ROME — A blistering finish from five-time European Tour winner Matthew Fitzpatrick saw him maintain his one-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Italian Open.
English golfer Fitzpatrick birdied four of the last six holes on Saturday to move to 13 under par with a third-round 68, and hold off the challenges of rookies Kurt Kitayama and Robert MacIntyre.
American Kitayama is second at 12 under following a 65 and was a shot ahead of Scotland’s MacIntyre, who leapt from 18th to third after a bogey-free 64 at Olgiata Country Club.
With a $7 million purse in the Rolex Series event, the Italian Open is back in Rome after 17 years as the local federation attempts to boost interest ahead of the 2022 Ryder Cup at the nearby Marco Simone club.