Fitzpatrick Credits Ball ‘Thieves’ at Wentworth: ‘They Saved Me a Shot’

Matt Fitzpatrick has admitted that he received a helping hand from “two little thieves” who stole his ball at the BMW PGA Championship. The Englishman found himself in a bizarre situation on the 18th hole during the final round at Wentworth, where he carded a six-under-par 66 to stay in contention as the tournament concluded.

Sliced Drive Turns Into Blessing For Fitzpatrick

The bizarre incident happened on the 18th hole on the West Course after the former US Open champion sliced his drive into a bush. The 31-year-old immediately played a provisional ball, expecting that he might not recover the original ball. After hitting a provisional to sit three off the tee, a siren signaled a 90-minute thunderstorm delay. This prompted Fitzpatrick’s caddie, Dan Parratt, to raise concerns, and he insisted that they search for his initial shot first.

Hearing that two children had been spotted running off with a ball, the Englishman requested a ruling from tournament officials. The referee ruled in his favor, allowing him to take a penalty drop when play resumed instead of using his provisional ball. The decision let the 31-year-old escape with a bogey-six rather than a likely seven, finishing the day with a six-under-par 66.

How Two “Little Thieves” Saves Fitzpatrick a Shot

The 31-year-old later admitted that the intervention by the two young “thieves” probably saved him at least one stroke. Dan (Parratt), my caddie, asked: ‘What happens if someone goes sniffing around in the bushes and finds your ball and decides to pocket it?’ I thought that was a great point because there had to be a good chance of that happening. So we called over a referee, explained the situation, and asked whether we should look for the ball then rather than risk it being taken.

“He took us over to the crowd where we reckoned my ball would have landed. A few people there said they’d seen two young boys dive into the bushes and come out grinning with a golf ball. So we decided the balance of probability was that it was my ball, and that I would take a drop in that spot when we got back. I made a six but if I’d had to play my provisional ball it could have been worse. So those two little thieves who made off with my ball probably saved me a shot.”

The 2022 US Open champion struggled in the first half of the season but has ended it strongly. His T4 finishes at the Open Championship and Scottish Open boosted his rankings for the Ryder Cup. The 31-year-old will travel to Bethpage as one of Europe’s in-form players.