Matt Fitzpatrick has been voted the Golfer of the Month presented by DP World
U.S. Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick has been named June’s Golfer of the Month presented by DP World, receiving 81.9% of the public vote following his first Major championship win, and eighth DP World Tour, title at the U.S. Open.
The 27-year-old Englishman arrived at the 122nd U.S. Open in great form, having challenged at the US PGA Championship last month, and with history on his side having won the U.S. Amateur Championship at host venue The Country Club, Brookline in 2013. Three opening rounds of level par or better meant Fitzpatrick began the day in a two-way tie for the lead alongside Zalatoris, but found himself behind in the early stages after Scheffler birdied three of the first four holes to go in front. The lead regularly changed hands throughout Sunday afternoon as the third Major Championship of the year reached a thrilling climax, with Fitzpatrick, his playing partner Will Zalatoris and World Number One Scottie Scheffler all hitting the front during a roller-coaster final round.
But two brilliant birdie putts at the 13th and 15th handed the advantage back to Fitzpatrick, who took a one-shot lead to the 18th tee. However, he found a fairway bunker with his tee shot, and with Scheffler in the clubhouse one back at five under, and Zalatoris in the middle of the fairway at the same mark, a play-off appeared a very real possibility. He proceeded to hit a fearless nine iron to within 19 feet and his two-putt par proved enough for victory when Zalatoris saw his 15-foot birdie putt slide past to the left.
Fitzpatrick ranked second in the field in strokes gained/off-the-tee at 4.82, tied for tenth h in the field in driving distance at 309.20 yards, fifth in fairways found (70%) and on Sunday hit a phenomenal 17 greens in regulation to become the second man after Jack Nicklaus to win the US Amateur and U.S. Open on the same course, Nicklaus doing so at Pebble Beach.
Second in the voting was history-maker Linn Grant, who became the first female winner of a DP World Tour event with a stunning nine-shot victory at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed. Despite only turning professional last year, the 22-year-old Swede produced a nerveless display of front-running on Sunday in front of her home fans to keep a host of DP World Tour stars at bay and claim her third Ladies European Tour title in just six starts this season. Grant played some sensational golf all week in Tylösand, posting rounds of 66, 68 and 66 on the opening three days to open up a two-shot lead after 54 holes. She kept her foot on the gas on Sunday, reeling off eight birdies and no bogeys to get to 24 under par and win by the biggest margin on the DP World Tour so far this season.
Li Haotong came in third after he ended his four-year wait for a DP World Tour title in style, beating Thomas Pieters in a play-off with a gigantic birdie putt to complete a stunning wire-to-wire victory at the BMW International Open. The Chinese star began the week by equalling the course record at Golfclub München Eichenried, carding a first round 62, before two rounds of 67 gave him a three-shot lead going into the final day. He was caught on Sunday by Thomas Pieters who birdied the last hole to force a play-off, but Li’s monster putt on the first play-off hole secured a dramatic win.
Rounding off the voting was Kalle Samooja, who secured his maiden DP World Tour title in style, producing a course-record 64 at Green Eagle Golf Courses on Sunday to win the Porsche European Open by two shots.
