First, the brand new champion. Matt Fitzpatrick had been typecast as a ‘nice sport, however not lengthy sufficient’.
Ideas for an interesting and in the end thrilling US Open, which fortunately climbed above the civil warfare in skilled aggressive golf to remind us why we’ve been doing it this fashion for greater than a century…
It’s attainable to be a comparatively short-hitter and profitable within the professionals. Luke Donald was World No 1 for a superb whereas pretty just lately, bear in mind.
However within the third decade of the twenty first century, given the terrain the foremost excursions play on nowadays, distance is the premier forex.
‘Drive for present, putt for dough’ has lengthy been consigned to the cliche bin. Certainly, it’s been confirmed to not be true by considered one of Fitzpatrick’s advisers.
Edoardo Molinari, as we famous when he was appointed considered one of Henrik Stenson’s Ryder Cup vice-captains, has lengthy been finding out stats.
He crunched the numbers a number of years again that clearly confirmed, on the principle excursions, driving distance was the only largest issue behind scoring effectively.
Fitzpatrick has additionally stored his personal stats since his junior days, and located a kindred spirit in Molinari. They’ve labored intently over the past couple of years analysing the Englishman’s play. Fitzpatrick’s odd cack-handed chipping model is as a direct results of this evaluation.
However regardless of Ryder Cup recognition, till this season Fitzpatrick’s profession gave the impression to be flat-lining. So he went for the additional size to attempt to bridge the drawback he felt he had.
This, in fact, is a precarious minefield, one suffering from the careers of can’t-miss prospects who altered their swings to try to get 20 extra yards and as an alternative misplaced what that they had.
One other Italian, Matteo Manassero, is probably the very best recognized instance. He had a equally wonderful newbie file as Fitzpatrick and received 4 European Tour occasions by age 20.
He was the very best teenage golfer I’ve ever seen. I noticed Woods, McIlroy, Garcia, Spieth, Rose and lots of extra on the identical age.
But he’s simply re-emerged this previous yr from the third-tier Alps Tour after almost a decade of struggles after altering his swing in a seek for extra size.
