Young English pro is new to Pebble Beach, but ready to make his mark at the Pro-Am.

Matt Fitzpatrick is hardly unsung.

The 24-year-old from England has collected five wins since turning pro in 2014. He’s the first golfer since Seve Ballesteros to claim back-to-back European Masters titles, which he accomplished in 2017 and ’18.

On this side of the pond, Fitzpatrick tied for 7th at the 2016 Masters, five strokes behind Danny Willett. At a windswept U.S. Open a year ago, he finished just out of the top 10. And he’s the 2013 U.S. Amateur champion.

It may, however, seem as if he is a longshot to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. After struggling through a 2018 campaign marred by inconsistent play, Fitzpatrick dropped to 39th in the world rankings. And this will be the first time he has seen Pebble Beach.

“I heard it’s usually windy and the weather can provide some challenges so looking forward to playing all the courses and see how we can fare,” Fitzpatrick says via email from the Dubai Desert Classic in late January.

Yet the Sheffield native is one of the professionals to watch at this year’s Pro-Am, even in a field laden with talent. Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau, Jordan Speith, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Kuchar and four-time Pro-Am winner Phil Mickelson are just a few of the more familiar favorites.

Although a Pro-Am rookie, Fitzpatrick is familiar with the format, having competed in the Dunhill Links, a similar event featuring celebrities and pros playing over three courses in Scotland, including the famed Old Course at St. Andrews.

“It’s always fun and it adds a different dimension to the week,” he observes. “I think when it’s your turn you have to kind of zone into tournament mode, but outside of that you can have a bit of fun with your playing partners.”

For 2019, Fitzgerald also made some changes, hoping to shrug off the disappointing 2018. He teamed with Billy Foster, a veteran and knowledgeable caddie. He also worked on power from the tee, telling Golf Digest that just a few extra yards with the driver would improve his par-5 efficiency.

He’s already considered one of the game’s most accurate hitters.

And one member of his family can fill him in on the dangers of Pebble Beach Golf Links. Fitzpatrick’s brother, Alex, took part in the 2018 U.S. Amateur, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Cole Hammer in a tight match.

“I think they grew the rough pretty thick, so accuracy was key,” Fitzpatrick says, recounting his brother’s experience. “I hope they do the same for next week, but I am not sure they will.”

The changes and the additional year of experience returned immediate dividends. He earned a top five in his first event of the year, the SMBC Singapore Open and second at the Hong Kong Open, a stroke behind winner Aaron Rai. And he moved to the top of the leaderboard in Dubai during the first round, then ended up tying for 16th.

Fitzpatrick is part of a strong contingent of European players taking part in this year’s Pro-Am.

“I think after the Desert Swing finishes the focus immediately switches to the PGA tour and putting in some good finishes and building momentum up to the Masters,” he explains, adding that FedEx Cup points are also part of the draw for PGA Tour regulars.

So it appears that young Matt Fitzpatrick is poised to challenge for a spot at or near the top of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am leaderboard. At the very least, he expects to learn enough about the links course to have a shot when June comes around and the stage is quite a bit bigger.

“It’s going to be a great warmup for the U.S. Open this year,” he says. Of his prospects for the Pro-Am, Fitzpatrick will leave that for when play begins Feb. 7.

“I think I could be playing in the same group as one of my sponsors, so it will be nice to share the experience with him,” Fitzpatrick points out, “but also hopefully put in a good finish at a great tournament and get some points up.”