NEWLY-CROWNED CHAMPION FITZPATRICK OFF TO ITALY
31st August 2010

Mathew Fitzpatrick (Photo Tom Ward and EGU)

Matthew Fitzpatrick ( Hallamshire , Yorkshire), the newly crowned North of England Under 16 Stroke Play Champion, has been selected in a three-strong squad to compete in the Italian Under 16 Championship at Biella Golf Club on 31st August – 2nd September.

He will be joined in Italy by Patrick Kelly ( Boston West , Lincolnshire) and Nick Ward ( Redbourn , Hertfordshire).

Fitzpatrick (Picture © Tom Ward) won the North of England Under 16 title at Pannal in Harrogate last week by five strokes while he was also a member of the winning England team in the one day international with Spain. Those performances capped a fine year for the Yorkshire teenager, who won the Brabazon Trophy Northern Qualifier at Huddersfield in May, tied fourth in the European Young Masters in Hungary and was equal eighth in the McGregor Trophy.

Kelly finished tied 12th at Pannal but earlier finished equal fourth in the McGregor Trophy, and tied fifth in the Midland Boys Championship and the Carris Trophy.

Ward travels to Italy having helped his home county of Hertfordshire win the Boys County Finals last week at Goswick in Northumberland. The Hertfordshire County Champion also finished fifth in the R&A Junior Open in Scotland.

All three boys are members of the England Under 16 Squad.

The Italian Under 16 Championship is played over 54 holes of stroke play with a Nations Cup covering all three rounds, the best two cards each day to count.