PGA Tour Truist Championship: Alex Fitzpatrick leads as Cameron Young chases, Rory McIlroy falters
Alex Fitzpatrick entered the final round of the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow with a brilliant score of 7-under-par 64, leading by one shot.
The 27-year-old younger brother of former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick put together an inspiring display as he carded eight birdies to 14-under par and put himself in pole position for his first individual PGA Tour title.
Fitzpatrick leads Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan, who also scored 64 points, by one stroke.
It’s just two weeks since the Fitzpatrick brothers won the Zurich Classic New Orleans doubles event, which earned Alex, ranked 120th in the world, a two-year tour card.
World number two Rory McIlroy, a four-time winner in this field, had a frustrating Saturday and withdrew from contention with a score of 4-under-par 75.
Fitzpatrick, who started the day two shots ahead, stood out with five birdies in the front nine.
Although he stumbled with a bogey on the 16th, he responded immediately by making a seven-foot putt for birdie on the par-three 17th to narrowly regain his advantage.
“What I did a really good job of today was embracing everything that was going on,” Fitzpatrick said.
“I had so much support there, it was incredible.
“I would love to win. I would give so much to win. But I also hope that if it doesn’t happen, it will happen at some point. As long as I can go out and enjoy it, that’s all I can do.”
By contrast, McIlroy’s bid for a fresh victory following his victory at The Masters last month collapsed on a difficult afternoon in Charlotte for the Northern Ireland man.
Six bogeys meant he fell below par on the leaderboard, leaving him 13 shots behind the leader.
American Cameron Young completed the day’s lowest round with a sensational eight-under 63 and took sole third place in the under-12s. Young, who won the Cadillac Championship last week, hit his only drop shot on the 18th, where a wayward shot proved costly.
South Korean Sungjae Im, who is the leader in the half, is under 10 points after 70 points, while Danish Nicolai Hojgaard, who entered the competition with 67 points, is also included.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood remains in the hunt after 70 points and sits sixth with two-time winner Justin Thomas on -9 points.
