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
McIlroy’s pitch is overhit, perhaps scared of catching that false front again, and he leaves himself 15ft to save par. He can’t make it this time and a bogey leaves him back at -1 where he started.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
McIlroy pulls his drive at the short 5th. The ball just stops short of the fescue but it’s still a tricky flop shot over a bunker. He judges the distance well but pushes it ever so slightly, the ball rolls past the flag and catches the false front and rolls all the way down. Just like that, a birdie chance turns into a tricky up and down.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Zalatoris is the first to crack in the final group. His tee shot came up just short of the green at the 2nd and it’s sloppy from there. He misses from 11ft to save par and drops back to -3.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Rory McIlroy! After that bogey halted his momentum at the 3rd, a long birdie try at the 4th is travelling at pace but just manages to catch the lip of the hole. He’s back to -2 and just two shots adrift.
Meanwhile, at the 2nd, Rahm had a nervy one from 5ft to save par. The defending champion rolls it in confidently.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Denny McCarthy is having a fantastic start. The American, who is playing his first US Open since 2016, has birdied three of his opening six holes and now finds himself just two off the lead.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
That’s a gutsy par save from Zalatoris at the 1st. His approach found a thick patch of rough to the right of the green but he opens the face and controls the chip brilliantly.
Fitzpatrick found the green and two putts for par.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Up ahead of him, McIlroy has dropped a shot. His view was blocked and he pulled his approach into the rough left of the green. His chip came up short and he can’t save par from 10ft.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
Here’s another look at that Scheffler birdie. He’s just lashed a huge drive down the 3rd that splits the two mounds that have obscured most players’ view of the green. The world No 1 is looking in tremendous form.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
And now it is the time for Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris. The Englishman, who won the US Amateur Championship in 2013 at this very course, hits a perfect drive down the fairway. That’ll help settle any nerves. Zalatoris follows suit with a high fade that just trickles into the semi-rough.
US Open 2022: Latest final round scores
McIlroy hits a high draw off the tee at the 3rd. He’ll have a blind shot into the green but he’ll have a good angle at least from the left side of the fairway.
Scheffler has 14ft for birdie at the second... and it just catches the right lip! What a start from the world No 1. There have been so few birdies at that hole all week but he made it look easy.
He’s got a share of the lead before Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris can even tee off.
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