Matt Fitzpatrick has issued his immediate reaction after bouncing back from the disappointment at TPC Sawgrass by winning the Valspar Championship on Sunday.
Some would have been surprised to even see Fitzpatrick in the field this week. The Englishman led The Players Championship with two holes to go before being beaten by Cameron Young.
But clearly, the 2022 US Open champion was determined to put things right at the first attempt at Innisbrook.
And it did indeed prove to be a fantastic week for Fitzpatrick.
Matt Fitzpatrick reacts to winning the Valspar Championship
Fitzpatrick started the final round at the Valspar three shots behind overnight leader Sungjae Im. But he spent most of Sunday at the top of the leaderboard after not dropping a single shot.
And shortly after he made a third birdie of the day on the 18th hole, Fitzpatrick was confirmed as the winner, ending a near three-year wait for a victory on the PGA Tour.
He went on to speak to the media about the importance of putting the finish at The Players behind him and proving a point this week.
“I think the big thing was I felt I was playing well going into this week and wanted to continue that. I felt like I had confidence in myself to do so and to do that over four rounds was special this week,” he said.
Fitzpatrick makes an admission about the putt that provided victory at Innisbrook
Fitzpatrick’s victory was all but sealed with a superb putt on the 72nd hole. Of course, it was a missed par putt seven days ago that provided Cameron Young with the opportunity to tap in for victory at Sawgrass.
It was no surprise that Fitzpatrick could not hide his elation when the ball dropped into the cup. It turns out it was particularly satisfying because the putt did not suit his eye.
“I will be honest, it was not an ideal putt that, I felt like that. It was a nice right to lefter, but me and my putting coach have been working on trying to have less acceleration in my stroke and it comes out more on the uphillers,” he said.
“So I wouldn’t say I was overly keen on it given my putting performance today but it went in and was special.”
Fitzpatrick is yet another player in superb form as the major championship season looms. It has been nearly four years since Brookline, but the 31-year-old can still take confidence from the fact he knows what it takes to win one of the sport’s four biggest prizes.
Crucially, he has shown that he has the resiliency to deal with the setbacks that this game inevitably provides.
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