Published July 17, 2008 on September 10, 2018

Swiss Double for Fantastic Fitzpatrick

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Matthew Fitzpatrick beat Lucas Bjerregaard in a playoff to become the first man in 40 years to successfully defend the title at the Omega European Masters.

The Englishman started the day four shots ahead of Bjerregaard but the Dane carded a brilliant 63 to set the target at 17 under and Fitzpatrick had to birdie the last to take it to extra holes.

The 24-year-old then put his approach to 12 feet on the first trip back up the 18th and another birdie saw him become the first player since the late, great Seve Ballesteros to go back-to-back at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.

The final day had developed into an enthralling three-way battle between Fitzpatrick, Bjerregaard and Mike Lorenzo-Vera, with the Frenchman right in it until he bogeyed the last after finding the water.

“That was tough, that was really tough. Of all my wins I’d say that was definitely the most difficult. I didn’t have my A game today, despite loving this place I just didn’t play my best today. I managed to grind it out, made some crucial birdies coming in and I’m delighted. This is one of my best,” said Fitzpatrick.

Lorenzo-Vera finished at 15 under, three shots clear of Spaniard Nacho Elvira and four ahead of England’s Daniel Brooks.

Fitzpatrick needed extra holes to beat Scott Hend in the mountains last season and became just the third player this term to mount a successful defence after Tommy Fleetwood and Brooks Koepka.

At 24 years and eight days old, he also becomes the youngest Englishman to get to five European Tour victories, having won in every season since coming through the Qualifying School in 2014.

For Portugal Masters champion Bjerregaard, the result is a third consecutive top ten, while Lorenzo-Vera has three top tens this season as he looks for a maiden victory.

Japan’s Hideto Tanihara and Chinese Wu Ashun were at ten under, a shot clear of South African pair Darren Fichardt and Charl Schwartzel, American Doug Ghim and Thai Phachara Khongwatmai. Gavin Green whose third round 63 matched Fitzpatricks’ for the lowest round of the week was also in contention on the final day but the young Malaysian carded a final par-72 round to finish joint 12^thwith Korean J. Wang, Dane Kjeldsen and England’s Westwood on total 15-under 273.

Frenchman Adrien Saddier made the 32nd hole-in-one of the season and second of the week when he holed a seven iron from 192 yards on the 13th.

 

Final Scores:

263 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 69 64 63 67, L Bjerregaard (Den) 68 65 67 63,
265 M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 68 66 64 67,
268 N Elvira (Esp) 66 69 67 66,
269 D Brooks (Eng) 69 67 64 69,
270 H Tanihara (Jpn) 65 66 71 68, A Wu (Chn) 70 65 65 70,
271 P Khongwatmai (Tha) 68 71 68 64, C Schwartzel (RSA) 67 69 68 67, D Ghim (USA) 68 65 67 71, D Fichardt (RSA) 68 71 68 64,
273 J Wang (Kor) 71 68 70 64, S Kjeldsen (Den) 65 70 69 69, L Westwood (Eng) 68 69 66 70, G Green (Mas) 69 69 63 72,
274 P Larrazábal (Esp) 67 72 68 67, F Zanotti (Par) 69 70 69 66, H Porteous (RSA) 69 65 66 74, R McEvoy (Eng) 72 67 68 67, C Shinkwin (Eng) 69 69 70 66, N Bertasio (Ita) 70 67 65 72, L Canter (Eng) 68 69 72 65,
275 B Hebert (Fra) 70 67 71 67, J Guerrier (Fra) 65 71 73 66, D Horsey (Eng) 70 69 69 67, C Wood (Eng) 68 70 71 66, S Gallacher (Sco) 68 66 70 71, C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 71 68 69 67, N Colsaerts (Bel) 71 66 73 65,
276 M Southgate (Eng) 69 67 69 71, D Drysdale (Sco) 66 70 72 68, T Aiken (RSA) 68 67 66 75, A Sullivan (Eng) 65 72 68 71, R Fox (Nzl) 67 69 72 68,
277 C Koepka (USA) 71 65 69 72, S Jamieson (Sco) 69 68 72 68, A Johnston (Eng) 68 69 71 69, E Van Rooyen (RSA) 66 71 67 73, M Kieffer (Ger) 64 71 73 69, G Coetzee (RSA) 69 70 69 69, J Walters (RSA) 66 71 72 68, D Lipsky (USA) 68 70 66 73,
278 R Sterne (RSA) 69 67 71 71, R Wattel (Fra) 69 67 72 70,
279 S Chawrasia (Ind) 69 66 71 73, A Connelly (Can) 70 69 68 72, M Korhonen (Fin) 69 70 72 68, K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 71 67 70 71, A Romero (Arg) 72 67 70 70, S Hend (Aus) 70 69 70 70,
280 M Wallace (Eng) 68 69 69 74, G Havret (Fra) 69 70 74 67, L Slattery (Eng) 68 71 70 71, E Molinari (Ita) 70 68 73 69,
282 J Campillo (Esp) 74 65 68 75,
283 M Kinhult (Swe) 70 69 73 71, A Levy (Fra) 67 68 77 71, J Morrison (Eng) 70 69 70 74,
284 J Van Zyl (RSA) 71 68 78 67, M Pavon (Fra) 67 71 70 76, D Willett (Eng) 68 66 79 71, P Oriol (Esp) 72 66 71 75, R Fisher (Eng) 70 69 75 70,
285 R Gonzalez (Arg) 71 68 74 72,
288 A Saddier (Fra) 74 65 77 72,
289 J Geary (Nzl) 68 70 81 70, R Karlsson (Swe) 69 69 79 72,