Matthew Fitzpatrick’s rise to the lofty heights of major winner has been inevitable.
When Edoardo Molinari was named Ryder Cup vice-captain for Europe a few weeks ago I mentioned Matt had been doing some work with Eddie and the results has been very impressive.
I enjoyed a lunch with Eddie a couple of months ago and he spoke enthusiastically about the remarkable progress Matt was making.
Eddie said Matt had managed to gain an extra 20 yards off the tee and was adamant that improvement had put him on course to win a major soon.
That day arrived for Matt on Sunday as he held off a fierce challenge to win the US Open at Brookline.
I tend to zone in and out of tournaments on TV when I’m not playing but I was glued to my telly as events unfolded.
With all this focus on Saudi Arabia and the emergence of the LIV Golf tour it was so refreshing to watch a proper top-tier tournament play out.
I can’t disagree with the sentiment his stunning shot from the bunker on the 18th was reminiscent of Sandy Lyle’s fabulous shot on his way to winning the Masters in 1988. It was sensational.
Matt saw the shot straight away. There was no deliberating, no discussion with his caddie Billy Foster. It was a case of grab the club and hit a brilliant shot.
At a crucial time when he held a one-shot lead it would have been easy to play defensive but Matt was having none of it.
He hit it perfectly and when the ball landed on the green I knew it was going to be his time.
His poor caddie Billy wasn’t convinced though. It was only when Will Zalatoris missed his putt to force a play-off that the reality of Matt’s achievement kicked in for his bagman.
Foster finally has the big prize to reflect his excellent career
Billy is a legendary figure in the game who has done it all.
He must have caddied in 15 Ryder Cups by this point but there was one elusive zero on his list and that was in the column of major wins he had been on the bag for.
When you consider he can count Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, Sergio Garcia, Seve Ballesteros and Lee Westwood as former clients it is astonishing to think his 40 years of service has gone unrewarded with a major until now.
When the new major winner is saying you are the greatest of all time you know you must be good at your job.
We all knew it anyway but an emotional Billy now has that major accolade to prove it.
That’s why, at a time when golf has been attracting negative publicity, I was thrilled to see it dominate the headlines for all the right reasons on Sunday.
Murray’s meltdown has happened to us all
I knew exactly how Grayson Murray felt after watching him slowly unravel in the final round of the US Open on Sunday.
A quadruple bogey at the seventh hole resulted in him throwing his putter in the rough off the back of the green.
He then triple-bogeyed the ninth hole and then left his approach shot at the 10th short. By that point his head had gone and the club was snapped in half in frustration.
will never apologize for wearing my emotions on my sleeve. US Opens are brutal. If this offends you it’s your problem. pic.twitter.com/SQQPrHM6Al
— Grayson Murray (@GraysonMurray) June 20, 2022
It was one of those moments where I can say we’ve all been there. I threw my six iron in the trees in disgust during the last round I played.
That’s what frustration and a loss of concentration does when combined in a high intensity environment like the US Open.
You know when you play that tournament it is the hardest exam paper of the year and if you let your guard down the course will swallow you whole.
Look at the first round where Rory McIlroy holed an unbelievable 40 footer for a double bogey.
That’s what the US Open is all about. A test unlike any other where only the strongest survive.
Poor Murray folded on Sunday but that’s okay. He’ll learn from it. We all do even when the lessons being dished out are painful.
All eyes on DP World Tour announcement
The DP World Tour are set to reveal how they are going to handle the defections to LIV Golf.
Will the guys who have gone to play there be allowed to compete in the Scottish Open? Will suspensions be handed out?
So far the emergence of the new series has had the biggest impact on the PGA Tour with Brooks Koepka the latest high profile name to leave the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed rival.
At this point I have no idea where this is all going to end but the pressing issue among my colleagues is whether our tour will align with our US counterparts or opt for different measures.
I would suggest if we’re siding with the PGA Tour we have to go all-in. If we’re not, then what does that mean for the strategic alliance between the two tours?
I haven’t criticised anyone for leaving. It’s their choice to make.
But I still maintain no amount of money on offer can trump the excitement or feeling Matt Fitzpatrick had at winning on Sunday.
Charl Schwartzel may have won more money but in terms of history and prestige, Matt’s win is the one we’ll all remember.
Putting the politics of it all to one side it is clear some players are passionate about their golf while others see it as a job and they are simply trying to earn as much money as they can.
There’s no right or wrong in that respect. If players want to go there that’s their choice.
