09 October 2023 , 17:56
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Ryder Cup hero Matt Fitzpatrick has enjoyed more success a week on from victory in Rome, after winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship alongside his mum, Susan.
Fitzpatrick completed a double at St Andrews, winning the individual professional event ahead of 2022 winner Ryan Fox, Matthew Southgate and Marcus Armitage, as well as the team pro-am with his mother. After play was abandoned across Saturday and Sunday, the event based across St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns was reduced to 54 holes.
On Sunday parts of the Carnoustie course were submerged under water, but a monumental effort from the three teams of greenkeepers ensured the event could finally be finished on Monday.
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And Fitzpatrick took full advantage, shooting a six-under-par 66 at the Old Course for a 19-under-par total for the event, three better than the runners up. Victory was made extra special after being joined by his mum across the weather-affected three days of play.
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As the Englishman passed the Swilcan Bridge down the iconic 18th, Fitzpatrick and his mother posed for a photo before making their way up the fairway ahead of their title-crowning moment. The win is the Yorkshireman's first since his 2022 U.S. Open triumph at Brookline last June.
Matt Fitzpatrick secured his first win since his U.S. Open victory back in 2022 (PA)And it appears winning alongside his mum ranks up there with his major victory. Speaking post-round, he said: "Aside from the weather, it really was a perfect week. Even with all my wins, aside from a major, you forget about them in the future, and you’ll always remember the one that you won with your mum.”
His U.S. Open win in 2022 proved key in setting up a partnership with his mother, with a major title or a space in the top-15 allowing players to pick their pro-am partner at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Asked if this made the Scottish-based event an extra special one, Fitzpatrick responded: "A hundred per cent. From when I won the U.S. Open last year, I knew that the criteria was you had to win a major or Top 15 in the world to be able to pick your partner here.
"That was one of the first things we spoke about, if we can play Dunhill together, and that's what we did last year and last year was clearly a warmup for this year. We did very well this year."