Washington (United States) (AFP) – England’s Alex Fitzpatrick stormed into a one-shot lead at the Truist Championship on Saturday, firing a seven-under-par 64 in the latest impressive display of his fledgling PGA Tour career. Fitzpatrick drained eight birdies and one bogey to finish the third round on 14-under at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, one shot clear of fellow rookie Kristoffer Reitan of Norway, who also shot a 64.
Fitzpatrick only earned his PGA Tour card after partnering elder brother Matt to victory at the Zurich Classic pairs tournament a fortnight ago, and followed that up with a respectable top-10 finish at the Cadillac Championship in Florida last week. Fitzpatrick, who played Quail Hollow regularly while at college at nearby Wake Forest University, admitted he was excited by the possibility of claiming a first solo PGA title in only his third start on tour.
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“It will be super cool, I get goosebumps kind of thinking about it,” Fitzpatrick said. “It would be amazing to do it by myself. The first two weeks have been OK, so I’m pretty pleased. I’m just trying to enjoy every moment. This is all new for me.”
The 27-year-old from Sheffield thrust himself into contention on Saturday with an electrifying birdie spree on the front nine, picking up five birdies to move to 12-under and two shots clear at the turn. Fitzpatrick kept it rolling down the stretch, picking up a birdie on the 12th and just missing an 11-foot birdie putt on 14 that curled around the cup before lipping out.
He narrowly missed a putt for eagle at the 15th, but tapped in for birdie to remain in control. There was a slight stumble on the 16th, when he could only bogey after driving his second shot into a greenside bunker, but he responded instantly with a birdie on the 17th to edge clear of Reitan again.
Fitzpatrick can expect a stiff challenge in Sunday’s final round, however, with a crowded field of contenders lurking. While Reitan is one behind, in-form Cameron Young signalled he is ready to make a charge on Sunday after posting a sensational eight-under par 63 that might have been better had it not been for a bogey on the 18th. Young, who won last week’s Cadillac Championship at Doral after tying for third at the Masters last month and winning The Players Championship in March, rattled in seven birdies and an eagle to finish two off the lead on 12-under.
The 29-year-old from New York agreed with a suggestion that he was playing the best golf of his life. “I think I would have to be delusional to say no,” Young said. “I’m playing great. There is not a ton going on in my head, which is I think a very good thing. I’m thinking about shots and I’m thinking about my execution and that’s mainly where my head is at. Just trying to keep myself where I am and hit good shots and kind of stack them together, and I feel like I’ve done that really well.”
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