Matt Fitzpatrick hopes to turn last week’s agonising near-miss at The Players Championship into motivation as he chases victory on the final day of the Valspar Championship.
Fitzpatrick led by one going into the penultimate hole at TPC Sawgrass last Sunday but a par-bogey finish allowed Cam Young to close with birdie-par and win by a stroke. Back in contention at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, Fitzpatrick and fellow Englishman Marco Penge sit three shots off leader Sungjae Im ahead of Sunday’s final round.
Fitzpatrick carded a third-round 68 and said the disappointment at The Players remains in his mind. “Definitely a little bit. You’re always thinking about past experience, trying to draw on that and that’s what I did today,” he told reporters. “Going into tomorrow will be the same thing. It’s something that you have just got to be patient with out there and you’ve got to use that to your advantage as best you can.”
Penge also shot a three-under 68 on Saturday and is tied with Fitzpatrick at eight under, one shot behind Americans Brandt Snedeker and David Lipsky, who share second. Im, on 11 under, has led after each of the opening three rounds, opening with an impressive 64 followed by back-to-back 69s.
“I’ve been confident in how I’ve been playing. Having that experience and knowing the feelings and emotions that come with that, as well as the pressure, I definitely feel that having that experience is always better than not, for sure,” Fitzpatrick added, noting the Valspar is a big week in the run-up to the Masters and a win would be a strong start to his season.
Watch the final round of the Valspar Championship live on Sky Sports Golf from 11.45am on Sunday, with streaming options available.