Matthew Fitzpatrick Hoping for Another Shot at Ryder Cup
By Tim Letcher
Matthew Fitzpatrick made the 2016 European Ryder Cup team, but he barely played. In 2020, he’s hoping for another shot at playing in the competition.
Matthew Fitzpatrick seems like he has been in the public eye for many years. It has actually only been about seven years since Fitzpatrick won the U.S. Amateur Championship, in 2013, when he was just 18 years old.
Fitzpatrick then enrolled at Northwestern University just outside of Chicago, where he hoped to continue his amateur career. However, he stayed only one semester before turning pro and returning home to England.
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He went to the European Tour qualifying school and earned his card for the 2015 season. However, that season did not start well for Fitzpatrick. He missed the cut in six of his first eight events but in October of that same year, he earned is first professional victory, taking home the title at the British Masters. Fitzpatrick was just 21 years old at the time of the win.
In April of 2016, Fitzpatrick made another splash in the United States by placing seventh at the Masters. In June of that same year, he won the Nordea Masters, his second pro victory. That result, combined with everything else he had done in 2015 and 2016, earned him a spot on the European Ryder Cup team at just 22 years old. He only played twice at that Ryder Cup and he earned no points.
Fitzpatrick did not make the European Ryder Cup team in 2018, but he’s back in contention this season. He’s currently fifth in the European standings and figures to have a very good shot at making the team. His best result so far this season is a tie for second at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January. He tied for 37th at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship in February.
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Fitzpatrick has the game and could use his experience from 2016 to be a valuable member of captain Padraig Harrington’s 2020 squad. And unlike 2016, he could be much more of a factor in the actual competition this time around.