The 27-year-old edged previous global No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by means of a unmarried shot following a charming, curler coaster fight with the American duo in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Victory sees the sector No. 18 make historical past as most effective the second one participant — and the primary non-American — to win each the USA Beginner and US Open on the identical venue, having received at The Nation Membership in 2013. Jack Nicklaus is the one different golfer to have accomplished the feat following triumphs at Pebble Seaside in 1961 and 1972.
It additionally secures Fitzpatrick a $3.15 million percentage of the $17.5 million general prize, the biggest pot in primary championship historical past.
“The sensation’s out of this global,” Fitzpatrick informed journalists.
“It’s so cliche, however it is things you dream of as a child. To succeed in it, I will retire a contented guy the next day to come.”
Born and raised within the Yorkshire town of Sheffield, Fitzpatrick could not face up to drawing comparisons together with his cherished soccer group, Sheffield United.
“I am the similar deal — now not anticipated to do neatly, now not anticipated to be triumphant,” he stated.
“I believe like I indubitably paintings exhausting for it, and the place I have grown up that is the mentality of everybody round there … an underdog mentality. You’re employed for what you get.”
Extra primary agony for Zalatoris
Slender defeat made for but extra heartbreak for Zalatoris, who has now completed runner-up in 3 majors lately. The 25-year-old neglected out at the Masters by means of a unmarried stroke in 2021, earlier than struggling a playoff defeat to Justin Thomas on the PGA Championship in Would possibly.
Regardless of dropping by means of the similar margin of error, Zalatoris stated Sunday’s slim loss would take longer to procedure than the only on the Masters.
“It stings,” Zalatoris informed journalists. “We are clearly doing the correct issues.
“I would pay some huge cash for roughly an inch and a part, and I would almost definitely be a three-time primary champion at this level.
“This one hurts specifically beautiful exhausting, however it is motivating. I have were given to stay doing what I am doing. I do know I’ll get one at some point.”
In the meantime, Scheffler narrowly neglected out on raising his impressive calendar yr with a 2nd primary victory, having received on the Masters in April and including 3 additional PGA Excursion wins.
Together with his two 3-under 67’s less than any of Fitzpatrick’s rounds, the sector No. 1 would possibly come to rue a grim, wind-affected spell thru Saturday’s penultimate spherical that noticed him drop 5 photographs throughout a four-hole stretch.
“This week I hit one of the most worst photographs I have hit in my occupation, and I have hit one of the most ultimate ones, so it used to be more or less a roller-coaster weekend,” Scheffler informed journalists.
“Tip of the hat to Fitzy. He is been enjoying in point of fact excellent golfing and he indubitably 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 5th, one stroke in the back of.
A helter-skelter ultimate day
With pairs’ tee-off instances staggered in ascending order up the leaderboard, a scintillating get started from Scheffler noticed the sector No. 1 open with back-to-back birdies to attract stage with the main duo moments earlier than they teed off.
Two holes later, the 25-year-old had already develop into the outright chief at 5 beneath with but any other birdie on the fourth, even though Fitzpatrick replied straight away with a birdie of his personal to stay tempo.
Scheffler’s surging get started supplied a stark distinction to that of Zalatoris who, having scrambled for par at the opening gap, shot two consecutive bogeys to slip down the leaderboard.
But Zalatoris’ reaction used to be as emphatic as his preliminary drop. After parring two times to stable the send, the American shot 4 birdies over the following six holes to seek down Scheffler and Fitzpatrick.
Remarkably, for all of the ebbs and flows of a pulsating ultimate spherical, after 13 holes the image successfully resembled the start of the day, with co-leaders Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris main Scheffler.
The trio would were staggered had it now not been for some heroics on the thirteenth from Fitzpatrick. 40 toes from the outlet, the Englishman tired a shocking downhill putt to attract stage with a birdie, celebrating the monster effort with a roar and a fist pump.
The one distinction from the in a single day leaderboard used to be that now Scheffler trailed by means of one stroke as a substitute of 2. 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 may most effective watch as Fitzpatrick lasered a very good birdie putt to open up a two-shot lead that lasted a question of mins, as Scheffler birdied the seventeenth to leapfrog his compatriot into 2nd.
Narrowly lacking out on repeating the feat to tie the lead on the 18th, Scheffler’s last par heaped power on Fitzpatrick, lining up his putt at the penultimate gap.
However as though playing an informal spherical with buddies, the Englishman smiled and laughed after tapping house earlier than sporting his one-shot result in the general tee.
In a finale becoming of a charming ultimate day, Fitzpatrick gave the look to be in hassle after his tee shot discovered the bunker, however the Englishman roared again with an implausible way shot from the sand to seek out the fairway.
Zalatoris replied with a very good way of his personal to verify the main would pass to the general stroke, but after Fitzpatrick putted for par, he used to be not able to conjure the birdie he had to power a playoff.
A deferential Fitzpatrick contained himself as he waited for his opponent to complete, earlier than Zalatoris tapped house to cause scenes of unbridled pleasure — and various tears — a number of the Englishman and his group.
