Latest news with #MattFitzpatrick
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Justin Rose: A thrilling Open season for our former finalists
I know just how hard it can be to turn professional from a successful amateur career – but Lottie Woad made it look easy last week at the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open. Her three-shot victory on the Dundonald Links would have been impressive at any stage of her professional career, but to do it on her pro debut was simply sensational. Woad, 21, was our runner-up in 2021 and she had incredible success as an amateur, including victory at Augusta National, and she's back in the spotlight in the AIG Women's Open this week. It's been a fantastic summer of golf and The Open Championship always delivers. This year at Royal Portrush was no exception. While the Claret Jug went to the deserving Scottie Scheffler, the tournament was a showcase of golf at its best, and showed the importance of nurturing the next generation. I finished tied for 16th which, while not the major victory I'm still always striving for, was a solid performance that I can be proud of. There were moments of brilliance, as well as a couple of wayward strikes that reminded me even the most experienced pros aren't immune to a bit of Royal Portrush mischief. But battling back from those moments, keeping my focus and digging deep – that's what this game is all about. It's a lesson I learned as a junior and one I hope every aspiring junior takes to heart. Fellow former Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship winner Matt Fitzpatrick once again proved his class, finishing tied for fourth. His journey from a prodigious junior to a major champion is testament to dedication and talent, while another former junior finalist, Tommy Fleetwood, showed the consistency and fight that define his game as he finished tied with me in 16th. I'm looking forward to what he can do for the rest of the season. But perhaps even more exciting was seeing Connor Graham and Cameron Adam make their Open debuts. Both were former finalists at our junior major and both show immense promise for the future. They may have missed the cut this year but their presence on that grand stage, absorbing the atmosphere and experiencing the pressure of a major, will be invaluable, and I know we will see a lot more of them in future. This is why events like the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship are so vital. They offer a platform, a pathway and a proving ground for young golfers with big dreams. So if you're a young golfer with aspirations of one day teeing it up at The Open, I urge you to get involved. The journey starts somewhere, and for many of today's stars, it began on junior circuits just like ours. The Claret Jug may be back in America, but the future of British golf, and indeed world golf, is being shaped right now, and the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship is proud to be a part of that.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I needed to get myself together' - Fitzpatrick on finding form
Golf is a demanding and successful day job, but football is former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick's sporting passion - to the extent that he wants to work in the game. It may happen one day but for now, digging his way out of the biggest slump of an otherwise glittering golf career has been the 30-year-old's priority. It has been a difficult and emotional process, but proof that he is back came with a career-best tie for fourth at last month's Open. He was the leading UK golfer that week on the Antrim coast and it was a fine way to end the men's major season. Even more so given where Fitzpatrick's game was when it began at April's Masters. The previous month he had missed the cut at the Players, parting company with caddie Billy Foster - with whom he won the 2022 US Open. This miserable early spring confounded expectations, after taking time to reset his career following a disappointing 2024. He felt ready to contend again, but his game remained in disarray. "I just didn't have it," Fitzpatrick told BBC Sport. "I'd put in a tonne of work, my coaches had put in so much work and it just didn't happen. "There's no stone left unturned for me, but it's hard when you're intending to hit a shot and missing it by quite a lot. I just didn't know what was coming. "And that's when confidence hits an all-time low and you feel like you can't progress." By the end of the Masters, where he finished in a share of 40th place, the former world number six was 75th in the rankings. He was not sure what to do to arrest the decline. And sometimes stuff happens away from the course as well. Such vicissitudes contributed to what had been previously unthinkable - splitting with Mike Walker, his coach and confidante since Fitzpatrick's mid teens. Walker works alongside fellow South Yorkshireman Pete Cowen and helped his protege win the US