Friday 9 December 2016 11:05, UK
Matt Fitzpatrick has been named Hilton European Tour Golfer of the Month for November following his win at the DP World Tour Championship.
Fitzpatrick collected his second victory of the season at the season-ending event in Dubai, holding his nerve to birdie the final hole and pip fellow English youngster Tyrrell Hatton to the title by a single shot.
The 22-year-old jumped into fifth place in the final Race to Dubai standings to bolster his share of the $5m bonus prize fund to crown an excellent year in which he posted a top-10 finish at the Masters while also earning his Ryder Cup debut.
Fitzpatrick, who also won the Nordea Masters in June, took the November accolade ahead of Turkish Airlines Open champion Thorbjorn Olesen and Nedbank Golf Challenge winner Alex Noren, who lifted his fourth trophy of a memorable year in South Africa.
"It's fantastic to have three of these awards so early in my career, and getting this recognition again helps to round off a great year for me," said Fitzpatrick, who won his first Golfer of the Month award after winning his maiden European Tour title at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports last year.
"A title at a Final Series event is very special, and particularly the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, which is a big milestone in the schedule. To win in the final week of the season, especially after such a close battle, really means a lot and this award makes it even sweeter."
Fitzpatrick was voted the winner by a panel of golf writers, and Press Association golf correspondent Phil Casey said: "With all three events of the European Tour's Final Series events taking place, November was always likely to provide outstanding contenders for the Golfer of the Month award, and so it proved.
"Thorbjorn Olesen threatened to leave the field trailing in his wake before holding his nerve to win the Turkish Airlines Open, while Alex Noren claimed a remarkable fourth win in 11 starts with a stunning 63 in the final round at Sun City.
"However, the panel felt that Matt Fitzpatrick's dramatic victory in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai was the standout performance of the month.
"Fitzpatrick overcame a top-class field to edge out October's Golfer of the Month Tyrrell Hatton at Jumeirah Golf Estates, making a nerveless birdie on the 72nd hole to claim a third European Tour title at the age of 22 and confirm his status as one of the future stars of world golf."
