Fitzpatrick And Hojgaard Start Well At British Masters

British Masters - information one

-6 T Aiken (SA), M Schwab (Aut), L Haotong (Chn), M Siem (Ger); -5 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), K Nakajima (Jap)

Selected others: -4 M Wallace (Eng), E Ferguson (Sco); -3 R Hojgaard (Den), N Hojgaard (Den), A Fitzpatrick Eng); -1 L Donald (Eng), M Penge (Eng); +1 A Rai (Eng)

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English Ryder Cup hopeful Matt Fitzpatrick carded a five-under 67 to beryllium 1 changeable down associated leaders Thomas Aiken, Matthias Schwab, Li Haotong and Marcel Siem aft nan opening information of nan British Masters.

There was besides a beardown commencement from different Englishman successful Matt Wallace, who opened pinch 4 birdies successful nan first 5 holes and vanished alongside Scotland's Ewen Ferguson successful a group of 5 players connected 4 under.

Fitzpatrick, nan 2022 US Open champion, said: "This week is different opportunity to play well."

Despite making what he described arsenic "a spot of a ropey start", Fitzpatrick, who is hoping to gain a call-up for adjacent month's Ryder Cup, said he yet "played really solid".

"It really felt for illustration I've deed nan shot good and done everything right," he added.

Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard is nan only subordinate who tin overtake Ireland's Shane Lowry - who is playing astatine nan Tour Championship, a non-qualifying arena - to clinch nan sixth and last automatic spot successful Europe's squad for nan Ryder Cup.

Hojgaard posted a 69 to beryllium successful a group of 5 connected 3 nether that includes his copy relative Nicolai.

"I get reminded of it [the Ryder Cup permutation] each time astatine nan moment," said Rasmus Hojgaard.

He will gain a spot successful Luke Donald's squad if he finishes successful a necktie for 29th pinch 1 different subordinate aliases better, arsenic he seeks nan 13.7 points he needs.

Hojgaard, who picked up 2 birdies connected nan beforehand and backmost nine, pinch his only bogey arriving astatine nan 5th spread aft a bad boy attack to nan green, added: "You can't conscionable hide astir it.

"I effort to attraction connected 'what tin I do to effort and put myself successful position to person a chance of winning this play tournament?', and that's taking it spread by spread and do my best.

"If it happens, it would beryllium great, but I don't effort and put excessively overmuch power into it."

The tourney connected nan Belfry's Brabazon people is nan last qualifying arena for nan biennial title betwixt Europe and nan United States, which is being staged for nan 45th clip adjacent month.

The showpiece will beryllium held from 26-28 September astatine Bethpage Black successful New York.

Fellow Ryder Cup hopeful Fitzpatrick mixed 7 birdies pinch 2 bogeys arsenic he continued to make his lawsuit for inclusion by Donald, arsenic Europe purpose to clasp nan trophy distant from location for nan first clip since 2012.

"It intends nan world to beryllium a portion of it," said Fitzpatrick. "Outside of winning a major, it is usually nan first point connected a extremity expanse astatine nan commencement of a Ryder Cup year.

"We person sewage a awesome opportunity to do thing we person not done successful a while and evidently to beryllium a portion of that would beryllium special."

Donald is owed to denote his six captain's picks connected 1 September.

However, it is acold from definite who he will select, pinch Jon Rahm, Ludvig Aberg, Sepp Straka and England's Fitzpatrick, Wallace, Aaron Rai, Marco Penge and Harry Hall each apt to beryllium nether consideration.