U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

June 16, 2023

Matt Fitzpatrick

The Los Angeles Country Club

Quick Quotes

MATT FITZPATRICK: As soon as I hit it I thought that it got a good chance of going close anyway. Dead center. My hand was a bit sore afterward, I'll be honest, after all the high fiving.

But, yeah, it was good.

Q. You hit the shot and you just accepted that it was a good shot because you were late reacting when it went in?

MATT FITZPATRICK: As soon as I hit it I felt like it was a good number and a good distance, so I knew it was going to be in and around the hole. Obviously didn't expect it to go in, but, yeah, it was a pleasant surprise.

Q. It's a pretty cool place to make an ace. You got the grand stand behind the tee. The big hospitality. What was the roar like?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I wish it would have been louder. I wish it was a few more people. But, yeah, I'm surprised there's not been as many people out as I thought this week.

But, yeah, it was so exciting to see it and first ever professional hole-in-one.

Q. What does that mean, not only your first professional hole-in-one but whether this means anything to you, your first ever defending champion to return and make a hole-in-one as well?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I would imagine there's slim odds on that one. Yeah, without that I probably wouldn't be here for the weekend. So, yeah, it was needed.

Q. There's been a few aces this week. There's a different setup when a player gets one. How do you feel later knowing all the media are going to crack open a cold one?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Pretty funny, as long as I'm not paying.

Q. It looked like you looked down at your sand wedge and then you didn't see it go in.

MATT FITZPATRICK: You can't see it going in any way. The rough's covering the hole so you couldn't see it going in any way.

Q. You just heard the crowd?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah. Yeah. And then obviously that was what did it.

Q. That's yours first hole-in-one on the PGA TOUR?

MATT FITZPATRICK: First professional hole-in-one, yeah. Yeah. This is obviously not -- there's the PGA TOUR there's the DP World Tour as well. I would just like to clarify that. This is a major, not a PGA TOUR event, so...

Q. How did you feel about the round overall?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Well, I'm third last in driving this week, so I think that probably I feel very lucky to be here. I feel like every other aspects of my game is pretty decent. Just can't get the driver going. I feel like if I get the driver going I can shoot a really good score.

But, yeah, just really not can't get the driver going. I feel like if I can get the driver going I can shoot a really good score. But could not drive it worse at the minute.

Q. Is this one of those courses with the narrow fairways and stuff that if you're not driving well it's --

MATT FITZPATRICK: No, I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't say the fairways are that narrow. I think the big issue around this place is you miss the fairway by a yard and you got to chip out.

I just think that's the course setup. I think that's -- we played a lot of places recently that have been look that. I think it's very poor when golf courses are set up like that. You can hit it 40 yards off line and you got a lie.

So I think there needs to be more done to sort of help more accurate players off the tee by missing the fairway a yard you shouldn't have to be chipping it out. If you miss it by 40 you should be having to chip it out.

Q. Just coming in as a defending champion but being able to make it to the weekend, just how important was that for you?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it means a lot. Obviously I really wanted to play here all week. Like you say, defending champion here makes it a little bit more special to play out the week, regardless of the position.

So, yeah, that was obviously always one on the list and then go from there.

Q. Just that short par-3, with the hole-in-one and everything, but how challenging of a hole is it because of its shortness of length?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it's a good hole. It's a great hole. It's miles better than the other two long par-3s. It's not even a contest.

For me, I just think that you got a sand wedge or a lob wedge or a gap wedge in your hand and you're nervous, and I think that's the thing. That's why you're always hitting 3-wood in, and 7-wood.

You're not nervous. You're not thinking about it. You're just trying to hit it as hard as you can and get it to the green. There's no real thought process in it, behind it.