GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — Even the wind could not thwart U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick on the Italian Open.
Fitzpatrick will head into the ultimate spherical within the lead and aiming to go one higher than three years in the past after dealing with difficult situations on Saturday to submit a powerful 2-under 69 and edge away from Rory McIlroy and Aaron Rai.
Fitzpatrick, who claimed his first main title in June at Brookline, is taking part in the Italian Open for the seventh time. He completed second in 2019.
“It will imply the world [to win],” Fitzpatrick stated.
He takes a one-shot lead into the ultimate spherical at Marco Simone membership exterior Rome after three birdies within the again 9 noticed him transfer to 10-under 203.
“We had the wind change on 9 and the golf course simply utterly modified,” Fitzpatrick stated. “It was a wind we had not performed in all week. To me, I simply felt like if I might simply dangle on and simply keep away from bogeys, I’d put myself in good place. Managed to select up just a few [birdies] on the again 9. Delighted to be going into tomorrow with the lead.”
Midway chief McIlroy began the day a shot forward of Ryder Cup teammate Fitzpatrick however struggled within the wind and hit three bogeys. Nonetheless, he salvaged his spherical — and presumably his match — by additionally ending with a birdie, his third of the day.
“I struggled with the putter all day however I believe, particularly when the wind bought up, I struggled simply to kind of decide to reads, and do I play the wind, do I not play the wind,” McIlroy stated.
“Kind of fortunately I am nonetheless in it. Nonetheless just one shot again. I believe I will be within the ultimate group tomorrow. In order that was a giant putt on 18 to gap so I can keep watch over Fitz and what he is doing.”
McIlroy is taking part in in Italy for the primary time as a professional particularly to achieve familiarity with the course which is able to stage the Ryder Cup subsequent yr.
In the meantime, two eagles helped Rai shoot up the leaderboard with a flawless 65. He began the spherical six pictures off the lead.
American golfer Kurt Kitayama (67), France’s Victor Perez (69) and Australian Lucas Herbert (68) had been in a three-way tie for fourth on 8 below.
There was extra distress for Europe captain Luke Donald, nonetheless.
Donald, who hit the improper ball throughout his spherical the day gone by, made seven bogeys to submit a 5-over 76 and depart him 10 pictures off the lead.
Subsequent yr, Marco Simone will turn into the third venue in continental Europe to host the Ryder Cup after Valderrama in Spain (1997) and Le Golf Nationwide in France (2018).
