ROME - Matt Fitzpatrick could be forgiven if he didn’t quite join the Ryder Cup love-in during the build up to this week' event in Rome having had personally deflating experiences as part of two huge away defeats in his previous appearances.
But by the end of his amazing fourballs victory alongside Rory McIlroy on Friday he was declaring it "one of the greatest days I've ever had on a golf course."
In 2016 the Englishman was overlooked entirely for the first day and trusted in only one team match on Saturday – losing in foursomes – before being thumped by Zach Johnson in singles as the U.S. romped to a 17-11 win.
Two years later he just failed to qualify and watched frustrated from home as his mates danced in Paris after their own big win.
In 2021 was back on the wrong end of things, losing both his foursomes games and his singles to Daniel Berger with the overall match already long decided in another thrashing, sending him home with a career record of 0-5.
In 2022 however, Fitzpatrick became a major champion, winning the US Open, saying this week that it definitely made him feel he belonged with the elite having probably not been ready for his Ryder Cup debut in 2016.
"You build it up to be this amazing thing that you wanted to be part of thinking that you'll get a real good go at it, and obviously I never did really," Fitzpatrick said of that chastening 2016 experience.
On Friday he was on the sidelines again in the morning as Europe raced to a 4-0 lead after the foursomes but captain Luke Donald had made it clear that everyone one of his team would play on the first day.
And when Fitzpatrick was finally unleashed, in the final fourballs match against Collin Morikawa and world number one Xander Schauffele, he seemed to pour all those years of frustration into an extraordinary opening burst.
After halving the first hole Fitzpatrick ripped out four birdies and a superb eagle in the next five holes, sinking a series of testing, long putts that had the crowd going crazy and chanting his name as he strode from green to tee feeling on top of the world.
McIlroy, the world number two and Europe’s most experienced Ryder Cup player, was almost a spectator himself, laughing with incredulity as his partner slotted putt after putt, before coming to the party himself with a birdie to put Europe an improbable six up after seven holes.
Thoughts quickly turned to whether the 1981 7&5 fourballs record win by Lee Trevino and Jerry Pate against Nick Faldo and Sam Torrance was in danger, but the Americans steadied the ship by halving the next three holes and winning the 11th after Fitzpatrick finally missed his birdie attempt from nine feet, and then the 12th.
The comeback ended when McIlroy birdied 15 - the European duo's first hole since the seventh hours earlier, to secure a 5&3 victory.
"It’s one of the greatest days I’ve ever had on a golf course," Fitzpatrick said.
"It was very, very special from the moment I knew I was partnering this man, and with the start we got off to I couldn’t be happier. It is so different playing at home having those fans cheering."
McIlroy said it had been "absolutely amazing" and that he was proud of his partner. "For the first nine holes I was trying to hang on to his coat tails.
"They made a few birdies then and we had to hang in there but just a great day in front of some amazing fans." REUTERS
