Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, has candidly labelled his current form as “rubbish” after a significant drop in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). He now sits way down at No. 75. The Sheffield-born golfer, who triumphed at Brookline in 2022, has found it tough to leave a mark on the PGA Tour since the onset of 2024. Without a win on any tour for the past 18 months, Fitzpatrick’s performance has been less than stellar.
However, there was a glimmer of hope at the RBC Heritage, where Fitzpatrick opened with a promising round of 66 on Thursday and followed up with a 70 on Friday, placing him just outside the top 10 at six-under-par. Post-round on Thursday, Fitzpatrick, who celebrated Ryder Cup success with Europe in 2023, reflected positively on his performance: “I think everything was pretty solid today. I felt like I putted really well, chipped it really well, hit my irons where I needed to and hit the fairways where I needed to.”
Despite this, Fitzpatrick didn’t shy away from a blunt assessment of his overall game: “It’s rubbish, simple as that. It’s been awful. Yeah, it’s been the worst I’ve ever played, in fact.”
He elaborated on the issues plaguing his game: “A bit of everything. Every week seems to throw something at me, putting bad or chipping bad.
“Mostly it’s been the irons have not been good enough, and then obviously that puts pressure on everything else, as well. I’ve actually driven it okay this year, and that’s probably the only positive, but outside of that, everything else has not been good enough.”
Fitzpatrick has opened up about his recent struggles on the golf course, citing “a few things going on off the course” and elaborating: “It’s no one’s particular fault, it’s just the certain circumstances. It’s been hard to kind of figure stuff out technically. I’ve been a little bit on my own recently, and again, it’s absolutely no one’s fault.”
The 30-year-old golfer, who boasts 10 professional wins including triumphs at the RBC Heritage and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2023, is now fighting to stay within the world’s top 100 rankings. Despite finishing 2023 inside the top 10 of the OWGR, Fitzpatrick has seen a dip in form this year, missing the cut three times on the PGA Tour and only managing a tie for 40th at the Masters.
Additionally, he has ended his six-year partnership with caddie Billy Foster. Fitzpatrick’s crowning achievement came at the US Open in 2022, where he edged out Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by one shot at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, a venue that also saw him win the US Amateur nine years prior.
Matthew Fitzpatrick was candid about his chances for the upcoming Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York. The three-time participant said: “Miles off it. Yeah, I’ve got no interest in that at the minute. That’s not the plan…
“There’s three majors with plenty of points still up for grabs, still plenty of elevated events and golf courses I’ve played well in the past. I’ve still got to be a little bit optimistic, but there’s no doubt about it, I need to start playing well and making up some points pretty quickly.”
