A year ago, Matt Fitzpatrick joined the ranks of big winners with a victory at the US Open at the Country Club. On Friday morning, he knocked down a surprise ace on the 15th hole … and celebrated almost as much as he did winning the entire tournament.
Fitzpatrick had a less than spectacular Thursday, finishing at +1, and battled his way through the back nine after his 10th start on Friday. Then he moved to the par-3 15th, set at 115 yards with a forward pin, and:
“My hand was a little sore afterwards, I’ll be honest, after all that high-fiving,” he said.
The Fitzpatrick ace is the 51st in US Open history and the third so far this year, joining the holes in one of Matthieu Pavon and Sam Burns on Thursday, also at No 15. He is the first defending champion to holeshot at the US Open.
“As soon as I hit it I felt like it was a good number and a good distance so I knew it was going to be in and around the hole,” he said. “Obviously I didn’t expect him to come in, but yeah, it was a pleasant surprise.”
This year marks only the second US Open in which there were at least three aces, but LACC must produce one more to tie the record. Oak Hill gave up four aces in 1989, all in the second round, to Doug Weaver, Mark Wiebe, Jerry Pate and Nick Price.
Fitzpatrick ended his day with par 70, which took him to 1 for the week. It was just inside the cut line when the afternoon wave hit the course.