Matt Fitzpatrick has been searching. 

The 2022 U.S. Open champion hasn’t had a top 10 in nearly a year. And this season, his best result in 11 starts is a T23, which came at last week’s Truist Championship. 

Now, he’s tied for second and two strokes off the lead at the PGA Championship. 

Golf is a funny game. 

“I’ve still not had a good result yet (this year),” Fitzpatrick said after consecutive 68s, which have him 6 under through two rounds at Quail Hollow Club, “and the game is a results business.”

The 30-year-old Englishman was a top-10 player in the world at the beginning of last year, but he has since plummeted to No. 85 and is below average on Tour in every strokes-gained category. Last month, ahead of the RBC Heritage, Fitzpatrick was asked the reason for his struggles. His answer: everything. 

“Every week seems to throw something at me,” he said, “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 O.K. this year, and that’s probably the only positive, but outside of that, everything else has not been good enough.”

However, the week in which he gave that explanation was also the start of a turnaround.

“I would say Harbour Town was a really good week for me,” Fitzpatrick said. “I finished last in putting that week, which is—may have never happened in my career, to be honest, and I finished 38th or something. I think Harbour Town was the big change.”

He missed the cut playing with his brother at the team-format Zurich Classic of New Orleans, but then bounced back with a top 25 at the Truist. 

A few days later, things have been clicking, contrary to how he felt a month ago. 

“I really feel like I hit a lot of really good drives, irons have been under control,” Fitzpatrick said. “For me, it’s always been a weaker part of my game. To see it pay off, hit the shots that match my intention this week has been good. Then obviously made some putts and chipped it well as well.”

Through two days, he ranks seventh in the field in strokes-gained approach, gaining 3.972 shots. He has also hit 75% of greens in regulation (27 of 36), which ties for the third-most of anyone this week. 

It also helps that he’s already a major champion.

“Obviously being in this position before is a huge advantage,” he said. “I think the biggest thing for me that I’ll take on is I obviously want to win another major, of course I do, but I’ve already won one, so I feel like there’s less pressure when you’ve already won one definitely. Maybe that’s a personal thing.”

Nevertheless, Fitzpatrick is glad to see his name near the top of the leaderboard again. But he knows there’s still a long way to go before he can secure the Wanamaker Trophy.

“Saturday is always, I feel like, the make or break of how close you are to the lead or how far away you are, or if you're leading,” he said. “I would say Saturday back nine is kind of where ideally you’d like to play your best holes—your best golf of the tournament for the last 27, in my opinion.”


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Despite No ‘Good’ Results This Year, Matt Fitzpatrick Contending at PGA Championship.

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