MATT FITZPATRICK WITH THE ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY ON THE SWILCAN BRIDGE. IMAGE - MATT HOOPER
9 OCTOBER, 2023 - DP WORLD TOUR: Matt Fitzpatrick enjoyed double delight at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship as a closing 66 at St Andrews clinched the individual title and helped him take team honours alongside mum Susan.
The Englishman had sat on the lead for two days after torrential rain saw the weekend washed out and the event pushed to Monday and reduced to 54 holes.
Better conditions greeted the field for the final round across St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie but nobody could get past Fitzpatrick, who reached 19 under to win by three shots from countrymen Marcus Armitage and Matthew Southgate and defending champion Ryan Fox.
In the team event, Susan contributed three birdies and an eagle in a 59 that got the pair to 35 under and sealed a five-shot triumph.
Fitzpatrick becomes just the second player to do the individual and team double after Pádraig Harrington in 2002 and 2006, while Susan becomes the second female winner at this event, following Maeve Danaher who won alongside Michael Hoey two years ago.
The victory caps a remarkable fortnight for Fitzpatrick, who was part of Luke Donald's winning Ryder Cup team, earning his first point in his third appearance as Europe triumphed 16½-11½.
The Englishman had sat on the lead for two days after torrential rain saw the weekend washed out and the event pushed to Monday and reduced to 54 holes.
Better conditions greeted the field for the final round across St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie but nobody could get past Fitzpatrick, who reached 19 under to win by three shots from countrymen Marcus Armitage and Matthew Southgate and defending champion Ryan Fox.
In the team event, Susan contributed three birdies and an eagle in a 59 that got the pair to 35 under and sealed a five-shot triumph.
Fitzpatrick becomes just the second player to do the individual and team double after Pádraig Harrington in 2002 and 2006, while Susan becomes the second female winner at this event, following Maeve Danaher who won alongside Michael Hoey two years ago.
The victory caps a remarkable fortnight for Fitzpatrick, who was part of Luke Donald's winning Ryder Cup team, earning his first point in his third appearance as Europe triumphed 16½-11½.
SUSAN FITZPATRICK AND MATT FITZPATRICK ON THE SWILCAN BRIDGE WITH THE TROPHIES IMAGE - MATT HOOPER
After being caught by Southgate earlier in the day, Fitzpatrick holed a long putt on the 13th and hit an excellent approach into the 15th to lead by three at the Old Course. While Southgate and Fox both made the most of the short par-four 18th to get to 16 under after rounds of 66 and 65 respectively, so did Fitzpatrick to set the target at 19 under.
Over at Carnoustie, however, Armitage was still in with a chance of catching him after starting almost 90 minutes later on the 11th in a shotgun start. He sunk two birdies and an eagle over his first four holes to begin his charge. A bogey at the 18th stalled his progress but he made gains at the fourth, sixth and seventh to sit two back with three to play before three-putting the ninth.
Swede Sebastian Söderberg fired the lowest round of the day with a 62 at Kingsbarns to finish at 15 under, a shot clear of Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, Finn Sami Välimäki and England's Matt Wallace.
Over at Carnoustie, however, Armitage was still in with a chance of catching him after starting almost 90 minutes later on the 11th in a shotgun start. He sunk two birdies and an eagle over his first four holes to begin his charge. A bogey at the 18th stalled his progress but he made gains at the fourth, sixth and seventh to sit two back with three to play before three-putting the ninth.
Swede Sebastian Söderberg fired the lowest round of the day with a 62 at Kingsbarns to finish at 15 under, a shot clear of Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, Finn Sami Välimäki and England's Matt Wallace.