Amateur in 2013 before turning professional. "My relationship with Mike is more important than golf really," Fitzpatrick said. "He's someone I've looked up to since I was 14 or 15. "I could tell him anything and my respect for him is so high. At the same time I wasn't playing well and things probably needed to change. "It's my job and I needed to get myself together." The week after the Masters, Fitzpatrick started to work with the Alabama-based coach Mark Blackburn. "It was the first time I've ever had anyone look at my swing, or get a lesson off someone not named Mike Walker or Pete Cowen in 15 years," Fitzpatrick said. Blackburn wanted to know his new pupil's physical capabilities and his level of flexibility. They soon discovered Fitzpatrick possesses unusually long arms. "Which is not great for hitting irons because its harder to control the depth of the club, and you are going to hit it heavier more often than not," he said. "The other thing was I don't have great shoulder flexion and because of that, as soon as I swing it too long I come out of posture and my swing is all out of whack." While finishing 11 under par at Portrush it was noticeable that before every shot Fitzpatrick would pull back his shoulders and push out his chest. "It's me trying to pinch my shoulder blades together," he said. "It is basically to create the radius of my arms, which means I can just rotate there and I don't need to stretch or move my arms." The work is paying off. Fitzpatrick was eighth in May's US PGA at Quail Hollow, one of five top 10s since the Masters - including finishing fourth at the Scottish Open the week before Portrush, and a share of eighth at the Wyndham last Sunday. Now he is looking to push to finish top 30 on the PGA Tour and grab a place in the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. He currently lies 41st and competes in the first play-off event, the FedEx St Jude, which starts in Memphis this Thursday. Asked who he credits for helping him through the toughest stretch of his career, Fitzpatrick says: "My mum and dad and wife Katherine. "She was constantly reminding me that I won the US Open; 'you're a great player, you're going to get it back'. "It really is true, you've got to have the right people around you and I feel very lucky that I've always had that." Football tactics fascinate Fitzpatrick The other constant has been his love of football. This conversation began with Fitzpatrick seeking contact details for a tactical expert who had appeared on the BBC Sport website. "People think its a joke but I love football way more than golf," Fitzpatrick smiled. "I'm obsessed with football. It's brilliant for me. "I love supporting Sheffield United, over here in the States they show every game I could wish to see, which is amazing." Fitzpatrick has visited Premier League side Brentford and spoken face-to-face with the performance team at champions Liverpool to glean insights. His voice lights up while recalling the people he met and the chats that followed. He was like a sponge absorbing information. "How they use data, how culture is so important," he said. "Just fascinating. "Finding little things that maybe we could take into golf - I feel like we've taken a lot from it." But not just golf. He claims there could come a day when he might switch sports. "I don't know when I'll ever get time to do this, but I'd love to work in football if the opportunity ever arose in some way, shape or form," Fitzpatrick said. "That's extremely wishful thinking, but I just find it so interesting to be part of. I love reading about it and everything about it." More pressing is a golf career that is back on the up. Along with trying to make it to East Lake for the Tour Championship, he wants to retain his place in Europe's Ryder Cup team for next month's trophy defence at Bethpage in New York. "It is nice to play well at the crunch time; the play-offs and the Ryder Cup," Fitzpatrick said. "To be part of that would be very special again." He has played three Ryder Cups but his record of only one win in eight matches is a frustration, and poor reflection of the talents of someone with 10 tournament wins in his professional career. "Despite my record I still want to be part of it to give myself a chance to improve on it," he said. If he makes Luke Donald's team, Fitzpatrick will bring plenty of perspective to the European team. "In the last 15 months there's been an extra effort to try and be a little bit more forgiving to myself and understanding my own psychology really," he admitted. "My biggest thing I would take away from the slump is catching things earlier. I can't afford to get to that stage again. "It was a tough time for me and the problem was it went on for so long. You can't afford to be behind the eight ball and you need to catch those things as early as you can, and turn them round as quickly as you can." Spoken like a golfer who might one day deliver half-time team talks.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'I needed to get myself together' - Fitzpatrick on finding form
