Fitz fits the bill as big contender for US title
Pint-sized Yorkshireman can emulate Nicklaus with victory
MATT FITZPATRICK was the pint- sized lightweight who used to fret and worry about playing with the big bombers. Now he’s metaphorically kicking sand in the face of Dustin Johnson.
Outdriving the 6ft 5in American by 45 yards on occasion in the second round of the US Open yesterday, the fast-improving 27-year-old Englishman has followed up his near miss in the US PGA last month by putting himself in contention once more to claim a coveted first major.
On a second day when some of the fancied names flexed their muscles, Fitzpatrick added a level-par round of 70 to move alongside dangerous American Sam Burns and within a shot of the early halfway lead held jointly by Masters Champion Scottie Scheffler and his fellow countryman, 26-year-old Nick Hardy.
Fitzpatrick is notoriously hard on himself but even he was impressed by tee shots that were sailing past Johnson’s.
No wonder, given that Johnson, alongside rory McIlroy, has a deserved reputation for being the best driver of a ball over the past decade.
‘When I saw I was playing with Dustin I did wonder if he’d be hitting it a long way past me but it just goes to show the speed training I’m doing is paying dividends,’ said Fitzpatrick. ‘It all adds to myy confidence. When you see what he’s won over the years playing from his positions off the tee, I’d be a very happy man if I could emulate his career.’
It’s not just his added length off the tee. Barring his putting — always the best part of his game — there’s barely an area of Fitzpatrick’s play that hasn’t improved dramatically during a year when he has done everything bar win for the first time in America, with seven top-10s to his name.
Around the greens, he’s gone ne from being ranked outside the top 100 in all four chipping categories to single digits in each instance.
Most of that is down to adopting an unusual cross-handed chipping technique that drew a cute response when he was asked about it by an American.
‘Did he ever feel embarrassed when he started using it?’ the man wanted to know.
Fitzpatrick replied: ‘Not at all, and in any case I’d be happy looking stupid if it made all the difference and I won a major.’ By Fitzpatrick’s standards his round was a bit of a rollercoaster, with three bogeys in a row at one point, as his putting uncharacteristically let himhi down.
But he righted the ship, playing the last five holes in one under to be where he wants to be at halfway on a course he loves, and where he won the 2013 US Amateur Championship Now he has the chance to become only the second golfer after none other than Jack Nicklaus to win that title and the US Open at the same venue.
It would be some achievement under any circumstances and particularly so given the stellar cast surrounding him. Scheffler and Burns are the lifelong pals who have claimed no fewer than seven titles between them already on the PGA Tour this season.
Now they might get to test their friendship down the stretch with America’s national championship at stake.
On a morning where the difficulty of the venue was compounded by gusting winds, the 25-year- old Scheffler from Texas and the 25-year-old Burns from Louisiana both shot 67 to move ominously into position on three under and two under par respectively.
They then retreated to the rental house they’re sharing within walking distance of the Country Club.
‘I might give him a bit of grief about being a shot ahead of me,’ said Burns, when asked whether the buddies had any plans for the afternoon. ‘ I’m a bit ticked off about that.’
The first round had seen the little man have his day, with McIlroy the only player among the top six who didn’t come through 36-hole qualifying.
Hardy kept their flag flying proudly on day two with a 68 to move alongside Scheffler. When the field was finalised last Sunday, he was the last alternate to be given a spot.
No one over the last five years has a record in this event that remotely compares to Brooks Koepka, whose four appearances yielded two wins and two other top-four finishes.
He looked on the periphery this time following a first round 73 but, playing with Scheffler, bounced back nicely with a 67 to be just three behind the world No 1.
However, Justin Rose, who had opened with a promising 68, went the other way with a 73.
McIlroy, who began with an eventful 67, was among the later starters but even among his early holes the incident-laden nature of his week continued at the par-four third.
Is it possible for a double bogey to be a good one?
McIlroy might well think so following three horrific stabs in the thick rough around the green to extricate his ball, before limiting the damage somewhat by holing from 25ft.
McIlroy then picked up his first birdie at the fifth.
All the afternoon players were enjoying a lucky break, with the wind dropping as storm activity moved into the greater Boston area.
One of those to take advantage was Englishman Callum Tarren, who looked unfazed at finding himself alongside McIlroy on the leaderboard following the first round.
The world No 445 from Darlington was the outright leader on four under after playing his front nine in 33 shots.