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EmailWatch highlights from Fitzpatrick's performance at the 2013 Briitsh Open, where he earned the prestigious Silver Medal as the low amateur, firing a 10-over 294 to win the title by five strokes.
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Highly touted freshman Matt Fitzpatrick makes instant impact.
Matt Fitzpatrick made a name for himself before he ever set foot in Evanston. The freshman arrived from Sheffield, England, in September as the top-ranked amateur golfer in the world after winning the U.S. Amateur in August. The victory earned him invitations to the 2014 Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship.
Fitzpatrick follows in the famous footsteps of another British star: Luke Donald (WCAS01). According to Northwestern head coach Pat Goss (WCAS93), the inevitable comparisons have some validity.
“On paper, Matt’s coming to Northwestern a better player than Luke Donald,” says Goss. “Luke continued to improve a lot while here, and I think Matt will as well. Both are soft-spoken, very polite and play a similar style. Matt drives it as straight as any person I’ve seen. He has a great spirit about him, and he’s a very strong, tough competitor.”
Four years of Fitzpatrick in purple seems promising for the Wildcats. He finished third, right behind teammate Jack Perry, at Northwestern’s Windon Memorial Classic to help the Wildcats to their first team win of the season in September. In October he and Perry finished as co-champions as the Wildcats won the Duke University–hosted Rod Myers Invitational in Durham, N.C.
Fitzpatrick’s impact on the program has already gone beyond the scorecard, Goss says. “To have a player of Matt’s ability come here and to do it with the enthusiasm that he has further validates that we’re a great choice for the top golfers in the world who value education.”
