By Frank Pingue
BROOKLINE, Mass. (Reuters) – U.S. Open co-leader Matt Fitzpatrick has tasted success at The Country Club before and feels that experience will serve him well when he goes up against some of golf’s top players in the final round of the year’s third major.
The 27-year-old Englishman won the 2013 U.S. Amateur held at Brookline and feels that triumph will give him an edge over the competition in Sunday’s final round, where defending champion and world number two Jon Rahm is lurking on shot back.
“I certainly think it gives me an edge over the others, yeah. I genuinely do believe that. It’s a real, obviously, positive moment in my career. It kind of kickstarted me,” said Fitzpatrick.
“To come back here and play so well again, it kind of just gives me growing confidence round by round.”
The Boston crowd has been behind Fitzpatrick all week, and the cheers only got louder on Saturday as he carded four late birdies over a sizzling four-hole stretch en route to a two-under-par 68 that left him at four under on the week.
The support has not gone unnoticed as the Englishman said he has never heard “Fitzy” yelled more on American soil before and said as much to his caddie Billy Foster on the final hole.
“I was walking down 18 and said the same thing to Billy. I said, obviously, winning the U.S. Am here helps, but it just feels a bit more like a home game this week, and that’s why it feels different and for the better,” said Fitzpatrick.
“It’s been great to have the support this week. Any moments I’ve had of success around here during this week, it’s been celebrated pretty loud.”
Sunday’s final round marks the second successive major with Fitzpatrick in the final pairing after last month’s PGA Championship, in which he shot a three-over-par 73 and finished in a share of fifth.
He obviously hopes for a better result this time around and could not have picked a better layout given the Country Club is one that he feels suits him well.
“You’ve got to plot your way around. You really have to think about where you want to hit it, where you don’t want to hit it,” said Fitzpatrick.
“Compared to other golf courses we play on Tour, it certainly gives that to me, and that’s why I like it.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Brookline, Massachusetts; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
