The 27-year-old edged previous world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by a single shot following an enthralling, curler coaster battle with the American duo in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Victory sees the world No. 18 make historical past as solely the second participant — and the primary non-American — to win each the US Novice and US Open on the identical venue, having received at The Nation Membership in 2013. Jack Nicklaus is the one different golfer to have achieved the feat following triumphs at Pebble Seashore in 1961 and 1972.
It additionally secures Fitzpatrick a $3.15 million share of the $17.5 million whole prize, the most important pot in main championship historical past.
“The sensation’s out of this world,” Fitzpatrick instructed reporters.
“It’s so cliche, however it’s stuff you dream of as a child. To realize it, I can retire a cheerful man tomorrow.”
Born and raised within the Yorkshire metropolis of Sheffield, Fitzpatrick could not resist drawing comparisons along with his beloved soccer staff, Sheffield United.
“I am the identical deal — not anticipated to do effectively, not anticipated to succeed,” he stated.
“I really feel like I definitely work laborious for it, and the place I’ve grown up that is the mentality of everybody round there … an underdog mentality. You’re employed for what you get.”
Extra main agony for Zalatoris
Slender defeat made for but extra heartbreak for Zalatoris, who has now completed runner-up in three majors in recent times. The 25-year-old missed out on the Masters by a single stroke in 2021, earlier than struggling a playoff defeat to Justin Thomas on the PGA Championship in Might.
Regardless of dropping by the identical margin of error, Zalatoris stated Sunday’s slender loss would take longer to course of than the one on the Masters.
“It stings,” Zalatoris instructed reporters. “We’re clearly doing the correct issues.
“I might pay some huge cash for about an inch and a half, and I might in all probability be a three-time main champion at this level.
“This one hurts particularly fairly laborious, however it’s motivating. I’ve acquired to maintain doing what I am doing. I do know I’ll get one ultimately.”
In the meantime, Scheffler narrowly missed out on elevating his spectacular calendar 12 months with a second main victory, having received on the Masters in April and including three additional PGA Tour wins.
Along with his two 3-under 67’s decrease than any of Fitzpatrick’s rounds, the world No. 1 might come to rue a grim, wind-affected spell by means of Saturday’s penultimate spherical that noticed him drop 5 photographs throughout a four-hole stretch.
“This week I hit a number of the worst photographs I’ve hit in my profession, and I’ve hit a number of the greatest ones, so it was type of a roller-coaster weekend,” Scheffler instructed reporters.
“Tip of the hat to Fitzy. He is been taking part in actually good golf and he positively deserved to win this occasion.”
Hideki Matsuyama carded a blistering, event-best 65 to complete fourth at 3 beneath, with Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy tied for fifth, one stroke behind.
A helter-skelter closing day
With pairs’ tee-off occasions staggered in ascending order up the leaderboard, a scintillating begin from Scheffler noticed the world No. 1 open with back-to-back birdies to attract degree with the main duo moments earlier than they teed off.
Two holes later, the 25-year-old had already grow to be the outright chief at 5 beneath with yet one more birdie on the fourth, although Fitzpatrick responded instantly with a birdie of his personal to maintain tempo.
Scheffler’s surging begin offered a stark distinction to that of Zalatoris who, having scrambled for par on the opening gap, shot two consecutive bogeys to slip down the leaderboard.
But Zalatoris’ response was as emphatic as his preliminary drop. After parring twice to regular the ship, the American shot 4 birdies over the following six holes to seek out Scheffler and Fitzpatrick.
Remarkably, for all of the ebbs and flows of a pulsating closing spherical, after 13 holes the image successfully resembled the start of the day, with co-leaders Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris main Scheffler.
The trio would have been staggered had it not been for some heroics on the thirteenth from Fitzpatrick. Forty ft from the outlet, the Englishman drained a surprising downhill putt to attract degree with a birdie, celebrating the monster effort with a roar and a fist pump.
The one distinction from the in a single day leaderboard was that now Scheffler trailed by one stroke as an alternative of two. After hurtling into the flip with 5 pars and 4 birdies, his again 9 started at a snail’s tempo with back-to-back bogeys that left him 4 beneath general.
Becoming finale
Then, a seismic shift. Bogeying the sixteenth, Zalatoris might solely watch as Fitzpatrick lasered an excellent birdie putt to open up a two-shot lead that lasted a matter of minutes, as Scheffler birdied the seventeenth to leapfrog his compatriot into second.
Narrowly lacking out on repeating the feat to tie the lead on the 18th, Scheffler’s closing par heaped strain on Fitzpatrick, lining up his putt on the penultimate gap.
However as if having fun with an off-the-cuff spherical with mates, the Englishman smiled and laughed after tapping residence earlier than carrying his one-shot result in the ultimate tee.
In a finale becoming of an enthralling closing day, Fitzpatrick in hassle after his tee shot discovered the bunker, however the Englishman roared again with an unimaginable method shot from the sand to seek out the inexperienced.
Zalatoris responded with an excellent method of his personal to make sure the key would go to the ultimate stroke, but after Fitzpatrick putted for par, he was unable to conjure the birdie he wanted to drive a playoff.
A respectful Fitzpatrick contained himself as he waited for his opponent to complete, earlier than Zalatoris tapped residence to set off scenes of unbridled pleasure — and loads of tears — among the many Englishman and his staff.
