British Masters 2015: Matthew Fitzpatrick motors to his maiden win with show of nerve

Matthew Fitzpatrick with the trophy after his British Masters victory (Getty Images)

For sale, one five-year-old Ford Mondeo, low mileage, Sheffield. Matthew Fitzpatrick is a golfer going places after joining the ranks of English sporting millionaires with his maiden victory at the British Masters. The prize pot for winning at Woburn was half a million quid, which would buy a showroom full of Fords, and doubled his earnings in what has already been a successful debut season.

How does a 21-year-old celebrate a moment such as this, winning by two strokes on 15 under par after a final-round 68 in front of family and friends on English soil? By splashing out on a new motor, of course, an upgrade to a two-year-old Mondeo, a diesel model, too, to save on fuel bills. They must nail their feet to the floor in Yorkshire.

Setting aside the frivolous stuff, this was a victory of some substance, announcing a new English superstar in the golfing firmament. Fitting, then, that it should be marked in the proper fashion, with a spray of champagne on the 18th and a cuddle from mum.

It doesn’t get better unless you win the Open, but that’s for next year

&#13; <p>Matthew Fitzpatirck</p>&#13;

“It doesn’t really get much better than this... I don’t really know what to say,” he managed. “It’s just been an unbelievable day, and to top it off with a win, it’s certainly made the year a lot better. My first professional win, British Masters, in England, family here... it doesn’t get better unless you win the Open, but that’s for next year.”

He followed that with laughter, but it is not entirely out of the question given the way young golfers come out of the amateur ranks these days like ready meals, good to go. After all it was Jordan Spieth, golf’s foremost 22-year-old and already the world No 1 and double major winner, who predicted an amateur would win a major within a decade.

Fitzpatrick’s victory at the US Amateur two years ago flagged him as a player of obvious potential, underwritten yesterday with a wire-to-wire win by the youngest player in the field. He started the day with a share of the lead on 12 under par, but by the 10th had seen Soren Kjeldsen and Fabrizio Zanotti, who finished second two shots behind along with Shane Lowry, bolt two clear on 14 under par. His response was as much about ticker as technique – and he was not found wanting.

Birdies at 11 and 12 saw him draw level and two more at the par-5 15th and short 17th saw him on the 18th tee with a two-shot lead. The adrenalin was pumping as he stood over his approach, which he duly fired through the back of the green into one of the busiest bunkers of the week.

A bogey would follow, but he will take one like that every Sunday if in the next breath he is imbibing Moet. “Winning wire-to-wire is something that I think most players dream of. It’s not very often it gets done. It’s unbelievable. This year my goal was to keep my card and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to do that after the start of my year.

“But I managed to start playing well and making more cuts and just picking up cheques, and then the past two months I really got going, made a lot of money and was able to secure my place in the Race to Dubai [season finale].”

The victory, five weeks into the qualifying period, has the added bonus of placing him at the top of the Ryder Cup points table, another cosmic detail that had Fitzpatrick shaking his head in disbelief.

“It’s a massive shock, I’m not going to lie. It’s a long way away off. I don’t know if Rory [McIlroy] has even played a qualifying event yet. I was speaking to Darren[Clarke, captain] the day before yesterday about it and he said, ‘you just need to get a little bit more money on the Order of Merit’. I might have to send him a text later saying, ‘I’m trying’.”

Luke Donald’s renaissance continued with a 69 to finish fifth, while Lee Westwood had to settle for a share of 17th on eight under par.