Matt Fitzpatrick will take property advice from Rory McIlroy as he contemplates the next step in a fledgling career which produced a memorable new high in the DP World Tour Championship.
Two years to the day after gaining his card, Fitzpatrick won his third European Tour title and the first prize of more than £1million at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Tyrrell Hatton had looked set for his second victory in the space of seven weeks after holing a bunker shot for par on the 17th to preserve his one-shot lead in the season finale in Dubai.
However, the 25-year-old then drove into the creek which runs the length of the par-five 18th and carded his only bogey of a closing 68 to open the door for Fitzpatrick in the group behind.
The 22-year-old from Sheffield duly got up and down from a greenside bunker for a winning birdie to complete a 67 and eclipse Nick Faldo’s record as the youngest Englishman to win three times on Tour.
“Words can’t describe it,” said Fitzpatrick, who made his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine last month. “It’s not going to sink in for a while. It’s been a special year and then to end it like this with a win is amazing.
“It’s two years to the day I got my card at the qualifying school. When you think about it, it’s crazy. It’s all happened so fast. Now I feel this win gives me the confidence to push further and further and see what we can do next season.”
That is set to include more events on the PGA Tour and the former US Amateur champion added: “I’m going to look at places in three weeks in Florida.
“My mum and dad actually spoke to Rory this week and he said that he might give me a hand with giving me a few contacts to talk to. I think he did the same as what I’m planning to do, maybe rent at the start of next year, just get a feel for the place and then maybe pick a place (to buy) then.
“I’d love to play on the PGA Tour eventually. I don’t want to rush it. Winning this gives me a five-year exemption and that gives three at least to really push for my PGA Tour card.
“I won’t just abandon the European Tour. It will always be the main tour I play, but three years to sort of give it a go gives me a good opportunity.”
Henrik Stenson’s share of ninth ensured he ended the year as European number one for the second time, the Swede carding a closing 65 which was matched by playing partner and defending champion McIlroy.
Stenson, who was the first man to win the Race to Dubai and FedEx Cup in the same season in 2013, said: “It’s been a great year, the best year of my career.
“I’ve always thought it was going to be hard to top 2013, but I think I’ve done that. Maybe not to the level of golf over six months, but certainly with the highlights of winning the Open, the Olympics (silver medal) and managing to win the Race to Dubai again.”
