Sky Sports commentators take mick out of Matt Fitzpatrick after horror sand show
Matt Fitzpatrick had a mare in the sand on the 3rd at Pebble Beach, and Sky Sports Golf's commentary team had a laugh about it.
Matt Fitzpatrick threw himself out of contention on day three of the AT&T Pebble Beaach Pro-Am after enduring a nightmare in the sand on the 3rd hole, and the Sky Sports Golf commentary team was rather entertained by it.
Fitzpatrick made an encouraging start with a birdie at the par-5 2nd to progress to 8-under par and three strokes off the pace, but then disaster struck on the par-4 3rd.
The former US Open champion drove into the sand down the right flank and his ball came to rest fairly close to the lip of the bunker.
After brief deliberation with caddie Billy Foster, the Englishman attempted to take enough club to find the green.
Fitzpatrick thrashed away but his ball hit the lip and went backwards into the bunker.
He then had another go with the same club, but once again hit the top of the lip and his ball popped up into the front part of the bunker.
As Fitzpatrick then stepped in to play his fourth shot from sand, DP World Tour pro David Howell said in the Sky comms box: "This is like Happy Gilmore golf now, what is this like his third try?!"
Fitzpatrick then played his fourth shot from sand and found the front greenside bunker, to which lead Sky Sports Golf commentator Ewen Murray said: "This is like Lawrence of Arabia down at the 3rd hole today."
For context in Lawrence of Arabia, T. E. Lawrence's servant Daud dies when falling into quicksand in the desert.
As the pictures then return for Fitzpatrick's fifth shot from the greenside bunker, Dame Laura Davies then says: "Back to Fitzy for number five".
Howell then said: "I thought you were going to introduce him as Lawrence!"
"Should have done really," replied Davies.
Matt Fitzpatrick just had a pretty tough time on the 3rd. Found the bunker off the tee and it took him 3 shots to get out of it, only to find another bunker.
A triple bogey 7. Turns out pro golfers are human too! pic.twitter.com/St0EAS24ta— Blue Horizon Golf (@BlueHorizonGolf) February 3, 2024
While the Sky Sports commentary team were finding his bunker troubles all rather amusing, Fitzpatrick most certainly wasn't as he saw his hopes of a first win at famed Pebble Beach evaporate in the space of several minutes.
Fitzpatrick then found the back edge with his fifth shot and then got up and down from there for a card-wrecking triple-bogey seven.
It now leaves Fitzpatrick with a mountain to climb just to get back inside the top 10.
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