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THE IRISH OPENJune 18, 2014Matthew FitzpatrickFOTA ISLAND, IRELAND STEVE TODD: Thanks for joining us. Warm welcome to The Irish Open, your first event as a professional. You brought the chapter down on a glittering amateur career last week, U.S. Open. Give us your thoughts on accepting an invite to The Irish Open and commencing a new chapter in your career. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it, played nine holes yesterday and 18 today in the Pro‑Am. The course is the course is in great condition, and I feel The Irish Open, being an eighth‑Irish, it's really cool and I'm really looking forward to it. STEVE TODD: Same question as when you turned 18, but does it feel different? Do you come in with a different mind‑set? MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yes and no. I think I've got to sort of view it that I'm not sort of looking at the guys that I'm playing with and saying, oh, wow, these guys are really good. I think I've got to go in with the attitude that I've got to try and compete with these guys. For all I know, I might be ready, I might not be ready come Thursday. Just see at the end of the week how I've played and see how far away I am. But I mean, it varies from week‑to‑week. But yeah, I think I've just got to enjoy it at the same time and not get too caught up in it really. STEVE TODD: How much do you take from last week's performance, really difficult course and different conditions this week, but how much confidence do you take away from that. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I think particularly confidence. It was nice to finish with a nice result. My last round was a good run. I feel like sort of traveling in the States, it's a long way around to get here, so I think I've got to take that into account, as well, for this week. But no, I mean, I played well and I enjoyed the week, and like I say, it was a different course to here. So I think it's sort of playing the compete opposite, and how hard it was there and not much rough; whereas here, it's very thick rough and soft. It's a nice change, really. Q. Better explain the Irish‑‑       MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: My dad's granddad was a full Irish, and then so that makes my granddad is half, and then a quarter and then me an eighth‑‑       Q.‑‑does a course like last week suit you more than having to make 20 birdies this week? MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: ‑‑I don't know. I've always held the view myself that I would like to play really hard courses, because I think you've got less expectations. I don't know what is expected of this course this week to be honest, but I think maybe the easier courses that you do play, obviously there is more pressure to do well. And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether the course is easy or hard. Q. Inaudible. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK:  Yeah, I guess so. It's nice to throw the ball at the pin and it stop within two, three yards, and then spinning it back even. I remember last week, there was a practise pitching grown and it was the only one of four that you could spin it on. I remember I practised there the first day and I'm thinking, oh, quite soft, spin it here, and get out on the course and it's running another ten yards. Yeah, it different, and it's sort of the complete opposite of last week. So it will be interesting. I'm just looking forward to it really. Q. Inaudible. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: I think you've constantly got to be on your game. You've really got to concentrate on where you're hitting it and where the flag it. For me, that was an advantage of having my caddie, Duncan on the bag, a very experienced guy. He knew what he was doing. Yeah, I think another factor is the heat, as well. You're sweating bucket‑loads out there because it was just so hot, likewise was here today. So you've really got to focus, and like Rory said, you can't go at pins there. You've got to play 20, 30 feet left and hope you hole a putt. Q. Inaudible. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I'll be having a look, that's for sure. I think I've just got to put it behind me that I'm almost starting again really, like when I started playing the England Boys' stuff and then starting playing men's golf. I think you just put the last stuff behind and you have to start again and just start afresh really. Q. Where do you stand with invites and sponsorship? MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: The invitations at the minute, I think I've got, including this, six confirmed invitations. I'm just waiting on one. And then in regards to sponsorship, I'm signing with Under Armor. They have been very good to me as an amateur and increasingly good to me now as a professional. Another sponsor is Golf in DUBAi, which, yeah, came as a bit of a surprise really. I didn't really know what corporate stuff might happen really, and yeah, they have been really good to me so I'm really looking forward to that partnership. Q. Inaudible. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, absolutely. It is very tough, and you look at the guys that have done it and they are normally the very top players, and they have progressed really highly in their careers. And yeah, it won't be easy at all. I'm sure the fields are always strong and particularly the ones‑‑ I've got at the minute, I know this one, France, and then hopefully Scotland. That's the one that I'm waiting on. It's got a fantastic field. Obviously Rory is playing this week and then you've got Phil Mickelson in Scotland and bags of other names. Yeah, it makes it tough. Q. Inaudible. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I think the Dubai Desert Classic for two years, so again, that's an incredible strong field and I'm really looking forward to that one. Q. Having played a major and a Tour event, how would you rank‑‑ MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: I think it's been great. For me it was all about experience. Everyone's told me that you need to get the experience before you just dive straight into turning professional, and they have definitely been right. I've learnt so much since I've been professional, and it's not one of those things that I could tell you straightaway, like just reel off quite a few things. I think it's more to do when I'm out there playing. It's that thing of not going for a pin or playing safe off a tee or maybe being aggressive on this hole when they move the tee forward. It's just little things like that, and as hard as it is, trying not to look at the leaderboards. Q. Inaudible. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, absolutely. I think for me while I was an amateur, I tried to enjoy every professional event I could. I've always been lucky enough to play with some big guys and big names. So I just tried to enjoy it, tried to get some advice from them and answer as many questions as I could think of. Yes, I think it's a great experience, really. The more you play, the better it is. Q. You said France and waiting for Scotland. What are the other ones you are for certain? MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: The other ones I'm certain of are the Czech Masters, the Swiss Open, KLM and Dunhill‑‑ he's sat in the room, actually, I think I'm playing with Chubby. Q. Are you aware or were you watching the Irish Open in 2009? MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I didn't follow it closely. I did hear an amateur was leading. If I remember right, I might have watched the last putt and then it was all over SKY Sports. I played with Shane last week actually and I was asking him about it. He said it was crazy, it all just happened so fast. Obviously it would be lovely to do what he did, but at the same time, it's not easy. Q. It is inspiring. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, absolutely. Gives everyone confidence, because I'm sure there are people when he won, I'm sure people of his age in the amateur game were thinking, I beat him at the Irish Stroke‑Play or whatever event it might be and they can take confidence from that that they can do it. It does give you hope and confidence. Q. Did you speak to Rory or Graeme‑‑ MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: I spoke with Rory and Graeme mainly sort of about who to choose management‑company‑wise, not necessarily‑‑ made that decision a little bit before. I think the best advice, really, and I've always said it as sort of an amateur really, everyone just told me to just enjoy it. They said don't try and force it. You can't put pressure on yourself. I forget myself that I am only 19. Not trying to use that as an excuse, but I think it might not happen this year, might not happen for another two years, but could happen the third year. So I think just got to take my time and take it all in really and not force it. Q. Inaudible. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: No, not that I can think of. Not at the minute. Have to have a serious amount of money‑‑ just a nice car. Nice sports car. But that's not a priority at all really. Q. Inaudible. MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, absolutely. I'd like to qualify for The Open again. When somebody asked me earlier in the year, what is the major you want to play in the most, it was tough to play in all three, but there was always that disappointment that when I did turn pro that I did lose the invitation to Hoylake this year. So I'm going to final qualifying, and hopefully if I did get a top three spot here, then that would make life a lot easier. STEVE TODD: Best of luck this week and in your career ahead. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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