Palm Beach Gardens, FL …
After being overtaken in driving off the tee at the Honda Classic Matt Fitzpatrick is looking forward to being a lot more competitive at altitude at this week’s inaugural WGC – Mexico Championship at Mexico City.
Fitzpatrick ended his final round at PGA National nearly 90 minutes before good friend Tyrrell Hatton was out in the last pairing with Rickie Fowler, and with Hatton trailing four shots behind last year’s victorious Ryder Cup star.
The 22-year old was contesting the Honda Classic for a first occasion but it was a week he’d rather forget with scores of 72, 68, 76 and 73 for a disappointing nine-over par tally that handed him third last place among the 70 players to make the cut.
Matthew Fitzpatrick putting fr birdie at the last.
“I played good on Friday to shoot 68 but overall it was a tough week”, he said.
“I was in the Bahamas last week and played great there and with game feeling really good and came here to Florida and just struggled.
“I just drove it terrible off the tee and for me, I don’t really overpower a golf course like hitting it 320-yards as that would help a lot as I averaged this week around 272-yards.
“But then I’ve heard next week, and given the altitude at Mexico City, the ball will be travelling a long way.
“I’ve played in Switzerland a few times at the European Masters but I hear Mexico City is a few thousand is a good few thousand feet higher.
“Also it’s very tree-line like Crans in Switzerland so hopefully that will help.”
Matthew Fitzpatrick awaits to putt out for par as American Patton Kizzire holes out for birdie on the final green at PGA National.
Fitzpatrick, like Hatton, intends remaining in the States up to and including the Players Championship in May, and also like his Marlow-born colleague, the double European Tour winning Fitzpatrick’s goal is to secure his PGA Tour card.
“I am here right through to May 18th playing two on and then a week off, two on again and then a week off and so on,” he said.
“I’m then back in Europe for the BMW PGA at Wentworth and back over here for the US Open.
“My girlfriend has graduated and is waiting to see whether she gets a job over here but the big goal in my time over here is to secure my PGA Tour card and it’s the same with Tyrrell.
“Then in saying that it didn’t go all that week this week though that is the main goal.
“So, with the seven events the PGA Tour has afforded me along with the WGCs and the Majors that will be 12 events up to May.
“The good thing is that I’ve played Bay Hill before and also I played Augusta twice before (T7th in 2016) plus I’ve played a few times at Hilton Head in the week after the Masters, so there’s a few golf courses I am returning to that can only help.”
However before stepping aboard a special Mexico City charter late Monday afternoon (US time) Fitzpatrick is joining many of his fellow pros competing Monday morning in the now annual Seminole GC ‘Pro-v-Member’s outing on the ultra-exclusive Donald Ross designed course just north of Palm Beach Gardens.
Among those teeing up will be Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer and Fowler.
McIlroy will return to competition this week after being side-lined since January 16th with a stressed fracture of a rib.
