Alex Fitzpatrick Grabs First Win on European Challenge Tour
Alex Fitzpatrick is topping off the best month in his young career with a five-shot victory at the British Challenge, his first win on the Challenge Tour.
Starting the final round three shots behind Stuart Manley of Wales at the St. Mellion Estate in Cornwall, England, the 24-year-old had one of the best rounds of the day with a 4-under 68.
“I’m ecstatic,” the brother of U.S. Open Matt Fitzpatrick said. “I feel like I’ve been playing some decent golf and I’ve been putting in a lot of work. It’s just nice to see it finally pay off."
Fitzpatrick said that Sundays are always tough as players make moves and, luckily, he was the one that did it.
The run for Fitzpatrick started when he qualified for the British Open on July 4 at West Lancashire Golf Club with a final-round 65, tying the best afternoon round of the qualifier with England’s Matt Wallace.
His first appearance in a major championship didn’t disappoint, as he was firmly on the leaderboard after three days at T9 before the two-time Walker Cupper finished T17 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
“I was hoping I could maybe get it done today, but that's not the case, so I'll have to keep grinding on the Challenge Tour and try and get off it as quick as I can,” Fitzpatrick said after his final-round 73 at Hoylake. “It's a difficult game, so I feel like I can compete with the best in the world with my game, and I feel like it's definitely shown me now that I can do it. It's just a case of getting to compete against the best in the world more often than just once.”
The win for Fitzpatrick in Cornwall on Sunday was his first since turning pro, finally eclipsing his two collegiate wins at Wake Forest.
Fitzpatrick moved up 14 spots in the Road to Mallorca rankings and sits seventh, needing to finish in the Top 20 to earn his DP World Tour card for the 2024 season.
“Over the past year on the Challenge Tour, I feel like I’ve put myself in contention quite a lot," he said. "I did it in India and in the Netherlands but not got it over the line. It’s been an amazing week and I’m very happy to get it done.”
Next up for Fitzpatrick will be the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Aug. 10-13.