Matt Fitzpatrick held off a fierce competition to claim the 2022 U.S. Open. The win, which came with a one-stroke lead, marked the first major trophy for the 27-year-old Englishman.
Fitzpatrick entered the final round tied with Will Zalatoris for the lead at four-under-par. What ensued was a rollercoaster, as Sheffield native first got to six-under-par on the front nine only to bogey the 10th and 11th hole. This dropped him back to four-under-par.
Luckily for Fitzpatrick, he managed to correct his mistakes and re-enter the leading group with a birdie on the 13th. The 19-foot putt on 15th allowed him to emerge alone on the top, and he never looked back.
The only player with a shot to stop Fitzpatrick was Zalatoris, who had to make a 14-foot putt for birdie on the 18th to force a playoff. However, the 25-year-old American narrowly missed and finished second at five-under-par. He was previously a runner-up at the 2022 PGA Championship as well.
The 2022 U.S. Open win marked the first time Matt Fitzpatrick even finished in the top 10 at the tournament. His previous best was no. 12 in 2018 and 2019.
“It’s what you grow up dreaming of. It’s something I’ve worked so hard for — for such a long time — it was a big monkey on my back trying to win [in the United States],” said Fitzpatrick. “That’s all everyone talked about was that. To do it with a major for my first win, there’s nothing better.”
