Hallamshire’s Matt Fitzpatrick produced four birdies in five holes on the back nine at Oligata GC, near Rome, to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Italian Open.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

YORKSHIRE’S Matthew Fitzpatrick staged an impressive fightback with four birdies in his final six holes to maintain his one-shot lead going into the final round of the Italian Open.

The former Ryder Cup player bogeyed the second hole after an opening birdie and then slipped to one over par for his third round with a further bogey on the 10th hole at Rome’s Oligata GC.

But the former US Amateur Champion rallied impressively with birdies on the 13^th, 15^th, 16^th and 17^th holes to sign for a round of 68 – and preserve his one shot overnight advantage after posting 13-under.

Fitzpatrick, who grew up playing junior golf at Sheffield’s Hallamshire Golf Club, praised his caddie Billy Foster – one of the most experienced on Toru – for keeping him on track for his first win of 2019.

Fitzpatrick said: “Billy just kept talking me through it, saying just be patient.

“I said to him down the hill on 12, it didn’t feel like I should be one-over. It felt like the way my swing felt.

“I didn’t hit as many good as good shots as I would have liked around the turn, so that cost me a little bit – put me back. But to finish the way I did, was great.

“The par saves on 11 and 12 were huge. They were really, really important, and they felt really good, as well, because it’s something I’ve been working on, my short game.

“Obviously everyone is always working on something,” Fitzpatrick added, “but just to see it pay off today, particularly under the pressure was good.

“To put myself one in front going into tomorrow gives me a little bit of help, but yeah, I’m just looking forward and ready to go already.”

Fitzpatrick has finished runner-up three times so far this season and he is seeking a sixth European Tour title to extend his winning run to five consecutive seasons in the fifth event of the European Tour’s 2019 Rolex Series.

Fitzpatrick’s career has never looked back since winning the Selborne Salver as an England junior international at Blackmoor GC, in East Hampshire, in 2012.

His nearest rival is American Kurt Kitayama, a two-time winner already in 2019, who moved serenely through the field with a bogey-free round of 65 to sit one shot back on 12-under.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre went one shot better with a seven-under 64 as he moved into contention for another shot at a maiden European Tour title, just two years since making his Walker Cup debut in Los Angeles.

The Challenge Tour graduate has impressed in his rookie season on the European Tour, also finishing runner-up on three occasions so far.

MacIntyre played alongside Hampshire’s Scott Gregory, and Jack-Singh-Brar in the Walker Cup in Californian, and all three have ended up on the European Tour – just three years after Gregory beat the Scott in the Amateur Championship final, at Royal Porthcawl.

MacIntyre said: “That round is up there. I seem to be getting in positions and just letting it fall away.

But me and Greg have been talking about just staying in the present. Just do what we do, and today, we done that. Managed to get a good result.

“When I get too aggressive, it actually affects me. So it’s just about playing to my strengths and the course kind of suits the driver.

“So we’re just going at it this week and it seems to be working,” added the Oban golfer.

“My goal now is just trying to get my mind off trying to win. It’s about trying to get as many world ranking points as I can to try to end the season as high as possible.

“Everybody knows why they want to end the season high, but the win is irrelevant of what I’m trying to achieve.

“I’ve just got to go and play my game, and if the win comes, well, I’m sure I’ll celebrate it.”

There is no doubt though that MacIntyre desparately wants to emulate Kitayama, who came through the European Tour Qualifying School nearly a year ago, finishing third at Lumine, in Spain.

Kitayama said: “It was a good day. I missed a few greens but was able to get up-and-down and made some good putts. Playing bogey-free is always good, especially out here.

“I feel like I’ve been in pretty good control of my irons. My driver was better. Just trying to keep it in play, really, and give myself a look at the green and take advantage of those.

“This is a big event. Winning at any level, even smaller events, you still have to draw back on those memories and those situations, because the feeling is still going to be similar.

“Winning’s winning. So just go out and do the same tomorrow,” added the winner of the Mauritius and Oman Opens in 2019.

MacIntyre will start the final round two shots adrift on 11-under.

Hertfordshire’s Matt Wallace and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger share fourth place on 10-under par after both players carded rounds of 67.

Wiesberger and Kitayama are both going for their third win of the season – with Wiesberger in position to make it two Rolex Series victories in just three months.

And if the Austrian should come out on top, the first prize of €1million will raise his game yet another level in his bid to make up for lost time through last year’s injury, and his pursuit of a place in Europe’s 2020 Ryder Cup team.

