Matt Fitzpatrick to snub BBC SPOTY ceremony

Matt Fitzpatrick has decided to skip next month’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony. 

The Telegraph is reporting that the US Open champion has “politely declined” an invitation to attend the Beeb’s annual celebration of sport, scheduled to take place at Media City UK in Salford on Wednesday, December 21.

Fitzpatrick, 28, won his maiden major in June when he held off Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler to win the US Open at Brookline. He subsequently finished 14th on the FedEx Cup standings, fourth on the Race to Dubai and broke into the world’s top-10 for the first time in what was unquestionably the best year of his career to date.

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Despite all that, however, he is a massive long shot to win the BBC SPOTY gong, with some bookmakers currently listing him at 150/1.

Indeed, it has been rumoured that the Englishman might even struggle to make the shortlist for the award, following the decision to cut it from ten to six.

England footballer Beth Mead is the leading favourite to take the prize, with Harry Kane, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Tyson Fury and Leah Williamson also heavily fancied.

Golfers have been routinely overlooked by the BBC Sports Personality of the Year since the award’s inception in 1954.

Dai Rees in 1957 and Sir Nick Faldo in 1989 are the only two golfers ever to win.

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Despite winning two major championships in 2014, Rory McIlroy finished second that year behind F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, with his Northern Irish compatriot Darren Clarke finishing second to Zara Phillips and Mark Cavendish in 2006 and 2011 respectively.

The last British golfer to win the US Open before Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, finished ninth out of the ten shortlisted athletes in 2013.