Matt Fitzpatrick Moves Into Position to Chase Rare Double at British Open

Only a handful of stars have won the U.S. Open and British Open in the same year. More work remains for the Englishman, but Friday's 66 was a start.

Matt Fitzpatrick is bidding to join the club of British Open/U.S. Open winners in the same year.  :: Michael Madrid/USA Today

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — U.S. Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick was second fiddle in his threesome pairing in the first two days and was comfortable with the slight.

Playing with Tiger Woods and Max Homa, Fitzpatrick got a front row seat to Tigermania, Scottish-style, and he seemingly embraced it.

Even with Woods not making the cut, shooting 9 over par over two days, his presence still makes a golf tournament buzz as it did at the Home of Golf this week.

“You've got to get your head around where everyone is and who's marshaling what because he's got his own marshals,” Fitzpatrick said of playing with the 15-time major winner. “I had a go at one guy, and he gave me some chat back saying he works with Tiger, to which I was, like, I didn't know what to say.”

Woods is on his way back to America and the 27-year-old Englishman, after a 6-under 66 made a significant move on Friday, is going for back-to-back major wins.

The feat is rare with just six players, Bobby Jones (1926, 1930), Gene Sarazen (1932), Ben Hogan (1953), Lee Trevino (1972), Tom Watson (1982) and Woods (2000) having won both the British Open and U.S. Open in the same year.

Fitzpatrick is trending in the right direction with seven birdies and a lone bogey on Friday created when his ball spun back in the soft conditions created by overnight and early morning rain.

The wind that the group fought later in to the evening on Thursday also laid down, providing the most benign scoring conditions you could find at an Open Championship.

“I just felt, obviously with a little rain this morning, it allowed you to get a little closer to some of the pins, allowed you to stop your ball,” Fitzpatrick said after his 22nd round in the Open Championship. “Because of that, more chances of making birdie and managed to putt well.”

At the U.S. Open that Fitzpatrick won by a shot over Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris, the Sheffield native had a solid weekend with a pair of 68s.

Fitzpatrick started the third round three shots behind leader Joel Dahmen, but more importantly tied with two others at 3 under. Twelve players were ahead of him on the leaderboard including four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, defending champion Jon Rahm, 2021 Open Championship winner Collin Morikawa and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.

The leaderboard at St. Andrews includes some familiar faces from The Country Club including Scheffler, McIlroy and Wise.

“Just do the same as what I've been doing for the last two days,” Fitzpatrick said of his game plan for Saturday. “I feel like I'm playing well, hitting plenty of greens, which is important, even though the greens are massive.”

Like all that have come before him that have won majors, Fitzpatrick is growing into the role.

Its early in his major career and Fitzpatrick still has some learning to do, but it’s a learning curve he seems to be embracing.

“I feel different, Fitzpatrick said. “I can compete, and I can win. It's definitely been a positive. It doesn't hold me back. It's not something I'm nervous about. I've got to show myself a bit more. Yeah, it's just given me that extra confidence.”

More British Open Coverage From SI.com/Morning Read

> Tiger Woods Isn't Retiring Yet, But St. Andrews Revealed That His Competitive Days Are Over
> Tiger Woods Understood That Friday's British Open Ovation Could Mark an End
> Tiger Woods, Collin Morikawa, Phil Mickelson Among Notable Players to Miss Cut
> Slumping Collin Morikawa Leaving St. Andrews Early After Missed Cut at British Open
> What to Watch In Round 3 at St. Andrews: Leading Hair, Rors' Roars and More Birdies
> LIV Golf Against the World? Dustin Johnson's Not Feeling It at St. Andrews
> At Stake This Weekend For LIV Golfers: A Claret Jug, and Respectability

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