Matt Fitzpatrick was on the cusp of a third PGA Tour title. That was until the crowd turned the tide. And while most golfers would find the heckling troubling, Fitzpatrick found it humorous.
Following the fourth round, Fitzpatrick told the media at TPC Sawgrass, “I knew it was coming… I find it hilarious.”
TPC Sawgrass witnessed an influx of more than 200,000 spectators moving around the field. The crowd zeroed in on the final pairing as they battled for the title.
But the crowd at TPC Sawgrass wasn’t as harsh as the one at Bethpage Black. Fitzpatrick said, “Listen, the crowd, that was literally child’s play compared to Bethpage. If they think that that was anything, then they need to reassess. Get yourself up to New York.”
He has already experienced such treatment from the crowd once before when he battled Jordan Spieth at the 2023 RBC Heritage. And just two years later, at the Ryder Cup, he battled hecklers. Hence, he wasn’t too surprised at the jeers. Instead, he shrugged it off and continued to swing.
“That’s how it is,” Fitzpatrick continued. “I would hope it’s the exact same if – well, it probably wouldn’t be because we’re a little bit more polite in Europe, but I would hope it would be of similar intensity in Europe.”
Nevertheless, Fitzpatrick did his best and shot a 12-under 276 with a round of 68. The Englishman ended up in second position and won 500 FedEx Cup Points and $2,275,000 in prize money.
But when did he know he had a shot at THE PLAYERS Championship?
Matt Fitzpatrick Weighs In on His Performance at THE PLAYERS Championship
“It’s easy to say the later in the round, the more likely you’ve got a shot,” Fitzpatrick claimed. “But I felt like getting 3-under through 4 early was good.”