US Open Golf 2022: Matt Fitzpatrick wins maiden major as he holds off Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris for glory

Whatever the future direction of travel for golf, it appears in good hands as Matt Fitzpatrick won the US Open in thrilling fashion.

Fitzpatrick came into Sunday without a win in America as a professional to his name, and still to break his major duck.

But he drew on his course victory at the Country Club in Brookline at the US Amateur in 2013 to produce nerveless golf to fend off the challenge of Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris.

He fended them off with brilliant, nerveless golf – aided by his ice-cool caddie Billy Foster who finally got his major win – as a round of 68 was enough to secure a one-shot victory from Scheffler and Zalatoris.

The lead changed hands on numerous occasions on Sunday, with Scheffler, Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick trading blows.

It turned Fitzpatrick’s way on the back nine – after he looked like backpedalling with bogeys on 10 and 11 – with a mixture of brilliant play and a slice of luck.

He knocked in a stunning birdie putt on 13 to get the momentum going in the right direction.

Two holes later, Fitzpatrick had a huge break on 15 when his tee shot went way right – but fortunately for the Englishman beyond the thick rough and onto the walkway.

He still had to cash in on his good fortune, and he did that by draining the putt to briefly open up a two-shot lead.

Masters champion Scheffler kept the pressure on with a superb birdie on 17, as did Fitzpatrick’s playing partner Zalatoris, but he closed the door in thrilling fashion on 18.

He closed the door after leaving it ajar when finding the bunker off the tee. He looked to have no shot, but conjured up a huge fade to find the middle of the green and two putts were enough – as Zalatoris’ effort to force a play-off slipped by on the high side.

The emotion was there for all to see, as Fitzpatrick celebrated with his family, while Foster was overcome at the achievement.

“I have no words,” Fitzpatrick said in his acceptable speech, after his six-under total of 274. “It is what you grow up dreaming of.

“There was a big monkey on my back winning over here, all they ever talked about was that, and to do it in a major – there is nothing better.”

Commenting on his stunning bunker shot on 18, Fitzpatrick said: “Me and Billy spent a while talking about the 18th tee shot, undecided. I took three-wood and hit it into the bunker.

“If there was one shot that I have struggled with this year and do not want, it is a fairway bunker shot.

“I guess ability took over and it is one of the best shots I have hit of all time. As I saw it leave the sand and felt the strike, I could not be happier.”

McIlroy comes up short

After the troubles of Saturday, Rory McIlroy fired himself and his vocal supporters up when he made an excellent birdie on the first.

But consistency was his undoing on Sunday. His approach on the third was a couple of yards from perfection – but fine margins have a big impact at US Opens and after failing to find the green, it resulted in a dropped shot.

Birdies and bogeys followed with regularity, but his race was effectively run when he failed to make a birdie or better on the par-five eighth.

As in the first two majors of the season at the Masters and US PGA Championship, McIlroy came with a charge on the back nine but came up short at two-under.

Like McIlroy, defending champion Jon Rahm had designs on making a run on Sunday – only to disappoint.

The putter was ice cold for the Spaniard as he posted a round of 71 to finish on one-over.

Grayson Murray provided his own lowlights reel. As he struggled on the course, his anger boiled over as he threw his putter in anger and later snapped a wedge over his knee.

He went round in 80, to finish the tournament at 18-over – the lowest of all the professionals to make the cut.

We’re not sure if there was a prize for the top LIV performer, but that would have gone to Dustin Johnson – albeit with a score of four-over.

Still, that was some way in advance of the likes of Richard Bland (eight-over), Patrick Reed (10-over) and Bryson DeChambeau, (13-over).

LIV Golf will rear its head in the coming weeks, with more players sure to be lured by the riches on offer, but Fitzpatrick showed the heat of battle is more enticing than money.