Matt Fitzpatrick makes history with US Amateur glory

Matt Fitzpatrick became the first Englishman to win the US Amateur Championship title since 1911 after beating Australia’s Oliver Goss 4&3 in the final at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

The 18-year-old led for the majority of the 36-hole play-off to earn himself a slice of history and a pathway into next season’s majors.

Fitzpatrick had already earned an exemption into the 2014 US Open by reaching the final, provided he remains an amateur.

But his success also means the Sheffield-based player will receive a place in next year’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and a likely invitation to The Masters at Augusta.

Fitzpatrick first came to wider attention in July by securing the Silver Medal as top amateur at The Open Championship at Muirfield.

He had to battle for his success over a gruelling 36-hole test, finally moving ahead for good on the 15th after Goss missed a par putt and the lead had regularly changed hands early on.

The event came on the 100th anniversary of local caddie Francis Ouimet’s landmark 1913 US Open victory over British pros Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.

The 18-year-old is the first foreigner to win any major USGA event at The Country Club, a streak that grew into a legend when Frenchman Ouimet won.

“It’s fantastic and it’s nice to be the first in a while,” Fitzpatrick said. “I guess it’s great to go down in history. That’s sort of what everyone wants in golf, wants to achieve. It’s just fantastic, and I feel great.”

Fitzpatrick never trailed in the final match, taking the lead for good on the second hole of the afternoon round — the 20th of the day — and going 2 up one hole later. Goss cut it to one on hole 9, but fell behind two again on the 10th hole when he lipped out on a 4-foot putt.

Fitzpatrick went 3 up on the 14th hole and then on 15, where he had won four of his previous five matches, he was short of the green and Goss was off the back.

Goss’ chip missed the hole by about 6 inches and rolled 3 feet past, while Fitzpatrick two-putted from the closely mown area leading up to the green, hitting his second from less than 6 feet. When Goss missed his par putt, the two shook hands and Fitzpatrick hugged his brother, Alex, who was caddying for him.

“It was nice to win 4 and 3 again today,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s kind of a strange thing. I did have a feeling that I could close it out.”

Fitzpatrick, who got a gold medal for his victory along with his major exemptions — where at the US Open and The Open he will be paired with defending champions Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson respectively — and a likely invitation to the Masters. His name will be inscribed on the Havemeyer Trophy alongside five-time winner Bobby Jones, three-time winner Tiger Woods and two-time winners Jack Nicklaus and Ouimet.

“As everyone says, Augusta is golfing heaven and to get in the other majors is unbelievable as well,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s virtually impossible to get a game at Augusta. This was my best opportunity.”

Harold Hilton, arguably Britain’s greatest amateur, is not the worst player for Fitzpatrick, who impressed everyone at Brookline with his wonderful short-game, to emulate. By the time he won the US Amateur in 1911, Hilton had already won the Open on two occasions.

Fitzpatrick, who learnt his golf at Hallamshire, was one up at lunch and despite three-putting the first hole of his second round quickly reclaimed the advantage and never looked back. Aptly, he holed an eight-footer for par to claim the title.

One of the first to send his congratulations was Luke Donald. Fitzpatrick has been compared to the former world No 1, not just because of his touch around the greens, but also because he will attend Donald’s old college, Northwestern, in the autumn.

Before then, Fitzpatrick, as the world’s No 1 amateur, will spearhead Great Britain and Ireland’s attempt to retain the Walker Cup in Long Island next month. What a year it has been for the Yorkshireman, who won the leading amateur honours at last month’s Open at Muirfield and last year when he won the British Boys’ Championship.

And it’s the first time Englishmen have won the US Open and US Amateur in the same calendar year.

Only it was a victory 100 years in the making.

Vardon was already a five-time Open champion — and Ray had won in 1912 — when the 1913 US Open was delayed several months so they could play in it. Ouimet, who lived across the street and caddied at the club, was an unheralded amateur whose play-off victory over the British pros became the foundational event in American golf.

With his 10-year-old caddie — turned lifelong friend — Eddie Lowery, Ouimet’s victory helped spread the sport beyond the realm of gentlemen and foreigners.

A century later, Fitzpatrick came to The Country Club and became the first English champion of the US Amateur since Harold Hilton in 1911. And he did it with his 14-year-old caddie — an irony that wasn’t lost on the Fitzpatrick brothers or the 5,200 in the gallery that followed them along the 7,188-yard, par-70 course.

“I also think it’s quite strange that I had my little brother on the bag, and most people have been saying we’re a bit like Ouimet and Lowery,” said Fitzpatrick, who came into the tournament as the No. 2 amateur in the world. “We’re both really small. I kind of see the resemblance.”

Goss beat stroke play co-medalist Brady Watt in the semifinal and then drafted his fellow Australian as a caddie for the final. The 19-year-old Goss, who plays college golf at Tennessee, also gets an exemption into the US Open and a likely invitation to the Masters.

“I’ve definitely got a couple weeks that I’ll keep open in my schedule,” Goss said. “If someone told me at the start of the week I was going to have the opportunity to play the Masters and the US Open next year, I’d be speechless. I wouldn’t be able to believe it.

“I was there this year after a college tournament — we got Monday tickets to the practice round — and it was golf heaven. It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I stood there, and I was like, how do they play under this kind of pressure and with the difficulty of the golf course. But I’m really excited to be able to play there next year.”

Meanwhile, as amateur focus moves to the Walker Cup, the USGA has completed the Walker Cup team with the addition of five golfers.

Those making the team are:

US Amateur Public Links and Western Amateur champion Jordan Niebrugge.

Four-time US Mid-Amateur champion Nathan Smith.

2012 US Amateur runner-up Michael Weaver.

Bobby Wyatt, a member of Alabama’s 2013 NCAA championship golf team.

Todd White, who has competed in 11 USGA championships, including four US Amateurs and one US Open.

The 10-player team will represent the United States in the 44th Walker Cup against Britain and Ireland on September 7-8 at the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, New York.

Previously named to the team were Max Homa, Michael Kim, Patrick Rodgers, Justin Thomas and Cory Whitsett.