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Fitzpatrick wins Tour Championship, Stenson claims Race to Dubai

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 20: Matt Fitzpatrick of England celebrates holing the winning putt on the 18th green during day four of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 20, 2016 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
  • Post published:November 20, 2016

Matthew Fitzpatrick finished the 2016 European Tour season with a birdie on the 18th hole of the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

It was the most important birdie of the young Englishman’s life.

The 22-year-old walked off the green on Sunday with a round of 67, a one-stroke victory at the DP World Tour Championship and the biggest paycheque of his career.

Fitzpatrick made just one bogey on Sunday – untimely drop at the 10th hole – but proved his mettle with two birdies immediately afterwards.

Overnight leader Victor Dubuisson marched around in 72, but the course was there for the taking and Fitzpatrick obliged with a round of 67 to finish at 17 under par for the tournament.

He was one stroke clear of countryman Tyrrell Hatton, who offered the best challenge for the title and was rewarded with sole second.

Charl Schwartzel came out firing on Sunday, making four birdies and two bogeys in a fiery front nine. The Vereeniging local found his stride on the stretch and birdied three of his closing five holes for sole third.

The 11-time European Tour winner made seven bogeys all week and looked dangerous ahead of his trip to Leopard Creek for the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which begins in a fortnight and curtain raises the 2017 season.

This year’s Race to Dubai was concluded and Henrik Stenson took the honours, helped by his victories at The Open Championship and the BMW International Open. The ‘Super Swede’ recorded eight further top 10s on the European Tour this season.

‘I’m very pleased to get my name on this trophy once again,’ said Stenson. ‘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 this year. Maybe not to the level of golf over six months, but certainly with the highlights of winning The Open, the Olympics and managing to win the Race to Dubai again. So it’s been a great year and it feels lovely to finish in this way.’