Alex Fitzpatrick dispels doubts on path to first professional win  

Since leaving the amateur ranks last year, Alex Fitzpatrick has shown glimpses of his potential but it is over the past month that he has enhanced his burgeoning reputation.

After outperforming his brother Matt and a host of other illustrious names at The 151st Open on his Major Championship debut, Fitzpatrick won his first professional title at the British Challenge presented by Modest! Golf Management last week.

The triumph at St Mellion in Cornwall, England, where he showed some Sheffield steel to turn a two-shot 54-hole deficit into a five-shot victory followed on from three top ten finishes on the European Challenge Tour earlier this season.

However, it hasn’t been plain sailing for Fitzpatrick as he recalled a conversation with his parents following weekend rounds of 78-74 that dropped him from a tie for second to 40th place at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in July.

“There are definitely times where there are doubts,” he said. “I think it was after France where I called up my parents.

“I was pretty upset and disappointed that I didn’t play any better. I got myself into contention after two rounds and then just completely fell apart.

“I remember calling them up and saying, ‘I think I’m going to get a job in insurance’, half joking and half being serious. My parents were like, you are just being silly.

“So, there were definitely doubts in there. You keep pushing, you keep pushing, you keep working hard and hopefully it pays off. Luckily for me it has.”

That disappointment may have proved the stimulus for the best period of his fledgling professional career.

Just two days later, Fitzpatrick came through Final Qualifying for The Open by securing one of five places on offer at West Lancashire.

A miraculous bunker shot helped him join his older Major-winning brother Matt in the field at Royal Liverpool, where he would finish in a tie for 17th.

Now, following his triumph at the British Challenge, Fitzpatrick is hoping he can continue to ride a wave of momentum in the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by the R&A at Newmachar Golf Club.

“Every week is a new week,” said Fitzpatrick, whose whirlwind month has coincided with teaming up with Connor Winstanley, formerly the caddie to Hero Cup player Richard Mansell.

“It comes with new opportunities, new challenges. You have just got to take that in your stride.

“This week with my caddie we will have a game plan, stick to that and see where that takes us. At least now, with a bit more freedom, there is not much pressure so I can go out and enjoy it more than I was.”

With just nine events left on the Road to Mallorca schedule, Fitzpatrick is closing in on promotion to the DP World Tour after catapulting himself from outside the top 20 to seventh on the season-long rankings.

“[The victory] has definitely opened a few more doors for me now which is great,” he added.

“My schedule is probably a little more relaxed and I can take a little more risk with my schedule.

“Sadly, I love golf, I am pretty addicted to it so I am trying to play as much as I can and climb the rankings as much as I possibly can.”

Fitzpatrick is joined by past DP World Tour winners Matteo Manassero, Andrea Pavan and former Scottish Open champion Brandon Stone in the top ten on the Road to Mallorca rankings.

With such great competition among players, he is confident the grounding he will have gained will serve him well going forward.

“If you look down the field, you'll see names who have won multiple times on the European Tour and guys who have played in majors,” he said. “The competition is crazy.

“At the end of the day, if you trust your own game and play your best golf, you always have a chance.

“It's nice because you get this experience before going to the DP World Tour of being in contention a lot and seeing if you can handle the pressure.

“The DP World Tour is obviously a step up and the competition is better. But I feel like if I go there and play my best golf, I can still compete.”