Matt Fitzpatrick wins play-off for  European Masters in Swiss Alps

Matt Fitzpatrick with the championship trophy. Picture by courtesy of Getty  Images (c)

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Matt Fitzpatrick claimed his fourth European Tour title in dramatic fashion at the Omega European Masters, as the young Englishman overcame Australian Scott Hend on the third play-off hole in an enthralling finale in the Swiss Alps.

The 23 year old emerged victorious from the two-man battle courtesy of three pars on the 18^th, but he looked dead and buried on the second extra hole as Hend had a four-footer to win before pulling his birdie effort left of the cup to the gasps of the galleries.

Hend suffered a disastrous bogey at the next time of asking, finding the fairway bunker with his drive before knifing out to the back of the green and failing to get up and down, leaving Fitzpatrick with two putts to clinch the historic title. He duly obliged to make it three consecutive winning seasons on the European Tour.

Fitzpatrick had launched himself into contention in regulation play courtesy of a scintillating final round 64, reeling off three successive birdies down the stretch to take the outright lead before a bogey at the 17^th pegged him back and gave him a nervous wait after signing for a 14 under total.

Hend finished with three pars to card a two under 68 and earn a second play-off in as many years at this tournament, having lost out to Alex Noren in the 2016 edition.

It was not to be once again for the two-time European Tour winner and he had to settle for back-to-back runner-up finishes at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club. Tyrrell Hatton of England and Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti finished three shots further back in a share of third place on 11 under.

 

FINAL TOTALS

Par 280 (4x70)

266 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 67 65 70 64, S Hend (Australia) 64 63 71 68 (Fitzpatrick 4-4-4 bt Hend 4-4-5 at third hole of sudden-death play-off)
269 T Hatton (Eng) 64 71 68 66, F Zanotti (Paraguay) 66 65 70 68
270 M Ilonen (Finland) 70 70 66 64
271 A Noren (Swe) 70 67 68 66, L Slattery (Eng) 75 62 68 66, D Fichardt (SAf) 65 63 74 69
272 W Ashun (China) 69 69 66 68, A Romero (Arg) 69 68 69 66, T Jaidee (Thailand) 65 66 74 67, R Fox (NZ) 65 67 72 68, D Stewart (Sco) 65 70 68 69, L Bjerregaard (Denmark) 68 67 67 70, R Sterne (SAf) 68 65 70 69
273 K Aphibarnrat (Thailand) 69 69 69 66, P Saksansin (Thailand) 70 66 68 69, D Im (USA) 66 68 73 66, A Björk (Swe) 68 65 69 71
274 M Armitage (Eng) 68 70 69 67, S Gallacher (Sco) 68 65 70 71, J Suri (USA) 67 65 72 70, R Gouveia (Portugal) 67 72 67 68, N Elvira (Spn) 70 64 70 70, T Lewis (Eng) 70 68 71 65, S Kapur (India) 68 67 71 68, M Fraser (Australia) 68 68 66 72, J Quesne (Fra) 70 68 70 66, R Karlberg (Swe) 69 70 65 70
275 D Lipsky (USA) 67 70 69 69, R Ramsay (Sco) 69 67 75 64, J Luiten (Netherlands) 67 68 73 67, D Horsey (Eng) 73 66 68 68, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 70 66 69, D Burmester (SAf) 70 64 68 73, L Jensen (Denmark) 68 68 72 67
276 C Pigem (Spn) 66 67 72 71, H Porteous (SAf) 69 69 68 70, P Peterson (USA) 67 70 70 69, A Da Silva (Brazil) 66 70 70 70, D Frittelli (SAf) 68 71 71 66, J Morrison (Eng) 69 67 75 65, C Hanson (Eng) 70 67 70 69
277 E De La Riva (Spn) 70 68 70 69, A Wall (Eng) 70 68 70 69, D Brooks (Eng) 70 67 72 68, N Bertasio (Ita) 69 69 67 72, T Sinnott (Australia) 65 66 72 74
278 R Gonzalez (Arg) 69 65 74 70, J Lagergren (Swe) 68 70 69 71, B Hebert (Fra) 70 69 67 72
279 R Bland (Eng) 70 70 71 68, D Drysdale (Sco) 65 69 70 75,
280 F Fritsch (Ger) 67 69 69 75, S Brazel (Aus) 68 72 70 70, B Rumford (Australia) 67 73 69 71, G Havret (Fra) 69 68 71 72, F Aguilar (Chile) 68 72 73 67, D Perrier (Fra) 67 72 68 73, L Westwood (Eng) 71 67 73 69, M Kieffer (Ger) 68 67 73 72, P Tangkamolprasert (Thailand) 72 66 70 72, S Crocker (am) (USA) 66 74 68 72
281 G Stal (Fra) 72 68 71 70,
282 S Henry (Sco) 72 67 77 66, J Walters (SAf) 70 70 73 69, R Jacquelin (Fra) 71 69 72 70, P Larrazábal (Spn) 68 72 72 70, R Wattel (Fra) 67 69 73 73
283 M Wallace (Eng) 72 68 72 71, M Jiménez (Spn) 64 73 77 69, L Donald (Eng) 68 71 72 72, P Dunne (Ire) 69 71 73 70
284 L Galliano (Switz) 70 70 71 73, M Siem (Ger) 71 67 75 71, J Scrivener (Australia) 70 69 73 72
285 N Holman (Australia) 69 70 75 71,

                                                 Ends 

 

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