Fitzgerald Jokes ‘I’m Probably Now Going To Win The Masters’.

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Palm Harbor, Florida.

Matt Fitzpatrick joked he’ll probably now win the Masters after brilliantly capturing the Valspar Championship here at the Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor in Florida.

Seven days after the bitter disappointment of having victory snatched from his grasp at the Players Championship and Fitzgerald displayed his enormous delight with a emphatic celebratory right fist pump, seconds after holing a brillant 13-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole on the host Copperhead course.

As proud parents, Susan and Russell looked on, Fitzpatrick captured his third PGA Tour success and a 12th win of his pro career in posting a closing 68 to win by a shot at 11-under from American David Lipsky.

A week ago, Fitzpatrick dramatically had the victory rug pulled out from under him at PGA Tour HQ, having led by a shot with just two holes to play only for American Cameron Young to birdie the 71st hole and then par the last after Fitzpatrick had sent his final drive right into trees and sadly walk off with a bogey ‘5’.

However to his enormous credit Fitzpatrick chose to be interviewed post his round while there was the amazing TV images of Fitzgerald walking over the Young’s family and congratulating them on their son’s Sawgrass success.

Fitzpatrick’s actions earned him enormous praise and that very much was evident over today’s final round when so many players put themselves into contention, including 45-year-old Brandt Snedeker who led at one stage ahead of a gutsy share of 18th.

The fans were just as delighted for Fitzgerald after the 72nd birdie putt dropped, as Fitzgerald as his caddy were to win so dramatically.

Next up, and after his victory last November in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, and on the back of runner-up at The Players plus the ‘W’ here at the Valspar, it’s all roads leading to Augusta, GA.

Fitzgerald attended the media centre, still accompanied by his parents, and proudly spoke of his Valspar joy as a boost for him heading to what will be a 12th appearance Augusta appearance.

GolfByTourMiss quizzed him about his victory fist pump, wondering where ‘that’ fist pump rated to other winning fist pumps.

“(Laughing). No, no, no. It’s all personal,“ he said. “Yeah all fist pumps are personal, apart from September last year.

“That wasn’t, that was a little bit more outward, shall we say. Yeah, I mean any Ryder Cup fist pump is the best fist pump for sure because you’ve got everyone else on your team and it feels like they mean a little bit more and it’s a little bit more excitement, in a way, because of the format and everything.

“But, yeah, I think it’s just, it felt like the same on the Sunday last year at DP World. I made a 6-footer to sort of take the lead, knowing that Rory (McIlroy) had a chance to obviously match that. But it was more like a celebration of yeah of I played well, I’ve earned the right to be in that position.

“I guess a kind of a release of that, that, yeah, I’ve done it under the pressure.“

And it was a question about next teeing-up at Augusta National that also brought out the fun side of this very, very popular golfer.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m probably going to win, yeah,“ he said laughing.

“No, no. Yeah, I mean, I’m obviously very confident in my game right now. But what it takes to win a major is very different to what it takes to win on the PGA TOUR, in my opinion. Particularly the Masters, there’s extra pressure on the Masters, no matter who you are. You know, it just has that standing above all the other events, as well as the majors, you know.

“The stuff that I still want to work on. I’m coming away from this week, obviously I won, delighted with where my game’s at, but there’s stuff I want to improve.

“I want to make sure that I’m ready for when I get to Augusta to be ready to play and be ready that Thursday morning. So, yeah, I’m really looking forward to that week.

“Obviously still two weeks away, so time to prepare and get ready and as well as rest and recover and just be in the best shape as possible“.

Last question, and a one-to-one with the new Valspar champ.

Fitz?  What is your jacket size?

“I honestly don’t know“,

His father Russell was close-by.  “Probably, a 38R or a 40,“ he said.

Fitzpatrick: “No, I just don’t know but then I’ll take any size … laughing“.

 



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