teammate Jack Perry at the 2013 Rod Myers Invitational. He left the team in 2014 to focus on the opportunities that come with winning the U.S. Amateur, competing in the Masters and U.S. Open before turning professional and playing on sponsor exemptions until he earned his card at Q school.
2001 Northwestern graduate and former World No. 1 Luke Donald picked up a top-5 finish in the tournament on the strength of a third-round 6-under 65. Another Northwestern alum, 2011 graduate David Lipsky, also was among the field at the British Masters. He picked up his first European Tour victory in 2014 at the Omega European Masters.
The win pushes the 21-year-old into the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking and solidifies his position in the European Tour's Race to Dubai. He has had five top-three finishes this year. The win gives Fitzpatrick a two-year exemption on Tour after he earned his card this year via qualifying school.
After entering the final round tied for the lead with Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Fitzpatrick fired a 3-under 68 to finish at 15-under par. He pulled away on the back nine with four birdies, including a dagger at the par-3 17th where he drew his tee shot back to within three feet of the hole.
Fitzpatrick signed an NLI to attend Northwestern in 2012 as the nation's 11th-ranked amateur. He would go on to win the Silver Medal as the low amateur at the 2013 British Open before becoming the 2013 United States Amateur champion, rising to No. 1 in the world before stepping foot on the Evanston campus.
As a Wildcat, Fitzpatrick won his fourth-ever collegiate tournament, earning co-medalist honors with teammate Jack Perry at the 2013 Rod Myers Invitational. He left the team in 2014 to focus on the opportunities that come with winning the U.S. Amateur, competing in the Masters and U.S. Open before turning professional and playing on sponsor exemptions until he earned his card at Q school.
2001 Northwestern graduate and former World No. 1 Luke Donald picked up a top-5 finish in the tournament on the strength of a third-round 6-under 65. Another Northwestern alum, 2011 graduate David Lipsky, also was among the field at the British Masters. He picked up his first European Tour victory in 2014 at the Omega European Masters.
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