Matthew Fitzpatrick is a promising new British winner

Matthew Fitzpatrick is a bright hope.

I’m expecting big things from young Matthew Fitzpatrick as he begins his first full season on the European Tour.

He is in South Africa this week for the Alfred Dunhill Championship, the first full-field event of the 2015 season.

He’s only a 20-year-old rookie, but this guy is a seriously good player.

He’ll be challenging to win events almost from the off, and I think he even has a chance of making the 2016 Ryder Cup team.

In fact, I’d be disappointed if Matthew doesn’t win an event this year. And he would view that as a failure, too.

To win the Silver Medal at last year’s Open at Muirfield, and then win the US Amateur Championship, showed me his pedigree.

For a British player to do that in America was an outstanding achievement.

I was initially worried when Matt left University in Chicago after only one term last Christmas, but his golf is of such a level that he is probably better off learning his craft on tour.

Now, coming through two sections of qualifying to gain his card will have done a lot of good and toughened him up. That shows he can handle pressure.

Obviously, there will be some spotlight on him, but I don’t think he will be like Justin Rose, who famously missed so many cuts when he first turned pro.

Justin was not quite 18 at the time, whereas Matt is 20, and those extra two years make a massive difference.

When we think of young stars, we automatically think of Rory McIlroy, but any comparison would be unfair and unrealistic because Rory is a once-in-a-generation player who is going for the Grand Slam at 25.

A more favourable one is with Jordan Spieth. He’s just over a year older than Matt and quit college in his second year to turn pro.

Still only 21, he has represented his country in the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup, while last Sunday he won the Australian Open in superb fashion.

His final round 63 on fast greens, and in windy conditions, spread-eagled the field and underlined his class.

That showed me Spieth is ready to win a Major. And the impression the young American has made on golf in the last 18 months will certainly have been noted by Fitzpatrick.

Hopefully we’ll be saying the same about him in the not-too-distant future.