Golf is a demanding and successful day job, but football is former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick's sporting passion - to the extent that he wants to work in the may happen one day but for now, digging his way out of the biggest slump of an otherwise glittering golf career has been the 30-year-old's has been a difficult and emotional process, but proof that he is back came with a career-best tie for fourth at last month's Open. He was the leading UK golfer that week on the Antrim coast and it was a fine way to end the men's major more so given where Fitzpatrick's game was when it began at April's Masters. The previous month he had missed the cut at the Players, parting company with caddie Billy Foster - with whom he won the 2022 US miserable early spring confounded expectations, after taking time to reset his career following a disappointing 2024. He felt ready to contend again, but his game remained in disarray."I just didn't have it," Fitzpatrick told BBC Sport. "I'd put in a tonne of work, my coaches had put in so much work and it just didn't happen."There's no stone left unturned for me, but it's hard when you're intending to hit a shot and missing it by quite a lot. I just didn't know what was coming."And that's when confidence hits an all-time low and you feel like you can't progress." By the end of the Masters, where he finished in a share of 40th place, the former world number six was 75th in the was not sure what to do to arrest the decline. And sometimes stuff happens away from the course as vicissitudes contributed to what had been previously unthinkable - splitting with Mike Walker, his coach and confidante since Fitzpatrick's mid works alongside fellow South Yorkshireman Pete Cowen and helped his protege win the US Amateur in 2013 before turning professional."My relationship with Mike is more important than golf really," Fitzpatrick said. "He's someone I've looked up to since I was 14 or 15."I could tell him anything and my respect for him is so high. At the same time I wasn't playing well and things probably needed to change."It's my job and I needed to get myself together."The week after the Masters, Fitzpatrick started to work with the Alabama-based coach Mark Blackburn."It was the first time I've ever had anyone look at my swing, or get a lesson off someone not named Mike Walker or Pete Cowen in 15 years," Fitzpatrick wanted to know his new pupil's physical capabilities and his level of flexibility. They soon discovered Fitzpatrick possesses unusually long arms."Which is not great for hitting irons because its harder to control the depth of the club, and you are going to hit it heavier more often than not," he said."The other thing was I don't have great shoulder flexion and because of that, as soon as I swing it too long I come out of posture and my swing is all out of whack."While finishing 11 under par at Portrush it was noticeable that before every shot Fitzpatrick would pull back his shoulders and push out his chest. "It's me trying to pinch my shoulder blades together," he said."It is basically to create the radius of my arms, which means I can just rotate there and I don't need to stretch or move my arms." The work is paying off. Fitzpatrick was eighth in May's US PGA at Quail Hollow, one of five top 10s since the Masters - including finishing fourth at the Scottish Open the week before Portrush, and a share of eighth at the Wyndham last he is looking to push to finish top 30 on the PGA Tour and grab a place in the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. He currently lies 41st and competes in the first play-off event, the FedEx St Jude, which starts in Memphis this who he credits for helping him through the toughest stretch of his career, Fitzpatrick says: "My mum and dad and wife Katherine."She was constantly reminding me that I won the US Open; 'you're a great player, you're going to get it back'."It really is true, you've got to have the right people around you and I feel very lucky that I've always had that." Football tactics fascinate Fitzpatrick The other constant has been his love of football. This conversation began with Fitzpatrick seeking contact details for a tactical expert who had appeared on the BBC Sport website."People think its a joke but I love football way more than golf," Fitzpatrick smiled. "I'm obsessed with football. It's brilliant for me."I love supporting Sheffield United, over here in the States they show every game I could wish to see, which is amazing."Fitzpatrick has visited Premier League side Brentford and spoken face-to-face with the performance team at champions Liverpool to glean insights. His voice lights up while recalling the people he met and the chats that was like a sponge absorbing information. "How they use data, how culture is so important," he said. "Just fascinating."Finding