'I don’t want anything to change' - Matt Fitzpatrick wants to stay grounded after US Open win at Brookline
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Published 08/07/2022 at 13:47 GMT
Mat Fitzpatrick is back in action at the Scottish Open, with the event his first since winning the US Open at Brookline last month. The 27-year-old is determined to keep improving and not be distracted by his new status as a major champion. He will look to add to his major tally at the Open at St Andrews next week.
Matt Fitzpatrick lines up a putt during the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club on July 08, 2022 in North Berwick, Scotland
Image credit: Getty Images
Matt Fitzpatrick is keen to ensure nothing changes in his routine on the back of his US Open success.
The 27-year-old made his breakthrough at the highest level when producing a shot-of-a-lifetime moment on the 72nd hole to set up victory at Brookline.
Finding a bunker off the tee, Fitzpatrick took the bold approach and went for the green as opposed to the safe option of laying up.
He executed the shot to perfection, and two putts from the centre of the green secured his first major.
Fitzpatrick is now front and centre in the world of golf, and was taken aback to be introduced as US Open champion on the first tee of the Scottish Open.
But the man from Sheffield is determined not to get carried away and stick to his routine.
“I am not saying it felt like a major was coming, but since the start of the year I felt like I’d played so well across the board,” Fitzpatrick told Sky Sports. “To win a major, proved again to myself that I can do it and hopefully win more.
“I think it is getting to grips with this new experience, this new title.
“In an ideal world I don’t want anything to change, I want to go about things like before, my routine doing the same stuff.
“That is the plan, I am not looking to change anything at all. Just slowly keep improving and doing what we did before.”
Reflecting on the bunker shot, Fitzpatrick said: “Billy (Foster, Fitzpatrick’s caddie) has been caddying 40 years and has never plumb-bobbed a bunker in his life.
“There was a tree to the left and we felt if I could hit it straight at that and it goes straight, then great. If it comes out left it is on the left edge in the rough and we can get up and down. But it came out perfect with a fade on it, and hit the shot of my life.
“I have always backed myself under pressure and to hit the shot like that when it mattered most gave me belief that I can be out here and compete and win hopefully more.”
Fitzpatrick has improved many aspects of his game in the past 12 months, and eyebrows were raised when he was blasting the ball past big-hitting Dustin Johnson in the first couple of rounds.
“I have worked hard on it the past couple of years,” Fitzpatrick said. “What was interesting was I picked up a couple of injuries last summer and I stopped doing the speed stuff and my driving got worse after stopping.
“At the back end of the year we thought it was important to pick it back up again and I felt like I worked hard in the off-season to make some changes in the areas I needed to improve, length being one of them.
“I felt like driving was a given, like I knew I’d got faster.
“Approach play, we made a pretty significant change to my swing with the irons. That has made a difference and chipping cack-handed has given me the results that I wanted. Being honest I thought it would, but you never know until you try it.
“I think for me, the putter has let me down a little bit this year, but I am delighted with the season so far.”
Ftzpatrick is in contention at the Scottish Open following a round of 66 on Friday.
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