Matthew Fitzpatrick, one of the most exciting young players in the game, will compete in the 2019 SMBC Singapore Open.
The impressive 24 year old became the youngest Englishman to get to five European Tour victories after successfully defending his European Masters title in September and is an outstanding addition to the field in Singapore.
Defending champion Sergio Garcia from Spain and American legend Davis Love III have already confirmed their participation in the SMBC Singapore Open – to be played on The Serapong at Sentosa Golf Club from January 17 to 20.
The event is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organization.
Tickets for the US$1 million event are on sale via APACTix. Children below the age of 12 can access the event for free access – a move aimed at encouraging more juniors to come and watch the golf.
Hospitality tickets are also on sale, but only a limited quantity available.
Fitzpatrick has won in every season since making it through Europe’s Qualifying School in 2014 and his victory in the European Masters in Switzerland saw him become the first player since Spain’s Seve Ballesteros (40 years ago) to successfully defend that title.
“I am thrilled to confirm I will play in the 2019 SMBC Singapore Open,” said Fitzpatrick, who is currently ranked world number 40.
“The tournament has a great reputation and is an ideal way for me to start 2019. It boasts an amazing list of past champions such as Sergio (Garcia) this year, so it’s an exciting opportunity for me and one that I am really looking forward to.”
The young Englishman shone in his rookie season in 2015, claiming his maiden title after going wire-to-wire at the British Masters.
He then triumphed twice in 2016 at the Nordea Masters and DP World Tour Championship, Dubai en route to a career-best sixth place finish in the Race to Dubai – which helped him secure his debut in the Ryder Cup.
Fitzpatrick claimed his fourth European Tour victory with his win at the 2017 European Masters, and followed that up by successfully defending his title at Crans-sur-Sierre in 2018 thanks to a play-off victory over Lucas Bjerregaard from Denmark.
A former world amateur number one, in 2013 he claimed U.S. Amateur Championship – becoming the first Englishman since 1911 to lift the USGA’s oldest trophy.
The same year he was the silver medalist at the Open Championship and represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup, where he was his team’s leading points scorer.
