The 122nd edition of the US Open goes to Matthew Fitzpatrick who in Brookline, Massachusetts, with a total of 274 (68 70 68 68, -6) shots exceeds the world number 1, Scottie Scheffler (70 67 71 67) – second with 270 (-5) like another American, Will Zalatoris (69 70 67 69) – and wins the first major of his career.
At The Country Club (par 70) the Englishman, nine years after making his own, on this course, the US Amateur also won the US Open, emulating what he did in the past at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, in 1961 and 1972, by Jack Nicklaus.
“I fulfilled the dream I cherished as a child and the joy I am feeling is something inexplicable. Now I can consider myself a happy man”, Fitzpatrick’s joy. With this exploit he went from 18th to 10th position in the world rankings and from 28th to 10th in the FedEx Cup.
The triumph in the USA earned the 27 year old from Sheffield $ 3,150,000 against a prize pool of 17,500,000 (up by 5 million compared to 2021). In the United States, a nice final for the Italian Guido Migliozzi, fourth last year, who, with a round closed in 66 (-4), with an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys, and a score of 282 (72 70 74 66 , +2), has risen from 45 / a to 14 / a position.
Among the big names, fourth place with 277 (-3) for the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, king of The Masters in 2021, fifth with 278 (-2) for the American Collin Morikawa and the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy. While the Spaniard Jon Rahm, second in the world ranking, outgoing champion ranked 12 / o with 281 (+1), who paid dearly for a partial of 74 (+4) in the final 18 holes.
Only nine competitors who finished the competition with a score below par, including Americans Denny McCarthy and Keegan Bradley, seventh with 279 (-1) alongside Canadian Adam Hadwin, leader after the first lap.
Matt Fitzpatrick, statements
The first Englishman since 2013 – when it was Justin Rose – to win the US Open, Fitzpatrick, who signed five birdies and two bogeys in the final round, is the 13th golfer to have won both this event and the US Amateur.
In the lead since the end of the “moving day”, in his career he boasts eight titles, a figure including a Major, the US Open precisely, on the DP World Tour. But the affirmation at Brookline also allowed him to celebrate his first title on the PGA Tour, arrived via a Major, and thus become the 14th player since 1990 to succeed in this feat, the first since 2014, when he was Danny Willett at The Masters.
In March 2022, Fitzpatrick after a phone call with his Ukrainian ex-girlfriend within weeks of the Russian invasion, told how his outlook on life had changed since that call. “After that conversation – he said – I decided that the right time had come to appreciate my life more, promising myself to be happier without having the obsession with winning”
And now his sporting career has changed. And now in his desires there is Rome and therefore the Ryder Cup 2023. With Fitzpatrick – he who has not betrayed the powers of the green, rejecting the court of the Arab Super League – that the Eternal City admired it closely last February when he also closely followed the football match between Rome and Spezia.
Before meeting Mourinho who for Fitzpatrick “is a true legend” “Only” 178 cm tall, at the 122nd edition of the US Open he defeated many “giants” of the discipline, preferring technique and a short game that proved devastating to power.
Nothing to do even for Scheffler (runner up) who with this result established the new record of earnings, in a single season, on the PGA Tour (12,896,849 dollars collected).
