Fitzpatrick embracing underdog label against Jordan Spieth

Matt Fitzpatrick believes he will be the underdog when he takes on Jordan Spieth in his opening group match in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

Fitzpatrick is the top seed in group 15 and Spieth the bottom seed below Matthew Wolff and Corey Conners, but the 26-year-old from Sheffield is well aware of Spieth’s improved form since a missed cut in the Farmers Insurance Open left the three-time major winner ranked 92nd in the world.

“Although I’m supposedly the higher seed, I feel a bit of the underdog in this one,” admitted Fitzpatrick, who lost all three of his group matches at Austin Country Club in 2019.

“He’s played here plenty. He knows this course pretty well, I think, from his college days and obviously he’s going to have that home support, which certainly helps.

“We have seen the last few weeks his game is where he wants it and I saw a quote from him saying he’s never been so confident since his great run of form a few years ago, which is a big statement to make and I’m sure he believes it because he does have a great mentality.

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“It’s going to be an interesting game and I’m looking forward to it. You want to play against the best guys. You want to play against the guys that have been there and done it and continue to do so and hopefully I can go out there and we can have a really good game.