US Open 2022: Matt Fitzpatrick holds off Will Zalatoris, Scottie Scheffler for first major victory

Matt Fitzpatrick held off Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler to win the U.S. Open on Sunday, finishing with a 6-under for the tournament.

It was Fitzpatrick’s first major victory of his career at one of the toughest courses in The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was coming off his best finish at the PGA Championship last month in which he finished tied for fifth.

He’s the second player to win the men’s U.S. Open and the men’s U.S. Amateur at the same venue. Jack Nicklaus is the only other golfer to pull off the feat.

Zalatoris, who had been vying for the lead with Fitzpatrick and Scheffler all day, had a chance to send it to a playoff with the final putt. He narrowly missed it and finished 5-under par for the tournament.

Scheffler, the No. 1-ranekd golfer in the world, kept the pace with Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris. He went into the clubhouse with a 5-under par for the tournament. He had a final-round 67.

It came down to the very end between Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris. After bogeying on 10 and 11 and saving par on 12, Fitzpatrick nailed a 48-foot putt for birdie on the 13th hole. A big birdie putt on 15 gave him a two-shot lead on Zalatoris and Scheffler.

Zalatoris had a chance to get back but fell short on 17th. Things opened up for Zalatoris on 18 after Fitzpatrick hit his tee shot into the bunker. But a clutch shot out of the bunker got Fitzpatrick back onto the green and then he saved par.

Hideki Matsuyama stayed in contention with the leaders at the end of his round. He shot a 65 in the final round and went into the clubhouse 3-under par. Collin Morikawa also stayed within range with a final round 66. He was 2-under par for the tournament.

2022 US OPEN: A LOOK AT THE THIRD GOLF MAJOR OF THE SEASON

Matsuyama won the Masters in 2021 and Morikawa took home The Open Championship in 2021 and the PGA Championship in 2020.

Rory McIlroy finished 2-under par four the tournament with a 69 on the final round. He was hoping the momentum from a win at the RBC Canadian Open last week would have carried into the U.S. Open but couldn’t catch the leaders on the final day.

Defending champion Jon Rahm finished 1-over par.

Fitzpatrick started to get hot as soon as May started.

He finished tied for second with Cameron Young and Keegan Bradley at the Wells Fargo Championship. He carried that momentum into the PGA Championship, finishing two strokes off the lead behind Justin Thomas and Zalatoris.

Though he missed the cut at Memorial, he bounced back at the RBC Championship with a top-10 finish and it all culminated in his first major championship at the U.S. Open.

He finished his U.S. Open title with a total of 274, including a 68 in the final round. He finished Sunday with five birdies and three bogeys.