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Fitzpatrick confident ahead of Swiss hat-trick bid
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Fitzpatrick confident ahead of Swiss hat-trick bid

Matthew Fitzpatrick is eager to cement his status as king of the mountains when he goes in search of a third consecutive win at this week's Omega European Masters.

Matthew Fitzpatrick

The Englishman arrives at the breathtaking Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club with an enviable record as he looks to become the first man to win this title three years in a row.

He missed the cut on his debut in 2014 but after securing his full European Tour playing privileges just weeks later, he finished seventh and second in the next two seasons before securing those back to back wins.

Another victory this week would see him not only match the great Seve Ballesteros as a three time winner of this event, but also ensure he has won in every full season he has been on Tour.

He birdied the last to get into a play-off with Lucas Bjerregaard 12 months ago and after doing the same at last week's Scandinavian Invitation en route to a third runner up finish of the season, European Tour win number six is surely not far away.

Matthew Fitzpatrick

"Going for the hat-trick is obviously a nice position to be in," he said. "I feel like my game is in good shape coming off a good last week in Sweden.

"I feel comfortable around here, I love the week as a whole, it's always good fun.

"It was a great week (last season), I played really well. I put myself in a great position going into the Sunday and I was really pleased with the way I ground out the last four holes to get myself back in it and get into the play-off."

Fitzpatrick has recently teamed up with caddie Billy Foster, a man who has seen it all in a long and storied career carrying the bag for the likes of Ballesteros and Lee Westwood.

Fitzpatrick's two wins in Switzerland have come with two different caddies, and the Sheffield native joked that all the pressure will be on his fellow Yorkshireman.

Alex Noren new

"He's very experienced but there's a lot more pressure on him than there is on me because I've had two different guys on the bag to win here so he's probably feeling the pressure," he said.

Another man who has won twice in the Swiss mountains is Alex Noren, who lifted the trophy and donned a red jacket in 2009 and 2016.

"It's nice, I always look forward to playing here," said the Swede.

"It's one of the nicest places on earth and the golf course is so much fun. You've got tough holes, you've got a little bit easier holes and a reachable par four and par fives along with tough par threes.

"I think everybody loves this course and at night you've got all these nice restaurants. It's a small town and everybody sees each other at night. It's beautiful."

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