little things that maybe we could take into golf - I feel like we've taken a lot from it."But not just golf. He claims there could come a day when he might switch sports."I don't know when I'll ever get time to do this, but I'd love to work in football if the opportunity ever arose in some way, shape or form," Fitzpatrick said."That's extremely wishful thinking, but I just find it so interesting to be part of. I love reading about it and everything about it."More pressing is a golf career that is back on the up. Along with trying to make it to East Lake for the Tour Championship, he wants to retain his place in Europe's Ryder Cup team for next month's trophy defence at Bethpage in New York."It is nice to play well at the crunch time; the play-offs and the Ryder Cup," Fitzpatrick said. "To be part of that would be very special again."He has played three Ryder Cups but his record of only one win in eight matches is a frustration, and poor reflection of the talents of someone with 10 tournament wins in his professional career."Despite my record I still want to be part of it to give myself a chance to improve on it," he he makes Luke Donald's team, Fitzpatrick will bring plenty of perspective to the European team."In the last 15 months there's been an extra effort to try and be a little bit more forgiving to myself and understanding my own psychology really," he admitted."My biggest thing I would take away from the slump is catching things earlier. I can't afford to get to that stage again."It was a tough time for me and the problem was it went on for so long. You can't afford to be behind the eight ball and you need to catch those things as early as you can, and turn them round as quickly as you can."Spoken like a golfer who might one day deliver half-time team talks.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Aaron Rai among those moving up in the latest European team Ryder Cup rankings
The 2025 Ryder Cup is less than two months away and players on the European side continue to work toward making captain Luke Donald's team. Checking in on the latest standings update, and there's not been much movement, with the top six (which would be automatic qualifiers) unchanged. In fact, the top 11 on the Euro standings are unchanged from a week ago. The first movement comes with Matt Fitzpatrick (12) and Thomas Detry (13) flipping spots. Rory Mcllroy is the only golfer on the Euro side to have clinched a spot. The rest of the top six will be officially on the team after the DP World Tour's Betfred British Masters in three weeks. The next six will be captain's picks. Alex Noren made the biggest jump this week, going from No. 71 to No. 46 but Aaron Rai goes from No. 16 to No. 14, inching closer to consideration. The standings below are as of the Aug. 3, 2025, update. European Ryder Cup team rankings The top six earn automatic spots: The next six in the standings: The next six in the standings: The highest-ranking LIV golfer on the Euro side is Hatton at No. 4. Jon Rahm is 21st. The Ryder Cup is set for Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
Daily Mail
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Matt Fitzpatrick is a 20/1 favourite with Sky Bet to win the Wyndham Championship starting today
The PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship is an open field according to Sky Bet - with the shortest-priced player in the market a healthy 20/1. It is Matt Fitzpatrick who enters as the favourite to win - as the Englishman looks to secure the third PGA Tour victory of his career. Fitzpatrick enters this weekend's tournament off the back of a strong performance at The Open Championship in Northern Ireland a fortnight ago - with the 30-year-old finishing tied for fourth at 11-under. It is Ben Griffin who is the second best-backed in the market at 22/1, while Keegan Bradley and Aaron Rai are next at 25/1 respectively. Griffin has had a breakout year in 2025 - winning both the Zurich Classic and Charles Schwab Challenge. Meanwhile, Bradley reigned supreme at the Travelers Championship in June, while Rai won the Wyndham Championship in 2024. In addition to the Outright Winner market, Sky Bet are offering three Price Boosts for this tournament. They require Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre to both finish top 20 including ties, Rai to finish top ten including ties, and Griffin or Bradley to win outright. The odds for those three boosts have been enhanced to 5/1, 11/4 and 14/1 respectively. Sky Bet favourites to win the Wyndham Championship (Outright Winner): Matt Fitzpatrick 20/1 Ben Griffin 22/1 Keegan Bradley 25/1 Aaron Rai 25/1 Sky Bet Price Boosts for the Wyndham Championship: Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre to both finish top 20 including ties WAS 4/1 NOW 5/1 Aaron Rai to finish top ten including ties WAS 9/4 NOW 11/4 Ben Griffin or Keegan Bradley to win outright WAS 12/1 NOW 14/1 All odds are correct at the time of publication
