Fitzpatrick is a model pro ...he’s Langer’s love child!
Matt Fitzpatrick was paid the ultimate compliment by his veteran caddie on Sunday, following his best performance in america since becoming the first Englishman in more than 100 years to win the US amateur in 2013.
Billy Foster, the man who spent his career working alongside people like Seve Ballesteros, thomas Bjorn, Darren clarke and Lee Westwood during his glory years, said: ‘ Matt is the most professional player i’ve ever had the pleasure to work for, he works so hard and does everything right.’
then, with a typical flourish for emphasis, as Fitzpatrick came back within hearing range, he roared: ‘He’s Bernhard Langer’s love child!’
it’s no coincidence that america got a long-hidden glimpse of the real Fitzpatrick with Foster by his side. in the final group, the 24-yearold from Sheffield outscored his playing partner, rory Mcilroy, and everyone else bar Frankie Molinari, who had the best putting day of his career and holed a difficult chip in a wondrous 64 to win the arnold palmer invitational.
With a relatively modest best placing of tied- seventh from his first 48 pGa tour starts, Fitzpatrick had questioned whether his game was suited to american courses, with his low ball flight and the fact he doesn’t hit it a million miles off the tee.
His biggest fault might be that he gets too down on himself, but the quick-witted Foster is just the man to lift anyone’s gaze.
they linked up late last year, and the respect they have for one another is obvious as they’re constantly nattering down the fairways, ribbing each other about football — Fitzpatrick is a passionate Sheffield United fan, Foster a lifelong Leeds supporter.
‘i’m very lucky to have him,’ said Fitzpatrick, simply, and let’s hope wretched fate doesn’t rob them of their bond before it comes to full fruition. clearly limping at the end of each round, Foster said: ’i’m struggling badly with arthritis in my feet. it’s like walking on broken glass. i’ve seen a few people and i just hope someone can come up with something, otherwise it’s going to be the golden wheelchair for me.’
Befitting a man too young to know about life’s aches and pains, Fitzpatrick is making light of it at the moment.
‘Been telling you about his feet, has he?’ he said, smiling. ‘Now you know what i have to put up with for 18 holes.’
Desperately disappointed to miss out on the ryder cup last year, Fitzpatrick didn’t just upgrade on the caddie front. ‘i did a lot of soulsearching over the winter, and i’m seeing the benefits of a more structured approach to my practising,’ said the man who’s won five times already on the European tour.
‘i’m more prepared for tournaments, and i feel it’s just a matter of time before everything clicks. the second weekend in april would be nice!’
For now, the Masters can wait. this week, he moves on to the pGa tour’s flagship event, the players championship, which starts at Sawgrass on thursday.
as for his runner-up finish on Sunday, and its prize of almost $1million, the fiercely ambitious Fitzpatrick was quickly in Langer-like forensic mode, wondering whether he should have been more aggressive on certain shots, lamenting why his putter hadn’t worked quite as effectively as usual. Leave it to Foster to tell the real story, and the fact that sometimes you do nearly everything right and still don’t win.
‘Matt had three bogeys all week on a long, tricky course and, the way he played in the final round alongside rory, he’d have won seven times out of 10,’ he said. ‘He was just unlucky that Superman from last year decided to put his cape back on, for you can’t see a 64 out there.
‘Matt didn’t have any of the things that clearly went for Frankie. He might not have holed a putt of more than 20ft all week, and that’s most unlike him. But this is just the start in america. What i like most about Matt is he’s got a huge heart. He’s a winner, and i want to help him all i can.’