Nothing can take the gloss offtony’s Open double– butmattcan add his finish in Fife

Matt Fitzpatrick joined an exclusive club last month when he lifted the US Open trophy.

His dramatic victory at Brookline catapulted him into elite company alongside countrymen, To n y Jacklin and Justin Rose, as the only Englishmen in the past 100 years to arrive atthe Open Championship with the American version already secured.

Back in 1970, Jacklin went to St Andrews as defending champion, following his win at Royal Lytham, and fresh off the back of a commanding US Open triumph at Hazeltine.

He refuses to rule out Fitzpatrick’s chances of winning the two biggest Opens in golf in the same summer.

“Matt has been for a good player for some time and, with the confidence from that victory, he’ll have a good chance,” Jacklin told The Sunday Post.

“He has had time to get his breath back and recharge the batteries, and he’ll have a lot of support at St Andrews. It will be difficult for him to feel any better.

“The most important thing is to get off to a good start. You always get engaged at a much higher level mentally if you’re in the top 10, top 15 after the first day.

“I sent Matt a text after he won at Brookline, saying how proud I was of how he handled himself.

“It was a terrific performance. Down the stretch, he played very steady golf. And he pulled off that bunker shot at the last wonderfully. You couldn’t fault him.

“He has all the credentials necessary, and he’ll tee it up as one of the favourites this week, no doubt.

“He will have the crowd behind him at St Andrews, and that can make a big difference.

“I remember when I won at Lytham, and I felt an anticipation among the gallery and got great support.

“It will be similar for Matt, plus he has a very good caddie in Billy Foster, who can keep him calm.

“Overall, I don’t think he could be in a better position coming into a Major Championship.”

Jacklin’s famous triumph at Lytham cemented his love of seaside golf, and he was fifth in his defence 12 months later at the Home of Golf.

“I shot 67-70-73-76, and I missed a putt on the last to finish in a tie

for third,” he recalled.

“I was right there, and I remember dropping three shots on the last five holes on the second day when the weather changed.

“That would never have been possible on day one, when the course was there for the taking.

“But my scores got worse because the weather got worse every day. But that’s St Andrews and that’s links golf. You have to accept it.

“These days, the weather is the only defence these courses have. If it’s fine and the course has dried out, you could see someone breaking 60.

“The only thing they can do is tuck the pins away on the double greens.”

That result back in 1970 was Jacklin’s best performance in his four Opens around the Old Course. But as a selfconfessed golf nut, there is no doubting his love for the place.

“St Andrews is unique,” he said. “Where else have you got the 18th green in the middle of town? Is it a coincidence that all the double greens add up to 18?

“There are so many unique aspects to it. It’s dripping with history, and you can’t go there and not think about Old Tom Morris. His name is indelibly linked with it.

“There is no place like it. I never took yardages when I played it, but I knew it like the back of my hand.

“The wind changes all the time, and you learn to have tremendous patience as you’re going to have bad breaks.

“Patience is the key factor. There are groups putting on the double greens so you have to wait and you have to be patient.

“It’s a totally unique experience. And this being the 150th Open makes it extra special.”