The coming of age for the PGA Tour’s Sheffield blade: what a year for Matt Fitzpatrick
Matt Fitzpatrick of England celebrates making a long putt for birdie on the 13th green during the final round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 19, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images).
Matt Fitzpatrick is now a contender.
He’s a golfer, who despite a meteoric rise to establish himself on the PGA Tour, since winning the 2012 Boys Amateur Championship at Notts Golf Club, closely followed by the 2013 US Amateur at a certain Brookline, has not always received or attracted the adulation and the headlines he deserves, in my humble opinion.
He’s not a flashy big hitter. He’s not brash. He’s the people’s golfer. Solid, not long, but striving to be consistent. There has been something in his game all of us can relate to. At the US Open earlier this year, the world saw a different Matt Fitzpatrick. A coming of age. And you can see his shoulders have broadened. He’s ready to take on more responsibility.
This year he has managed to find another gear. The further development of his steely iron play, interspersed with moments of magic in his approach play, all manifesting itself in a new aggressive and attacking game. There has been a brisker rhythm to his swing. For me, he is playing with authority and purpose. Some say, this was just a matter of time, with his game coming to boling point in the last year, including a good finish at the PGA Championship. But the US Open was a landmark moment, and a clear step change.
It was simply a box office finish for a Major and it was was exactly what golf needed. Conversations dominated by competition, not the divisions in the game. Elite competition of the highest order and the establishment of an exciting collection of talent on the world stage. All, predominantly PGA Tour stars at that time. I believe it’s the on-course battles across Tours (PGA and DP World Tour) of the last two years that has been the spark to get even more out of the 27-year-old Yorkshireman’s game. This next level for Fitzpatrick has seen him mix it with Scottie Sheffler, Will Zalatoris, Jon Rahm and Hideki Matsuyami on the last day of the US Open, while seeing off the experienced Rory McIlroy and co over the 4 days. He’s far from out of place, in fact, he’s getting better and better.
Alongside his incredible ability and furthering of his game, it’s his temperament and character that sets him apart. He looks like a grounded individual with good values and one thing on his mind- hard work. It struck me how so many of his peers, came out on that fateful Sunday evening to wish him well. Following his put on the 13th green, it was Tyrrell Hatton leading the support on Twitter, but there were many more. There’s something about him that makes you want to like him even more. A very deserving champion, and one that the PGA and DP Tours can be proud of. There’s no way you could see Fitz in LIV colours. He’s part of a bright future for the PGA Tour and European golf.
2022 has been one hell of a year for the young man, and trust me, he’s only getting started.
A little reminder of his attention to detail from a twitter thread from Golf Digest reporter Dan Rappaport: "You'll see Matt Fitzpatrick writing notes after every single shot. That's because he has charted every single golf shot he has hit since he was 15 years old. For example: say he's 165 yards out and hitting an 8 iron," Rapaport explained.
"But he wants to land it 161, 8 yards left of the flag. If he hits it 165 and it lands in the hole, he'll chart that as a 4-yard miss on distance and 8 yards on line. This gives him way more accurate data than ShotLink because he's measuring vs his target, not where the hole is. Knows he doesn't have the physical gifts of the guys he plays against, so he leaves zero stone unturned in pursuit of a slight advantage. And then he'll search for another stone. So disciplined, takes his career so seriously."
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