Former Northwestern Golfer Matt Fitzpatrick wins U.S. Open
Matt Fitzpatrick might have spent only one season golfing for Northwestern before turning pro, but the former Wildcat's win at the 2022 U.S. Open still makes Evanston proud.
Fitzpatrick, who played golf for Northwestern during fall 2013, won the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Sunday. The 27-year-old claimed his first major championship title after finishing the weekend 6-under and with a one-stroke lead over Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler, who finished tied for second.
"What. A. Day," Fitzpatrick wrote in a Tweet Monday morning. "From being a little kid this is a moment I could only dream of. To achieve one of my career goals yesterday was truly incredible. Words really can’t describe the feeling of winning a major, it’s 1000x better than I ever thought it would be."
— Matt Fitzpatrick (@MattFitz94) June 20, 2022
And Fitzpatrick's victory was a 1000x a nail-biter.
One shot clear of Zalatoris and Scheffler heading into the finishing hole, Fitzpatrick yanked his drive on the par-4 into a trap on the left side of the fairway. Zalatoris, who was in Fitzpatrick's pairing, landed a clean shot in the middle of the fairway. With 155 yards to go, Fitzpatrick landed the seemingly-impossible shot cleanly on the green.
Because Zalatoris missed his birdie putt to force a playoff, making par was good enough for Fitzpatrick to secure the victory.
How do you define clutch?@MattFitz94 hit this shot on 18 to help secure the #USOpen title. pic.twitter.com/iQcOGxph0Z
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 19, 2022
The 2022 U.S. Open marks Fitzpatrick's second big-time victory at The Country Club. The England native won the U.S. Amateur in Brookline as an 18-year-old in 2013. Fitzpatrick is only the second player to win both the Amateur and the U.S. Open on the same course: He joins legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus, who did so at Pebble Beach.
Celebrating the win with the family @MattFitz94 ❤️pic.twitter.com/bsV4cqHwhA
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 19, 2022
Fitzpatrick's win at The Country Club improved his World Golf Ranking from No. 18 to No. 10.
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Lauren Withrow is the Publisher of Wildcats Daily on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Withrow is also a Host/Reporter for Mountaineer Maven, Wolverine Digest, All Panthers and Illini Now. Follow Lauren on Twitter: @lolowithrow.