Fitzpatrick: i am a major believer now
NEW US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick will fly back home to England today to start his preparations for St Andrews after insisting he has the belief to win more Majors.
English ace Fitzpatrick, 27, is up to No.10 in the world after his stunning triumph at The Country Club in Brookline.
The European Ryder Cup ace set up a thrilling one-shot victory with a brilliant fairway bunker shot on the 18th to pip Will Zalatoris.
It clinched Fitzpatrick’s maiden Major and his first-ever win on the PGA Tour, and saw him pocket £2.5million.
The Sheffield star will now step up plans for a crack at the 150th Open Championship, at the Home of Golf next month.
First he is playing in the JP McManus Pro-Am on July 4-5 at Adare Manor in Ireland.
Then he tees it up later that week at the Scottish Open at the The Renaissance Club before heading to St Andrews for the final Major of the year from July 14-17.
Fitzpatrick confirmed: “I’m going to fly back on Sunday.
“I’ll play the JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland, which is the Monday-Tuesday before the Scottish Open and then I’ll play the Scottish Open just before The Open itself.”
Fitzpatrick’s two-under final round at Brookline saw him hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation as he held off playing partner Zalatoris.
He has become just the second man after Jack
Nicklaus to win the US Amateur and US Open at the same venue, with his previous triumph at
Brookline in me that I can win a Major, is a very big deal.
“To have that going into any event is a big positive.
“I’ll definitely take confidence in that, going into The Open.”
Fitzpatrick’s triumph was also reward for his hard graft working in the gym and on the range to increase his swing That experience speed and gain of winning the US more yards.
Open holds me It has helped him in good stead increase his
average driving distance this season on the PGA Tour to 298 yards a pop.
And he reveals he is learning to love being at the top of the leaderboard in Majors.
He smiled: “It’s a love-hate. I love hitting the shots and I love being out there.
“It’s everything else that’s around it, sleeping on the lead and trying to stay busy before your tee time, warming up knowing what you’re about to go and do. But once you’re out there, you’re in the thick of it.
“After a couple of holes you just start thinking about how to win and where to hit the ball. You’re planning your way around the course and that’s been the big difference.
“Once you’re fully a part of it,
it’s fine.” 2013. He turned professional the following year.
His stunning US Open display was the perfect response just a month on from being in the final pairing at the US PGA Championship before a disappointing 73 saw him finish tied fifth, two shots away from a play-off for the trophy.
But now Fitzpatrick, who was mobbed by his family after completing his Major triumph, admits he will head to St Andrews full of belief and confidence that he can win golf’s biggest trophies.
He added: “I definitely think that experience of winning the US Open holds me in good stead going into future Majors.
“To have been there and done it now, and proved to myself and proved to other people around