U.S. Open: Fitzpatrick a winner again

BROOKLINE, Mass. –

Matt Fitzpatrick of England is a champion once more at The Nation Membership, this time with the grandest of trophies.

A U.S. Novice champion in 2013. The U.S. Open champion Sunday.

In a three-way battle at Brookline that got here all the way down to the wire, Fitzpatrick seized management with a terrific break and a good higher shot on the fifteenth gap for a two-shot swing. He was much more clutch from a fairway bunker on the 18th that arrange par for a 2-under 68.

Victory was not safe till Will Zalatoris, who confirmed superb combat again from each mistake, dropped to his knees when his 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th simply slid by the left aspect of the cup. Zalatoris was a runner-up within the second straight main.

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler by no means recovered from back-to-back bogeys to start out the again 9. He had a 25-foot birdie probability on the 18th that simply missed and left him one behind.

Fitzpatrick is the second man to win a U.S. Novice and U.S. Open on the identical course, becoming a member of Jack Nicklaus who turned the trick at Pebble Seaside. Juli Inkster received the U.S. Ladies’s Novice and U.S. Ladies’s Open at Prairie Dunes.

Together with the $3.15 million in prize cash, Fitzpatrick had that gold Jack Nicklaus medal draped round his neck.

Fitzpatrick, who briefly performed at Northwestern earlier than turning professional, received for the eighth time worldwide, and this was his first in America — at the least a match everybody is aware of about.

Fitzpatrick mentioned he received the member-member at The Bear’s Membership in Florida at first of the 12 months, the course Nicklaus constructed.

“He gave me a little bit of abuse at first of the 12 months. He mentioned, `Lastly. Congratulations for profitable within the States,”‘ Fitzpatrick mentioned.

After which barely lifting the trophy, Fitzpatrick despatched a enjoyable message to Nicklaus: “Jack, I received a second time.”