Will Zalatoris took a peek at the ball.
He and Fitzpatrick were walking towards their tee shots. There was madness all around them. The US Open was in danger. Boston police officers were trying to keep the crowd behind the rope line after thousands of fans spilled into the fairway. Fitzpatrick tried to keep his head down as he dealt with the fracas, but he was swallowed up by the crowd. Three police officers cleared a path for him.
Zalatoris moved on. Zalatoris wanted to know what Fitzpatrick was facing with his approach to his tee shot. He wasn't sure if he needed a par or a bogey to make the playoff. He got a glimpse of what Zalatoris saw. Fitzpatrick's ball was partially blocked out by an island of rough in the middle of the fairway. It would take a miracle to get it on the grass.
Going for it was going to be ballsy. It's not likely to be pulled off at all.
A par could get Zalatoris into a playoff. The tournament might be decided by a single shot. There was a mixture of fear and excitement in the air.
When he got to his ball, he saw it the same way. It was a moment. Whatever happened next could haunt him for the rest of his life. He had a conversation with Billy Foster. He pointed a hair to the left. He needed to trust everything that came before him.
He waggled the club several times before stepping into the shot. The crowd was still murmuring as Fitzpatrick pulled the club back. The sound of the club hitting the ball was so loud it sounded like it was cracking.
Fitzpatrick heard the roar when it fell out of the sky and tucked behind the pin. Zalatoris thought it was a joke.
It's amazing to pull that off in that situation. That is a shot that is going to be shown in the future. That was great.
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Fitzpatrick had a chance to celebrate his first major after Zalatoris missed his par putt on the 18th. The Bunker shot is one of Fitzpatrick's best shots. He hit 17 of 18 greens in the final round, which is the most by any player in a major in the last 30 years.
Fitzpatrick earned a share of the lead at one point, but Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler threw haymakers at him all afternoon, each earning a share of the lead at one point.
Fitzpatrick said it was one of the best shots he had ever hit. I've had a hard time with fairway Bunker shots all year. It all happened so fast when I looked at it. The natural ability took over. The shot was at my disposal. It turned out to be a smooth fade. It was really great.
Even though Fitzpatrick's braces helped him pass most English secondary schools, it would be hard to think of him as an outsider. He won the U.S. amateur at The Country Club and has played for Europe in the past.
He had never won on the PGA Tour and had only two top 10s in majors. He felt like a prisoner to his physical limitations, a bantamweight in the ring with heavier fighters. No one expected him to hit the ball off the tee, even though he could punch above his weight class.
That began to happen this year. Fitzpatrick's ball speed is now similar to that ofJustin Thomas andDustin Johnson. He said that he got a boost of confidence when he walked to his ball on Sunday.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but I feel like Fitzpatrick has made some extreme improvements off the tee in a matter of months," he said. He wasn't hitting it as far as he is now, but I played with him in Austin and he wasn't hitting it as far as he is now. I am not sure what he is doing. Maybe he's on the program. He's hitting it great. He should have won the golf tournament.
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Fitzpatrick chuckled when he heard of the comments and took a dig at DeChambeau.
Fitzpatrick said that his drug test came back negative.
Fitzpatrick said he had been working hard with his team to get stronger and faster. Injuries derailed some of his progress, but recently things have clicked.
Fitzpatrick said it had worked wonders. If I was playing with Will in the final group, I would be worried that I would be behind him all day. I was confident going into the next shot because I knew I was going to beat him. It is nice when you hit it past people.
Fitzpatrick had a combination of patience, brawn, and a little luck when he took control of the tournament. He and Zalatoris were tied for the lead at 5 under and had to wait for nearly 10 minutes on the 15th tee. Fitzpatrick hit his drive on the right side of the fairway. Zalatoris hit a ball that appeared to be in the grass. Fitzpatrick's ball was buried in the rough when they got to their tee shots.
Fitzpatrick said he didn't know how far right it was. I hope it did not hit anyone there. We've had moments this year where we've just not caught a break. This time I got there and the ball was sitting perfectly.
Fitzpatrick hit a 5-iron from 220 yards out. It settled 18 feet from the hole.
He said that he hit one of the best shots.
Zalatoris made a mistake. Fitzpatrick had a two-shot lead with three holes to go.
He put it in the cup.
He followed it up with a powerful fist pump. He had been overlooked and dismissed in the world of golf, but now he was in a position to win a major. He walked to the next tee with a bounce.
Fitzpatrick said that his parents taught him to be down to earth. My friends are going to bring me back down to earth if they don't. I've always been that way. It's not important how well I'm playing. I've always competed. I like to win. I like to win. I just want to beat everyone. I like to be very reserved, so I don't show it a lot. I like to beat everyone. As simple as that, it is. I like to win.
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