Follow live scoring in Rome here.

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Rory McIlory admitted if he could have one last round back it would be his first appearance at Crans-sur-Sierre when the rookie lost a play-off. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

NEWLY-crowned FedEx Champion Rory McIlroy has had many incredible highs in his stellar career… but if he could take one tournament back, it would be the Omega European Masters of 11 years ago.

The Northern Irishman was playing his rookie European Tour season and while he had put in some excellent performances, the then 19-year-old had yet to claim that maiden win.

After three days at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club he held a four-shot lead and while that had been narrowed on Sunday, he stood over a five-foot par putt on the last that would have seen him lift the trophy.

His effort slid by and Frenchman Jeff Lucquin went on to win the play-off and claim his only European Tour title.

The four-time Major winner and Ryder Cup star has gone on to savour some sensational moments over the years, earning €36million in prize money in Europe alone since 2007.

After the high of last week at East Lake in Atlanta when he claimed the $15million prize, his next target is to reclaim the World No. 1 spot, starting with a positive performance in Crans Montana.

McIlroy, the current World No. 2, said: “I had a wonderful opportunity to win my first event on Tour here.

“I was leading going into the last day, had a one-shot lead playing the last and wasn’t able to make par from there.

“I was beaten in the play-off. It’s still to this day the one event I think of that I would like to re-do – get a mulligan.

“The first time I was here I fell in love with the place, the people, the atmosphere. I’m glad that it worked out this year that I could be here.

“I would like to give myself another chance at least,” said McIlroy, who saw-off World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, who had put Rory to the sword in the WGC Fedex St Jude Invitational in Memphis last month, when the two went head-to-head in the last group in Georgia, on Sunday.

“I think Brooks (Koepka) has got about a three-point lead on me. I don’t know if that’s attainable with the tournaments I have left.

“I saw somewhere that there are more world ranking points on offer here than there have been for eight years,” added McIlroy, who was keen to prove a point by beating Koepka to claim his second FedEx Cup after his victory in 2016.

“Wentworth is obviously big for world ranking points. There’s a WGC coming up. There’s still a lot to play for. That’s my focus for the rest of the year, getting closer to that number one spot.”

Matthew Fitzpatrick is driven by two targets of his own as he goes in search of a third consecutive win at the Omega European Masters.

The Englishman is aiming to become the first player to win the title three years in a row and match the great Seve Ballesteros as a three-time winner of the event in the Swiss Alps.

Another victory at the breathtaking Swiss venue would also ensure the five-time European Tour winner has been victorious in every full season he has been on Tour – and in what could be a good omen, he has Ballesteros’ former caddie Billy Foster on his bag.

Fitzpatrick, from Hallamshire GC, in Sheffield, said: “I’m definitely thinking about winning again. Having won here the last two years, it is a big thing for me.

“I absolutely love coming to back this place, I have since I first came here in 2014. I try to win at least once every season. Obviously, winning five seasons in a row would also be a big deal for me.

“There is a stronger field this year. Also, the course has had a few changes to it. But if I can play my own game and play the way I’ve played in this place, there is no reason I can’t get a good result.

“I think he (Billy Foster) is feeling the pressure more than me. He’s interested in seeing how I play and how I see the course.

“We’ve got a good relationship and had a good season so far,” added Fitzpatrick.

The stellar field also includes a man who is hoping home comforts can inspire him to a second victory in the mountains.

Sergio Garcia lifted the trophy in 2005 and has never finished outside of the top 20 in five appearances.

The Spanish Major winner is so taken with the stunning surroundings that he owns a house just 100 yards from the Ballesteros-designed golf course, where he has spent the last week with wife Angela and daughter Azalea.S

Garcia, the 2017 Masters winner, said: “It’s always fun to play here in Crans. We live here some part of the year so it’s nice to sleep in your own bed and be at home.

“We’re excited for it, of course it looks really nice and the views are always unbelievable. We’ve been here for just over the week so we’ve done a little bit of practice and it’s nice to have Angela and Azalea with me.

“I’ve always enjoyed these kind of golf courses – tight, not particularly long but you have to drive the ball well and you have to be accurate. That’s usually the courses that I thrive on.

“There’s no doubt it is the Seve Ballesteros golf course so it’s good to be here and we always remember him.

“It’s a shame that he’s not with us but it’s nice to be playing here at his designed golf course and hopefully we’ll make him proud.”

For live scoring from Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, click here.

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