Despite admitting that the Old Course is not one of his favourites, US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick is excited about the opportunity to compete for another major title in The 150th Open.
Fitzpatrick, who has never finished higher than tied-20th in his previous six Open appearances, arrives at St Andrew’s as one of the pre-tournament favourites after winning his first major last month in Brookline.
Fitzpatrick, 27, continued his strong start to 2022 by finishing tied-sixth in the Genesis Scottish Open last week, with Fitzpatrick determined to improve his Open record and put an end to his frequent struggles on links courses.
“I’ve been to St Andrews many times, so I kind of know what to expect, but I’m sure this week has a different atmosphere than normal,” Matt Fitzpatrick said at the tournament’s pre-tournament press conference. “It’s not one of my favourite golf courses, but seeing it during the Open is incredible.
“It’s one I remember watching as a kid. Growing up, I didn’t watch much golf. To be honest, it would be the Ryder Cup, The Masters, and The Open. When it comes to St Andrews, it has always been held in high regard. I love the area, and I think this week, with the Open here and my first, I’ll have a great time.
“I wouldn’t say my Open record is great at all. I’ll be honest, since I turned pro, obviously we play much fewer links golf. I feel like I’ve got worse in the links and wind since I turned pro. On other golf courses in the wind, I’ve played fine.
“I feel like coming back here, lt has taken time just to get used to it and where to land it, how to fly it. We’re not put under that test as regularly out in regular events because either there’s no wind or it’s softer and you can just fly it to a certain spot.
“Obviously I’d like to improve on my record, and I feel like I’ve obviously been playing much, much better since the last Open that I played. It’s just trying to do more of the same this year, and as I say, just fix a couple of things from last week and hopefully take into this week.”
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