Matt Fitzpatrick: Top facts about the 2022 U.S. Open golf champion

Lighting struck twice for English player Matthew Fitzpatrick, winning his maiden U.S. Open golf title at Brookline, Massachusetts, where he won the Amateur Championship nine years earlier. 

The 27-year-old Fitzpatrick seemed unfazed by the pressures and the ebb and flow of the gripping final round to claim his first major championship. 

Fitzpatrick came into the final round as co-leader with Will Zalatoris but had some nervy moments across the front nine before he finally got into his rhythm. On the last hole held a one-stroke lead over Zalatoris, breathing down his neck. 

Both missed birdie putts with Fitzpatrick earning the biggest win of his professional career with a fourth-round 68 to finish at six-under-par, beating Zalatoris and Masters championScottie Scheffler by one.

Matt Fitzpatrick: Joining an exclusive club 

Fitzpatrick made an emphatic return to The Country Club, where he won the U.S. Amateur Championship to launch his career in earnest. 

In doing so, Fitzpatrick became only the third player after Jack Nicklaus and Julie Inkster to win a U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open at the same venue. 

Heading into the tournament, Fitzpatrick said he believed the win as an amateur at the same venue would give him an edge over the rest of the field. 

“I definitely feel like I’ve probably got a bit more confidence going into the week than some of the players will having played there and done successfully before,” Fitzpatrick told the National Club Golfer.

“It gives you that confidence boost going into the week, for sure. Although you’ve still got to hit the shots, knowing what you’ve achieved there in the past is a big help.”

Matt Fitzpatrick: Some brotherly backing

The newly crowned U.S. Open champion’s brother Alex was among his most fervent supporters at Brookline. 

Alex was also by Fitzpatrick’s side nine years ago when he caddied his brother at the 2013 U.S. Amateur Championship. 

The 23-year-old Alex, who made his professional debut earlier this year, led the celebrations when his older brother clinched the title.

“To win with my brother on the bag and have my parents there was an amazing experience,” Fitzpatrick said about his relationships with his younger sibling.

“I’ve watched the replays, and to see him and see how small he was, and to see me, and how small I am, it’s a crazy viewing experience.”

Matt Fitzpatrick: Mistaken for a ball fetcher

Before his major breakthrough at the U.S. Amateur Championships, Fitzpatrick was mistaken for a starstruck teenager at The Open Championship in 2013.

The then 18-year-old Fitzpatrick won the Silver Medal as the top amateur at the Open Championship but not before he was mistaken for a fetcher on the first practice day. 

“It was a guy wearing Nike clothes. It wasn’t his [Tiger’s] caddie. He said, ‘Tiger doesn’t play Titleist.’ I was like, ‘What?’ He said, ‘No, Tiger definitely doesn’t play Titleist.’ I said they were for me and then he sort of disappeared,” Fitzpatrick told The Independent. 

"My Mum and Dad were in the stands pointing behind me. Tiger had just come on the range and this chap had obviously come to get him some balls. It still makes me laugh.”

Matt Fitzpatrick: Billy the bagman

The victory was a significant breakthrough for Fitzpatrick and a major accomplishment for veteran caddie Billy Foster at his side. 

Foster finally picked up his first Major title after four decades on the bag for some top players, including Lee Westwood, Seve Ballasteros, Sergio Garcia, Thomas Bjorn, and Darren Clarke. 

“It means the world to Billy,” Fitzpatrick said afterwards. “I can’t tell you how much it means to Billy. I know it’s something he’s wanted for a long, long, long time.”