Former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick admits he is currently reluctant to travel to Dubai for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
The Yorkshireman would be the defending champion at the blue-riband tournament in the United Arab Emirates in November but there are security concerns due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Tour officials are presently reviewing safety protocols for the lucrative final event of the play-off series and the Abu Dhabi Championship which precedes it.
Fitzpatrick, the world number four, said: “Being completely honest as things stand right now, I would say I’m not that comfortable.
“A few things have obviously changed for me (in terms of) perspective and stuff. I’ve had a child in August and that obviously changes things.
“I think for me, as things right now, it would feel a little bit weird given what I’m reading elsewhere. Things can change overnight, I’m sure, and I think it seems to be going down that path of things are getting better.
“I know they changed (the advice) from essential travel only to one step better than that.
“I know the Tour has been on this for a long time. It’s obviously frustrating that the decision hasn’t been made so you can plan what’s going on, but I understand there’s a lot of moving parts and it’s difficult to make these decisions.
“I think if the tour do go, I’m sure they have had the best advice possible but, as things stand right now, I wouldn’t necessarily be too keen on going.”
Fitzpatrick was speaking at Wentworth where he is preparing for the BMW PGA Championship, the flagship tournament of the DP World Tour’s regular season.
The 32-year-old is due to tee off at 7.50am on Thursday in a group that includes newly-crowned Irish Open champion Shane Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton.
“I think it’s arguably the best event on the Tour,” said Fitzpatrick. “To sort of etch your name in history with some of the winners of this event would be an amazing feeling.”
Lowry is hoping to maintain the momentum following his record 11-stroke victory in his national open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, County Clare, last weekend.
It was the 2019 Open champion’s first individual title in four years and, after twice surrendering winning positions this year, felt particularly sweet.
He said: “You have to go through the tough times to experience the good times, and it’s very, very hard at times to go through those tough times. But I’d go through them a million times over to experience what I did on Sunday.
“Yes I would love to win more, there’s no doubt about it. I would love to be a serial winner but I do feel very fortunate, honestly.”
Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who plays alongside two of this year’s other major winners in Ryan Fox and Aaron Rai, looked in good form on Wednesday, shooting a blemish-free 60 in the pro-am.
