Matt Fitzpatrick was ‘perturbed’ by Adrien Dumont de Chassart’s ‘glacial’ tempo of play in the course of the last spherical of the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida
Matt Fitzpatrick complained about Adrien Dumont de Chassart in the course of the last spherical of the Valspar Championship(Image: Sam Navarro/Getty Images)
Adrien Dumont de Chassart obtained a warning from PGA Tour officers after Matt Fitzpatrick was furious with the Belgian’s “glacial” tempo of play on the Valspar Championship.
Fitzpatrick and Dumont de Chassart have been paired within the second-from-last group on the Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Florida, on Sunday, with each males in competition for the $1.6 million title, which Fitzpatrick received after a superb birdie on the 72nd gap.
Fitzpatrick, seven days on from a gutting end as he misplaced out to Cam Young at The Players, began the ultimate day three photographs behind chief Sungjae Im, however the South Korean’s implosion blew the tournament wide open.
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Dumont de Chassart rapidly crumbled, too. He made two triple bogeys on par fives, together with on the first gap, to fall nicely off the tempo. He was probably devastated at blowing his likelihood to contend, however it was not his waywardness that irked his taking part in associate.
Instead, Fitzpartrick was bothered by the 26-year-old’s tempo of play. John Wood, a veteran caddie working as an on-course reporter for NBC, stated: “[Fitzpatrick] is a little perturbed with his playing partner’s pace of play. It is glacial, to be kind.”
Eight-time PGA Tour winner Brad Faxon was in the booth, and he told viewers that Fitzpatrick played his approach shot out of turn on the 11th hole despite being closer to the green than his playing partner.
Fitzpatrick then walked to the green and waited three minutes until Dumont de Chassart finally hit his shot. The delay prompted Fitzpatrick to make a complaint to a tournament official.
Orlando Pope, the tour’s rules director and video analyst, told NBC that Dumont de Chassart later received an official warning after Fitzpatrick’s complaint led to the Belgian being unofficially timed.
Fitzpatrick was able to put the frustration aside during a strange final round at Innisbrook Resort. The leading pack was stuck in neutral until the 2022 U.S. Open champion drained a bomb for birdie on the par-three 15th.
The Englishman poured in another birdie at the last to sign for a three-under-par 68, reaching 11 under for the week. David Lipsky, chasing his first PGA Tour win, could not respond in kind, making a par as Fitzpatrick claimed a deserved win.
He went bogey-free for the weekend to claim his third PGA Tour victory, adding to his U.S. Open and RBC Heritage victories.
The 31-year-old is in excellent shape with the Masters less than three weeks away, building on his DP World Tour Championship victory in November.
Dumont de Chassart ended with a three-over-par 74, ending at three below in a tie for twenty sixth place.
