Winner of the last US Open in June in Brookline (Massachusetts), Matthew Fitzpatrick does not appear in the list of English sportsmen of the year nominated by the BBC. A choice that apparently does not pass among golf fans in England.
Matthew Fitzpatrick, statements
When we consult the list of nominees for the trophy of the best English sportsman of the year (BBC Sports Personality of the Year), it is frankly difficult to understand why Matthew Fitzpatrick is not one of them. Ninth in the last world ranking published on December 18, the Sheffield golfer remains on a super solid season – seven top 10s on the PGA Tour and three on the DP World Tour – crowned above all by a victory at the US Open on June 19 in Brookline (Massachusetts) after finishing 5th a month earlier at the PGA Championship.
Results that would make most practicing professional golfers green with envy. But obviously not the BBC jury who decided to snub him in large widths. He preferred to shed light on “names” more representative of Made in England sport. Like the cricketer, Ben Stokes, winner of the 2022 World Cup. Or the gold medalist of… curling at the Beijing Games, Eve Muirhead.
Also included in this shortlist are the multiple snooker world champion, the iconic Ronnie O’Sullivan, the 1,500 meter world champion at the last Athletics World Championships, Jake Wightman, gymnast Jessica Gadirova, 2022 world champion on the floor and two-time team medalist at the Tokyo Games, as well as Arsenal striker Beth Mead, winner of the Women’s Football Euro with the national team…
” What a shame ! “Undeserved” “Incomprehensible” are the words that come up frequently in the tweets posted by lovers of the little white ball across the Channel. The results will be known this evening during the evening organized by BBC One…
Fitzpatrick turned professional after the US Open in 2014. He received three invitations on the European Tour and has already earned more than € 44,000. After those three invitations, he was ranked No. 549 in the World Ranking (OWGR) and No. 112 in the Challenge Tour Ranking (CTR). He was then invited to the Rolex Trophy, where he placed 11th, rising to number 78 on the CTR and 522 on the OWGR.
In 2015, he finished 2nd at the European Masters and 3rd at the Czech Masters and the Italian Open before taking his first home win to rise to No. 59 in the world rankings. He competed in the 2015 Dubai World Championship and won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award.
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