Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we take inspiration from Matt Fitzpatrick. As a 5-foot-10, 155-pound golfer (well, I’ve gained a few pounds since my “peak”), watching him become an amazing pitcher. And if he can do it, maybe I can do it. To be clear, “do it” in my case is not to become one of the tallest hitters on a tour and win the US Open, but just hitting the golf ball for distances I shouldn’t be embarrassed about. Anyway, there’s obviously a lot to talk about, so let’s get to it.
Matt Fitzpatrick: The guy is more like a FITZMAGIC all over The Country Club, joining Jack Nicklaus (NBD) as the only other guy to win both the US Amateur and the US Open on the same course. (We also buy this course, by the way. Please don’t wait another 34 years to get back there, USGA!) The guy even stayed with the same family that hosted him during that amateurish nine years ago. And he couldn’t have looked more comfortable during his last round of an amazing 17 green in regulation, which included driving 4 equivalents and reaching one of 5 in two. Once again, this guy turned into an absolute monster:
It’s been a big week for advanced stats as well as the man who led the PGA Tour in two strokes earned a total all season, not only winning his first Tour title, but making him a major. And there was nothing more impressive than that last green that hit him from a bunker in the fairway at 18. With everything at stake, Fitz got in there quickly and shot his life. No offense to Jordan Spieth (and others), but it would have taken him about 10 minutes to make it happen.
But Fitz does things his own way. Has the US Open Champion ever been broken? Or lay with the flag? Or eroding his teeth? or . . . Skechers? We laugh, we laugh, because they are relaxed lunatics. But seriously, this guy will do anything to win, including keeping a detailed log of all golf shots (even on rounds with his buddies) and working with the biomechanics Stack System to capture swing speed. “All that hard work paid off,” Rory McIlroy told him as he exited 18th. Damn straight I did. Go and bend, Matt!
Will Zlatori: Another boss, another close call to fellow Wake Forest Damon Deacon. It’s amazing how this guy plays – and hits – at his best when he has the most on the line. I’m still not sure how this bird didn’t fall at the age of 18, but what another great performance by this 24-year-old.
And what class in defeat, even congratulations to Fitzpatrick’s parents.
His time must come. Then again, we said the same thing to Ricky Fowler. Either way, Wake Nation should be very proud of this young man. And if I raise my son to be a bridesmaid in the major tournaments, I want him to be just like Will.
Billy Foster: The coolest moment in Fitzpatrick’s win was watching the tall can finally grab his first major. Look, I often say these episodes are overrated, but I still respect the hard work they put in, and Billy was way too late to win one of these:
It’s funny because it was Billy who tried to play cool when Fitzpatrick hit a chip late in the PGA Championship last month. But he couldn’t hide how much this moment meant to him. And hug his younger boss, well, that’s the good stuff.
Dry Rory McIlroy: “The top five in a major. I guess that doesn’t really mean anything.” Poor guy, because, unfortunately, that kind of doesn’t happen. Not when four majors win as fast as McIlroy did, including two out of eight ridiculous shots. But now, the eight he relates best to is the great eight-year drought in which he sank. That’s despite the fact that he’s played admirably in all three major tournaments this year and won everything else you can win since his last major victory in the 2014 PGA Championship. Like Shane Ryan, he loved Rory, but maybe it’s time to break up with him. . .
Leaf golfers: The Rebel crew fired this fitting LIV on par on Thursday and it didn’t improve much from there. Only four defectors from the PGA Tour made it to the road with Dustin Johnson at T-24. The same Dustin Johnson who was routinely outpaced by Matt Fitzpatrick in the first two rounds. difficult scene. But (most likely) the LIV gang will have a better chance next year thanks to their last location. . .
Brooks Koepka: This might be the least surprising LIV signature yet when you think about it. Chase, Koepka’s younger brother, was part of a 48-man stadium in London two weeks ago. And no one has ever been more outspoken in not giving any crap about regular PGA Tour events than Koepka. What shocks me the most the wrong way was his hostile press conference last week.
When he knew this was happening all the time!
If you’re such a tough guy, just come out and say you’re going! Also, Phil Mickelson was mocked earlier this year for being greedy. Talk about the pot called the kettle black. Anyway, he’s always been pretty cool for the PGA Tour. Let’s see how this (tired) disposition plays out with LIV.
The PGA Tour remains in the Northeast for the Travelers Championship, AKA the one in which Chris Berman plays in the professional match. And if you follow his group, you better come back, come back, come back, because this guy can really spray it around a golf course. As for actual golfers, it’s one of the hekova fields, not that we’re too surprised. Last year I did a podcast about how travelers are doing a great job hiring top talent. It will be much more difficult to do so from now on thanks to Greg Norman and Associates.
Fact of the random tournament: Harris defeated English Cramer Hickok in an epic eight-hole and sudden-death match last year. But it wasn’t the first time players went deep into the night in this event. Seven additional holes were needed in 1961 and 1962!
—There will be another eight-hole playoff this week: odds 100 to 1
—Rory McIlroy will win this week: 9 to 1 odds (actual odds)
—This stack system swing speed thing will be sold: LOCK
Very well. This space is basically “Max Homma’s Tweet of the Week.”
What a display of emotions. golf! Sports!
Speaking of emotions, Grayson Murray has caused a tantrum for the ages at The Country Club:
Poor Francis Oumet must have been rolling in his grave.
This week in public displays of emotion
Dan Rappaport, Fitz’s back-to-Northwestern companion and someone who wrote about an unusual player-and-writer dynamic, is caught on camera a little crazy after Matt’s win. This is the Pink Hooded shove and hugging Alex Fitzpatrick:
Normally, we’d say there’s no encouragement from the press box, but we’ll leave this one behind — especially if Dan (who got some pretty cool stuff from a sweet party Sunday night) invites me out the next time they play. Sure, it would be fun to play with the US Open champion, but I’m more interested in asking Matt for some advice on swing speed.
This week in public shows
Congratulations to Paige Spiranak on the title of “Sexiest Woman in the World” for Maxim:
Long before that, it was The Grind who helped put them on the map. Proud of you, Paige! Don’t forget us little ones!
“Feeling out of this world. It’s so cliched, but it’s things I dreamed about as a kid. Yes, to make it happen, I can retire as a happy man tomorrow.” —Matt Fitzpatrick, who will not be retiring anytime soon at the age of 27. The dude was probably working with The Stack System on Monday morning. What an animal.
Nick Faldo announced that he will be retiring from “full-time broadcasting” for CBS and Golf Channel at the end of his contract in August. Trevor Immelman has been promoted to lead golf analyst, AKA Jim Nantz’s booth companion. Lucky bastard. . . . Congratulations to Jennifer Kupshaw for winning her second round title at the Meijer LPGA Classic. At least one demon managed to win the weekend. . . . Congratulations to former college phenom Norman Cheung for qualifying Monday at the Wichita Open on the Korn Ferry Tour — then winning by five shots! Still only 23 years old, watch out for that guy Oregon coach Casey Martin has described as the best college player since Tiger Woods. . . . And finally, a special cry for my daughter, Julia, for playing the very convincing Moana in her latest play:
Oh, and thanks to her (and mom) for making this wonderful Father’s Day cake for me:
I think I actually had a better weekend than Matt Fitzpatrick.
Random questions to meditate
How many majors will Fitzpatrick/Zalatores win?
Can you pick up your swing speed just by watching golf?
Did Jim Nantz give me a kind word?
Post Views:
5
Like this:
Like Loading...
