THE 150TH OPEN

July 16, 2022

Matt Fitzpatrick

Mixed Zone

Q. Matt, how would you assess the round?

MATT FITZPATRICK: It was good. I played really well, I felt like. I was saying to Billy after seven holes, I didn't feel I hit one bad shot. That was my drive on 2 which I got away with.

Just felt like I hit the ball really well, just got some poor bounces, which made it difficult to score early goals. Then managed to make some putts coming in, and it was much better.

Q. Giving yourself an opportunity as well on the final day?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah. Obviously six back right now, which is plenty. But this golf course would make it seven apparently.

Yeah, this golf course is one that you can go low round. Obviously the only issue is most of the low scores tend to come in the morning when the greens are soft. It will be harder tomorrow. I'll need guys to come back to me. But if I get off to a hot start, who knows?

Q. Knowing how much you like to play by numbers and make everything an exact science, how are you handling how firm and how bouncy this place is?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I'll be honest, I'm not really a fan. I just -- it's difficult to -- I just feel like sometimes -- I've heard it on commentary all week. You can hit good shots and get bad bounces. And you can hit bad shots and get good bounces.

Like I say, I felt, for the first seven holes, I didn't really miss a shot. I'm walking off 7th green and I'm plus-1. It's tough to take. It's tough to stay patient.

I managed to make a few putts coming in. That always makes you feel a little bit better.

Q. Matt, when you say you're a fan, is it the course or the conditions?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Probably more the golf course. I said earlier in the week that it's not my favourite golf course to play. But I think, obviously, with how firm it is, they obviously exaggerate some of the slopes and stuff as well. You see where the pins are this week. A lot of them are incredibly tucked, just to try and protect it as much as possible.

Like I say, early doors, I feel like it's possible to get a score going. Later on, obviously, once it firms up and the wind picks up, it's much more difficult.

Q. We'll forever harp back to winning the U.S. Open.

MATT FITZPATRICK: And you can carry on doing that (laughter).

Q. Obviously it's seven shots back now, but do you play that final round with a little bit of extra belief that you can do it?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Listen, I've never won from seven behind before, so there's always a first time. But I just think, looking at the golf course, how it plays in the afternoon, they've got to come back to me, in my opinion. It's difficult for me to make a real charge without someone else up there as well doing the same thing. I just think that's kind of how the golf course plays.

Q. I suppose it doesn't help when you've got the kind of calibre of players who are leading as well. It's a stacked leaderboard.

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, but that's part of it, isn't it? That's part of the challenge.

Q. Without wind, would this withstand the modern game?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Firm as well?

Q. Yes.

MATT FITZPATRICK: I mean, probably not. If the greens are softer than they are in the morning and there's no wind, I mean, no, I wouldn't say so. Some of the pins, as you can see, are incredibly tucked, just over slopes.

I hit the green on 12, and I just got no putt. It's tucked on top of a hill, and I hit what I thought was a good putt and it comes to 12 feet. There's a lot of stuff like that that's been done, obviously, to protect it from going lower, I guess.

Q. Will you try to be more aggressive tomorrow?

MATT FITZPATRICK: No, I'll try and do the same stuff, to be honest. I mean, again, it depends on the pins and stuff like that. But there's certain holes out here that those are your chances to try and pick up your shots. So it will just be the same thing.

16, for me, is an example of a hole where I've just tried to make par all week, just bang it into the long rough, wedge it up on the green, and get out with a par. Same with 17. So there's a couple like that.

But then you look at 9 and 12, and you're kind of disappointed if you're not making birdie there.

Q. It feels like this entire island is trying to kind of will Rory across the finish line. Do you hear the roars out there? Do they sound like Tiger roars? Do you guys sense that, that everyone is behind him as much as we do?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I didn't hear the crowd, where he was, but I heard -- I don't know if he did something special maybe on 9 or something.

Q. He holed out for eagle on 10.

MATT FITZPATRICK: So I heard people watching in, like just where all the food and tented villages are and stuff like that, and I heard a big cheer. So I knew something must have gone on.

He's one of the most likable guys on TOUR by a country mile, so I think most players would be more than happy for him to win. Same with Viktor. He's a great kid too.

Q. Matt, you said you've never won from seven back before. Did you ever do it as a junior?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Not that I can remember, no.

Q. How have the last few days been in terms of how people have treated you? Have you noticed a difference? More people wanted to know your opinions about things because you're now a major champion?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yes, I guess I've done press every day, which is one of the first times since I've been in a tournament. That's a new thing. It's just sort of getting used to that and doing it more often.

Yeah, obviously since winning the U.S. Open, there's definitely been more of that.