Matt Fitzpatrick took one have a look at Southern Hills and declared the US PGA Championship venue was “probably not my cup of tea”.
4 days and two aggressive rounds later, the world quantity 17 may need to vary his tune after taking part in his manner into rivalry for a primary main title in Tulsa.
Fitzpatrick overcame a swirling wind so as to add a second spherical of 69 to his opening 68 and lie simply three photographs off the clubhouse lead held by 2017 champion Justin Thomas.
Requested what he considered Southern Hills when he arrived on Monday, Fitzpatrick mentioned: “My dad referred to as me and he was asking how is the course wanting and, no offence to the PGA right here, however I used to be like, it’s a typical PGA, it’s lengthy and hard and simply probably not my cup of tea.
“(However) this yr I’ve obtained so much longer and it confirmed so much the primary two days with the golf equipment that I’ve been hitting into holes. Hopefully it’s an indication issues are altering just a little bit for me and (will) open a couple of extra doorways on different golf programs.”
A tie for seventh within the 2016 Masters is Fitzpatrick’s solely high 10 in 27 earlier majors and the 27-year-old admitted he gave himself no probability of contending at a lot of programs used for the sport’s 4 greatest tournaments.
However he’s relishing subsequent month’s US Open at Brookline, the Boston course the place he received the US Novice title in 2013.
“I’ll be sincere, I feel in all probability 2016, 2017, 2018, perhaps my world rating was in all probability higher than the place my recreation was,” he added.
“I feel in all probability that’s why I by no means actually type of challenged, hovering across the high 50.
“I feel the final three years I really feel like I’ve been nearer. I really feel like that is the perfect I’ve performed ever in my profession this yr to date.
Matt Fitzpatrick hits from the green on the 18th gap throughout the second spherical of the US PGA Championship (Matt York/AP)
(AP)
“I play effectively at locations that swimsuit me or I take pleasure in taking part in, and I feel a number of the locations that we go don’t essentially try this for me. That’s simply the way in which it’s.
“I look again at Harding Park (2020 US PGA) and there was no manner in hell I ever had an opportunity there. I’m hoping in 4 weeks’ time that I’m going to have each probability and everybody else goes to be horrible. We’ll see.
“Actually in the previous few years I really feel like I’m getting nearer to not essentially difficult for a significant, however a minimum of placing myself in rivalry just a little bit extra usually.”
Kaynak: briturkish.com
