US Open golf 2022 LIVE leaderboard: Matt Fitzpatrick edges Will Zalatoris to win
Fitzpatrick becomes the first English winner of the US Open since 2013
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick produced a moment of magic on his way to claiming his first major title and a historic double in the 122nd US Open at Brookline.
A shot behind playing partner Will Zalatoris with six holes to play, Fitzpatrick holed from 50 feet for birdie across the 13th green to draw level and briefly moved two shots clear with another on the 15th.
World number one Scottie Scheffler closed to within one with a birdie on the 17th and Zalatoris did likewise on the 16th, but the American agonisingly missed from 14 feet for another on the 18th to force a play-off.
The victory means Fitzpatrick joins 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win the US Amateur and US Open on the same course, Nicklaus doing so at Pebble Beach in 1961 and 1972.
With his brother Alex on the bag, Fitzpatrick won the US Amateur at Brookline in 2013, the same year Justin Rose became the last Englishman to win the US Open at Merion.
For the second major in succession, Fitzpatrick contested the closing round from the final group, having partnered Mito Pereira in the US PGA at Southern Hills last month.
On that occasion a closing 73 meant Fitzpatrick missed out on the play-off between Zalatoris and Justin Thomas by two shots, Thomas securing his second US PGA title in the three-hole shootout.
Three birdies in the first five holes of the final round had vaulted Scheffler into the lead, but Fitzpatrick holed from seven feet for birdie on the third and two-putted the short par-four fifth for another after driving the green.
The 27-year-old from Sheffield then three-putted the sixth from long range to drop his first shot of the day, but his increased length off the tee paid off again on the par-five eighth as he hit the green in two to set up an easy birdie.
That took him back into a share of the lead and he soon led on his own as Scheffler dropped his first shot of the day on the 10th and then three-putted the 108-yard 11th - the hole which cost him a double bogey in round three.
Zalatoris had almost holed his approach to the seventh and also birdied the ninth to close within a shot of playing partner Fitzpatrick, who surprisingly missed from four feet for par on the 10th after splashing out of a bunker.
A birdie on the 11th took Zalatoris into the outright lead for the first time and moments later he had a two-shot lead, Fitzpatrick three-putting from just a few inches closer to the hole on an identical line.
However, Zalatoris bogeyed the 12th and saw his lead wiped out in spectacular fashion on the next, Fitzpatrick letting out a massive roar after holing from 50 feet across the green for an unlikely birdie.
Another birdie on the 15th, coupled with a bogey from Zalatoris, briefly gave Fitzpatrick a two-shot lead but Scheffler and Zalatoris kept up the pressure with birdies on the 17th and 16th respectively.
Zalatoris then left a birdie putt on the 17th fractionally short and agonisingly missed from 14 feet on the last to force what would have been a fourth straight play-off in US Opens at Brookline.
Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama posted a closing 65, the lowest round of the week, to claim fourth place on three under, with Rory McIlroy and Open champion Collin Morikawa sharing fifth on two under.
McIlroy felt he was just one great round from claiming a fifth major title and first since 2014 following a battling 73 on Saturday, but mixed four birdies and four bogeys in his first 14 holes and eventually signed for a 69.
Defending champion Jon Rahm began the final round just a shot off the lead but struggled to a closing 74.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
But here comes Scheffler! After that fantastic drive at 17, he sticks his pitch to around 5ft and he’s not missing a short one this time. That’s a birdie to get within one. Can he birdie the last?
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Zalatoris has a good go but the ball dies just to the left of the hole. That’s a tap-in bogey but Fitzpatrick now has the chance to stretch his lead to two... and he makes it! What a fantastic putt. That was almost 20ft away. The Englishman leads by two shots with three holes to play.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Zalatoris has an awkward lie in the bunker with his feet above the ball. It’s a decent effort but he’s going to have 27ft just to try and save par. Fitzpatrick will get a good read off his putt too.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Up at the 17th, Scheffler hits a brilliant drive and will only have around 70 yards to the flag from there. It’s playing as the easiest hole on the course and he urgently needs to take advantage and make a birdie.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Fitzpatrick hits a horrible slice off the tee at 15 but it’s so bad the result is actually rather good. The rough has been trampled down by the spectators, the lie is good and the angle into the green is great. The flag is still 225 yards away but it’s a fantastic shot that flies right at it. He’ll have 19ft for birdie.
Zalatoris leaked his drive right but only marginally. Unfortunately for him, that means the rough is still intact and the ball is really sitting down. He pulls it right trying to gouge it out and he finds the front left bunker.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Scheffler finds the green at the par-3 16th and has around 30ft for birdie. It’s a tricky putt and it just dribbles low of the hole. It’s a good par but he still trails by one.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
It hasn’t quite happened for McIlroy today but he’s hanging in there. Back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15 got him to -2 and evoked memories of his stunning finish at Augusta, but he finds the front bunker at 16. He does very well to get up and down though, holing a 10ft right-to-left putt to save par.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Scheffler was playing so well on the front-nine but he’s lacked a spark since those bogeys on 10 and 11. He misses the green at 15 but a cute chip gets him safely up and down. The world No 1 is still only a shot back.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Fitzpatrick goes aggressive with the birdie putt and sends it a good 5ft past the hole.
Zalatoris then leaves his birdie putt high of the hole but that’s a simple par for the American, even if it’s certainly a chance missed.
Fitzpatrick three-putted at the 11th but he holds his nerve this time. The pair head to the 15th with nothing to split them.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Fitzpatrick goes aggressive from the fairway at 14 and lashes a brilliant 3-wood up onto the second tier of the fairway. That went a good 260 yards and skipped past the bunker through such a tight gap.
Zalatoris made the top shelf too and it’s him to go first from 94 yards. That’s a great pitch and he’ll have 10ft for birdie.
Fitzpatrick goes next and only has 70 yards to the flag but it’s a very disappointing effort. He comes up short and is fortunate it doesn’t roll back onto the front half of the green.
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