Fitzpatrick on course for “best achievement”

<strong>By Will Pearson, europeantour.com<br />
at PGA Catalunya</strong>

Matthew Fitzpatrick fired a four under par 66 in the second round of the Qualifying School Final Stage as the talented young Englishman remained firmly on track for a European Tour card – something he later said would represent one of the crowning achievements in his embryonic professional career.

Fitzpatrick, the former World Amateur Number One and 2013 US Amateur Champion, lies tied fourth at PGA Catalunya Resort with two rounds down and four to come at the annual marathon examination in north-eastern Spain.

The 20 year old Sheffield native turned professional following the US Open at Pinehurst in June before finishing inside the top ten four times in nine appearances en route to a 48th place finish in the European Challenge Tour Rankings.

Having come through the Second Stage by finishing tied fifth at Campo de Golf El Saler, Fitzpatrick has grand designs on a place in The 2015 Race to Dubai and is in pole position to seize just that, after another impressive display on the Tour layout at PGA Catalunya Resort on Sunday.

“A lot has been expected of me so it would be ideal to do well this week,” said Fitzpatrick, who signed for a solid 70 on the longer Stadium Course in the first round. “I think I would regard it as one of my best achievements if I got my card here because this is such a tough way of getting it with six rounds.

“I had to come through second stage too which makes it even harder. But it’s just one day at a time, and one hole at a time, and just trying to do my best on every shot.”

Fitzpatrick mixed seven birdies with three bogeys on Saturday to sit three shots back from leader Anirban Lahiri with 72 holes to come at the Girona venue and said the testing format could well reward his consistent game.

“I just said to my caddie coming off that I think if you can keep shooting under par on both courses then that will hopefully help a lot and that’s what I’ve managed to do so far,” he continued.

“There really wasn’t a number in mind today but just wanted one as low as possible, because I knew this was the better-scoring course having looked at yesterday’s scores, so it was just a case of plugging away and trying to hit it as close as possible and hole as many putts as I can.

“I think steady progress can be rewarded here. Hopefully I can put six good rounds together because if I do that it might just get me my card. Everyone knows that, that’s why we are all here, so hopefully that will be the case.”

Another notable name in search of a big week in Girona is former Challenge Tour Number One Andrea Pavan, who also lies tied fourth following a round of 69 on the Stadium Course on day one. He followed that with a three under par 67 on the Tour layout on Sunday, a score which featured five birdies and a double bogey after he found water on the par four 15th.

Pavan could be forgiven were he still to be dwelling on the events of three weeks ago, when the Italian stood on the 18th tee at the ISPS Handa Perth International needing only a par to retain his European Tour card before a double bogey left him adrift at 120th in The Race to Dubai, but the 25 year old Roman remains philosophical in this most crucial of weeks.

“It was a bit hard when I finished but you need to move on,” Pavan reflected. “I played really well and put myself in contention that final day because after two rounds I was 35th or so, so to come in and play that way, I took a lot of positives out of the week.

“I know the way I play I can give myself chances and yesterday on the Stadium Course I played lovely off the tee, hit 15 greens and shot three under even though I started with a double bogey, so it could have been a lot lower.

“And today I had a mixed bag but if I can manage to control myself when things don’t quite go my way then I should be in good shape for the future.

“I think the main difference between succeeding on the Challenge Tour and on The European Tour is that you need to drive it very well off the tee, which is not my strength, but I’m working on it and I think it is getting better.

“The courses on The European Tour are generally longer, thicker rough, firmer greens so you need to be hitting from the fairway to attack the greens and, of course, the fields are stronger.

“But the Stadium Course here is very Tour-like and the Tour Course is a bit more forgiving off the tee so these are good courses for preparing you for European Tour events.

“In golf you can be far away with your results but your game can be right up there, just look at Oliver Wilson. You just need one week, four days – or six in this case – to get everything to go your way.

“Today is only day two so I’m sure there will be more pressure as the week goes on but that’s normal – everyone is playing for something here.”