When Matt Fitzpatrick became the first English winner of the US Amateur Championship in 102 years back in 2013, he was heralded as a great new hope for English golf.
While the pressure and exposure that comes with such a label could potentially prove too much for some, luckily for Fitzpatrick and his growing legion of fans, pressure is something the 21 year old seems very comfortable with.
Just two years on from his historic US Amateur win at Brookline, the Sheffield native confirmed all of his potential on the world stage at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports, outshining a strong field at Woburn to win his first European Tour event while playing on a sponsor’s invite.
That maiden victory in-front of his home fans was hardly a surprise, given that ‘Fitz’ had already recorded six top ten finishes by that stage in 2015 in his rookie season. He would go onto to record the most top tens of any player with ten for the season.
Fitzpatrick finished 12th in the Race to Dubai last year and will be looking to push on this season, with this week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship providing the youngster a chance to play alongside the world’s best at Doral.
He performed well to finish tied seventh on his World Golf Championships debut at the 2015 WGC-HSBC Champions in China and this week presents Fitz’s first WGC in America.
When Matt tees it up at 1216 alongside compatriot Chris Wood and American Harris English in Doral, he will be the youngest player in the field - however this 21 year old is undoubtedly the real deal and makes up for those tender years with a mature game and mentality that belies his age.
