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Fitzpatrick only earned his PGA Tour card after partnering elder brother Matt to victory at the Zurich Classic pairs tournament a fortnight ago, and followed that up with a respectable top-10 finish at the Cadillac Championship in Florida last week.<\/p>\n
Fitzpatrick, who played Quail Hollow regularly while at college at nearby Wake Forest University, admitted he was excited by the possibility of claiming a first solo PGA title in only his third start on tour.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be super cool, I get goosebumps kind of thinking about it,\u201d Fitzpatrick said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be amazing to do it by myself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first two weeks have been OK, so I\u2019m pretty pleased.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just trying to enjoy every moment. This is all new for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old from Sheffield thrust himself into contention on Saturday with an electrifying birdie spree on the front nine, picking up five birdies to move to 12-under and two shots clear at the turn.<\/p>\n
Fitzpatrick kept it rolling down the stretch, picking up a birdie on the 12th and just missing an 11-foot birdie putt on 14 that curled around the cup before lipping out.<\/p>\n
He narrowly missed a putt for eagle at the 15th, but tapped in for birdie to remain in control.<\/p>\n
There was a slight stumble on the the 16th, when he could only bogey after driving his second shot into a greenside bunker, but he responded instantly with a bogey on the 17th to edge clear of Reitan again.<\/p>\n
Alex Fitzpatrick of England. Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Fitzpatrick can expect a stiff challenge in Sunday\u2019s final round, however, with a crowded field of contenders lurking.<\/p>\n
While Reitan is one behind, in-form Cameron Young signalled he is ready to make a charge on Sunday after posting a sensational eight-under par 63 that might have been better had it not been for a bogey on the 18th.<\/p>\n
Young, who won last week\u2019s Cadillac Championship at Doral after tying for third at the Masters last month and winning The Players Championship in March, rattled in seven birdies and an eagle to finish two off the lead on 12-under.<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old from New York agreed with a suggestion that he was playing the best golf of his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I would have to be delusional to say no,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m playing great. There is not a ton going on in my head, which is I think a very good thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m thinking about shots and I\u2019m thinking about my execution and that\u2019s mainly where my head is at. Just trying to keep myself where I am and hit good shots and kind of stack them together, and I feel like I\u2019ve done that really well.\u201d<\/p>\n