Teenage sensation Matthew Fitzpatrick, who became the first golfer since the legendary Bobby Jones in 1930 to simultaneously hold the low-amateur honours at both the US Open (last week at Pinehurst) and the Open Championship (last year at Muirfield), will bring his enormous talent to the region when he tees up at this year’s National Bank of Oman Golf Classic.
The 19-year-old Englishman turns professional this week at the Irish Open at Fota Island Resort after a superb outing at the US Open, where he finished tied 48th.
He will be relying on sponsors’ invitations as he looks to make it to the main tour in 2015, and one such opportunity has come in the form of the Challenge Tour event at the Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, where the tournament will be held in the last week of October.
On receiving his invitation, Fitzpatrick said: “The National Bank of Oman Golf Classic was one of the most exciting events on the Challenge Tour last season, so it will be great to play there at this year’s tournament.
“Travelling the world and visiting different countries was one of the things I was most looking forward to about turning professional – hopefully I can play well and make my trip to Oman one to remember.”
A delighted Ahmed Muslamy, CEO of National Bank of Oman, said: “To have one of the most exciting young prospects in world golf playing in our event is a considerable compliment to the status of our tournament.
“It will be interesting to follow the progress of Matthew in the professional ranks in the run-up to the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic.”
Fitzpatrick was only one of 11 Teenager will play Challenge Tour event players, which included the victorious Martin Kaymer, to shoot under par on the final day.
A 69 earned him an 11-over par total of 291.
Sheffield-born Fitzpatrick is being hailed as the new Rory McIlroy and his achievements to date have been nothing short of spectacular.
He became the first Englishman since 1911 to lift the USGA’s oldest trophy in winning the US Amateur at Brookline, Massachusetts, last August.
The previous month, he had earned the Silver Medal for being the top amateur at Muirfield, tying for 44th place.
The 2012 Boys Amateur Champion was Great Britain and Ireland’s leading point scorer at the 2013 Walker Cup and last September, he was awarded the Mark H McCormack Medal as the leading player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Despite missing the cut at the Masters by just one stroke in April earlier this year he finished tied for 23rd place at the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage the following week.
Fitzpatrick played a practice round on Pinehurst’s No2 course with Rory McIlroy on the Tuesday before the US Open and then played the first two rounds with Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose.
“Rory was a great help,” said Fitzpatrick. “It was nice to speak to him and pick his brains about a few things. He said that I can ask him any questions I have, so that’s nice. It was good finding someone like that who’s willing to help me and show me the ropes, and he’s certainly done that and more.
“I really enjoyed it. It was a great week. My aim was to win the low amateur, and to achieve it is pretty pleasing.
“It’s been great playing with some of the biggest names in the game and to close with a 69 was a great way to finish and a great way to end my amateur career at the US Open.”
