Omega European Masters: Matt Fitzpatrick increases lead as he aims to emulate Seve Ballesteros with third title

Matt Fitzpatrick kept the outright lead in Switzerland as he aims to seal a wire-to-wire triumph, as the race for the Ryder Cup heats up with a host of players in contention to qualify; watch the Omega European Masters on Sky Sports Golf from 11.30am on Sunday

Matt Fitzpatrick is aiming to win this tournament for a third time (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

Matt Fitzpatrick doubled his lead at the European Masters to two shots after the third round on Saturday as the Englishman aims to emulate golf legend Seve Ballesteros by winning the tournament for a third time.

Fitzpatrick played the par-four 18th hole perfectly and sank a six-foot birdie putt to card a three-under-par round of 67. He has a 15-under total of 195 at sun-soaked Crans-sur-Sierre club in the Swiss Alps.

The 2022 US Open champion can also seal his place at the Ryder Cup later this month and needs to finish better than seventh alone to take the third and final qualifying place for Team Europe via the World Points List. Tommy Fleetwood holds third place though is not playing this week, so Fitzpatrick should leapfrog him and seal an automatic spot – although both players would surely be picked by captain Luke Donald anyway.

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Fitzpatrick wants to remove any doubt, though, and leads by two strokes from Alexander Bjork – his playing partner on Saturday – plus a second Swede, rookie sensation Ludvig Aberg who is doing his own chances of a wildcard pick no harm, as well as Scotland’s Connor Syme.

Alex Fitzpatrick, the younger brother of Matt, is a shot further back tied for fifth with Nicolai Hojgaard. They made 68 and 66, respectively.

Matt Fitzpatrick briefly ceded the lead to Bjork when making double bogey at the par-three 13th hooking his tee shot into green-side water but fired three birdies in the closing five holes.

“That was really important. It could have easily unraveled,” Fitzpatrick said of his late-round rally. He also dropped shots at holes one and nine.

The European Masters typically has a tight finish, and the past nine editions have been won either in a playoff or by one stroke.

Golf icon Severiano Ballesteros is the only player in history to previously have won the European Masters three times

Fitzpatrick’s 2017 and ’18 victories were in playoffs, and a third title in the mountains would match Spanish great Ballesteros.

“There’s a lot of things for me this week,” Fitzpatrick said. “I can wrap up Ryder Cup and I can obviously match Seve’s record.”

The European Masters is the last qualifying event for Europe. The Ryder Cup is from September 29 to October 1 at the Marco Simone club near Rome.

A third and final automatic place on the European Points List is also there to be won on Sunday, to join the already-qualified Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton

Robert MacIntyre holds that place and the Scot shot a level-par 70 on Saturday to be three-under.

Europe captain Luke Donald will make six picks on Monday.

Watch the Omega European Masters on Sky Sports Golf from 11.30am on Sunday, and the rest of the tournament across the weekend. Stream the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, Ryder Cup and more for £26 a month for 12 months with NOW.

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