Matt Fitzpatrick leads the British Masters and aims for the Ryder Cup
English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick leads the British Masters after a standout performance on Saturday, solidifying his aspirations to be selected by captain Luke Donald for the Ryder Cup.
Fitzpatrick, 30, completed the day with a score of 68 (-4), including four birdies and two bogeys. A spectacular eagle on the 15th hole catapulted him to a total of 12 under par after three rounds.
Fitzpatrick’s performance puts him in an advantageous position, although with a minimal lead over Swede Alex Noren, who recorded a round of 65 strokes.
Marco Penge matched the course record with an impressive round of 63 strokes, which allowed him to climb to third position, two strokes behind Fitzpatrick. Penge accumulated nine birdies during his round.
Rasmus Hojgaard, with a card of 69 strokes, is in 14th place. To secure his place in the Ryder Cup, Hojgaard needs to finish in a tie for 29th place or higher in the tournament held at The Belfry. This would allow him to surpass Shane Lowry, who currently holds sixth place in the list of automatic qualifiers for the European team.
The top six finishers earn a direct spot on the European team. Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, and Tyrrell Hatton have already secured their participation in next month’s matches at Bethpage Black.
Lowry is not competing in the British Masters, the final qualifying event, so he will not be able to add more points for the Ryder Cup. Instead, he is participating in the Tour Championship, which marks the end of the PGA Tour season.
Captain Donald will announce his six selections to complete the 12-player team on September 1st.
