Clubhouse

At 28, the seriously strategic Brit is suddenly a two-time Tour winner with a major to defend in L.A. Will the kid stay in the picture? Count on it.

Up Close with Dylan Dethier
Matt Fitzpatrick

ON THE CLUBHOUSE PATIO AT HARBOUR TOWN, FIVE DAYS BEFORE FITZPATRICK'S WIN AT THE RBC HERITAGE

Dylan Dethier: You’re the defending champion at this year’s U.S. Open. How has life changed since last June? Matt

Fitzpatrick: It’s changed a lot, yeah. I think the biggest thing is just people ask for more of my time. Sponsors ask for more of it, tournaments ask for more of it. There’s more media interviews. But, on the whole, it just feels like I’ve got to be better with my time management.

DD: Well, thanks for saying yes to this. Does the media stuff come naturally to you?

MF: I’ve never had any media training or anything. I don't think anyone out here has, really. To me, I just treat it as having a conversation. Super simple. And I just try to be honest. I don't think there's any point in lying. You've just got to be yourself.

DD: You're known for meticulous statistical tracking. Are other golfers catching up? How do you stay ahead of them?

MF: [Chuckling] No, I don't think they'll ever catch up, because I've got a head start and I think I'm always trying to get better with it. My tracking has changed a lot, and it's gotten better over time. Just the way we've done things, the way we practice, the way we record things, what we recordit's helped me massively. Now, more than ever, time management is really important. I think it's been really helpful in streamlining my practice.

DD: From a strategy standpoint, what's the biggest mistake you see pros make?