Matt Fitzpatrick narrowly failed to become the first English winner of the Players Championship as he was edged out by Cam Young on Sunday.
The Yorkshireman took advantage of a final-round collapse by Ludvig Aberg to move into the lead from five strokes behind but Young produced his own strong finish to prevail by a shot at TPC Sawgrass.
Fitzpatrick holed six birdies to head the field by one on 13 under heading to the 17th but Young birdied the island hole to pull level moving to the last.
With the crowd clearly on his side, it was the American that then hit the cleanest tee shot as Fitzpatrick went too far to the right.
From there he was unable to save par and Young held his nerve.
All eyes were on Aberg at the start of play and the Swede – who led by three overnight – seemed in control until dropping three shots in two holes after the turn.
That opened the door for the others and Fitzpatrick appeared ready to take the opportunity. Starting on eight under, he birdied three of the opening four holes and was inches away from another at the third.
Momentum swung further his way with back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th as Aberg hit trouble behind him. Aberg had led by two on the 11th tee but found water and bogeyed, then struck another shot into the lake on the 12th, leading to a double bogey which put Fitzpatrick ahead.
Young also moved to 12 under with a birdie at the 13th and the contest became a duel with Fitzpatrick. They were tied after Fitzpatrick three-putted the 14th, but he responded with a birdie.
The critical moment came on the 17th as Young hit a superb tee-shot to the island green to set up another birdie.
They were level heading to the 18th, where Fitzpatrick was jeered by a partisan crowd. A disappointing drive left him having to play through trees and his bogey dropped him to 12 under, while Young closed out the title with a par and a four-under 68.
Fitzpatrick, who also shot 68, told Sky Sports: “I knew I needed a good round and getting off to the start I did, I felt I had a great opportunity.
“Today was another one of those days where I’m a gnat’s doo-dah off getting into a play-off and winning. It’s obviously a tough one to take, how it ended, but the old cliche – lots of positives.”
Aberg slipped into a tie for fifth on nine under after a 76. Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre briefly got within two shots of the lead during his 69, but bogeys on the 14th and 16th ended his chances. He ended in fourth on 10 under, one behind Xander Schauffele.
Michael Thorbjornsen, who began the day second, fell out of contention after a quadruple-bogey eight on the fourth and finished tied 22nd after a 77.
Rory McIlroy’s frustrating title defence ended in a tie for 46th on level-par after a 71. The Northern Irishman opened with a double bogey and dropped two more shots on the 13th.
“A couple little things to work on, but overall, not the week that I wanted,” McIlroy said.
World number one Scottie Scheffler, a two-time champion, finished at five under after a 71.
PA
