Matt Fitzpatrick was playing like the number one player in the world before the PGA Championship.
He’d won three times in just over a month, including back-to-back wins at the RBC Heritage and the Zurich Classic, and was among the leading contenders heading into Aronimink, where he hoped to claim his second major championship.
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But for a few weeks, Fitzpatrick went off the boil. He didn’t contend at the PGA, and he was T36 in an anonymous week at the Memorial Tournament. Fitzpatrick has won more than anyone else on the PGA Tour this year, but his momentum looked to have stalled.
That was until he turned up at TPC Toronto for the Canadian Open. Suddenly, the Sheffield-born star was back to his best, and he finished in solo second the week before the US Open. According to Fitzpatrick, that’s because of a recent breakthrough he made on the range.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Matt Fitzpatrick makes driver breakthrough before US Open
Fitzpatrick recently had to undergo the nightmare of finding a new driver, after the club he had so much success with earlier in the year cracked. That’s what he is partly attributing to his slight downturn in form.
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But according to the Englishman, that issue is hopefully resolved. Fitzpatrick said that on Monday of US Open week, he had a bit of a breakthrough with his new driver.
Speaking in a press conference before the US Open, he said, “My driver cracked at the Truist and still didn’t feel like I’d found one that I was comfortable with for these last four tournaments, I guess I’ve played since.
“I’ve had good spells in those tournaments with the driver, but not that I’ve felt super comfortable. I had a good session this morning. I’m hoping that I’ve kind of found something that’s going to help me for the rest of the season, really.
“And just putting, just wanted to put more of an emphasis on putting better. Just a couple things in just the way that the flow of my stroke and a few other bits and pieces in order to hit better putts.”
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Driving isn’t the single most important skill at Shinnecock, but if you’re not comfortable on the tee, it’s going to be a long week. So finding some confidence with that club in hand is a major boost for the 2022 US Open winner.
Matt Fitzpatrick names the most important thing to do well at Shinnecock
Shinnecock Hills has proven to be the toughest test in golf during its time as a US Open venue. In the last 100 years, only three players have shot under par at a US Open at Shinnecock, and no one was under par the last time this event was played here in 2018.
With the wind howling this week, Shinnecock won’t be playing any easier. Fitzpatrick was asked the key to having any success at this historic venue, and he said the key is in having every shot in your locker to adapt to the wind.
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Fitzpatrick explained, “I think you’ve obviously got to be in control of your ball flight. I think that’s the biggest thing. When the wind is this strong in pretty much every direction, as well, with the holes that you’re facing, you’ve got to be able to have a lot of shots in your armory, really.
“I feel like it’s a great golf course for that, and it allows for that. It allows for shot-making. I think that’s what makes it a great test overall.”
The wind is expected to be blowing hard all week at Shinnecock, so this shot shaping will be just as important off the tee as it is on approach. Fitzpatrick will need every ounce of confidence in his driver to win his second US Open.
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