European Tour

Omega European Masters 2018

September 06-09

Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, Crans-Montana, Switzerland

€2,700,000

September 06-09

Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, Crans-Montana, Switzerland

€2,700,000

Round 3

Fitzpatrick takes control in Crans

Round 1

Round 2

Round 4

Round 1

Round 2

Round 4

September 08, 2018

Matthew Fitzpatrick will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Omega European Masters as he looks to become the first player to successfully defend the title since the late, great Seve Ballesteros.

- Getty Images

The Spanish legend lifted the trophy at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in 1977 and 1978 and Fitzpatrick's third round 63 left him in pole position to emulate the 50-time European Tour winner on Sunday.

“He is a good man to emulate (Seve Ballesteros), so hopefully things go to plan tomorrow."

The Englishman will head into day four at 14 under, two shots clear of Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera and four ahead of countryman Daniel Brooks, Dane Lucas Bjerregaard, American Doug Ghim, South African Haydn Porteous and China's Wu Ashun.

Fitzpatrick's 63 matched the lowest round of the week which was also carded by Malaysia's Gavin Green, who sits at nine under alongside South African Thomas Aiken.

“When I came back here in 2015 I was hitting a draw, and for whatever reason I couldn't hit a draw that week. So I went with the fade and it's stuck ever since. I finished second that week and have sort of played really well ever since, so I think the fade around here really suits it well."

“The last three holes are quite tough I think where the flags are today and through pars you aren't really losing any ground, and then to finish with a long putt there was an absolute bonus."

“You still want to put the pressure on and make birdies. You are going to have to because someone is going to come up from somewhere tomorrow, there is no doubt because you can get it going, but hopefully stick to my game plan and make plenty of birdies.”

The 24 year old has a remarkable record in the Swiss mountains since missing the cut on his first visit in 2014, finishing second in 2015 and seventh in 2016 before winning his fourth European Tour title here last year.

He has now gone sub-66 in eight of his 17 rounds at this event, with his bogey-free effort containing five birdies and a chip-in eagle the lowest of them all.

Italian Nino Bertasio, Spaniard Nacho Elvira and Japan's Hideto Tanihara were then six shots off the lead.