FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, June 19th, 2022

NOTES AND QUOTES – MATT FITZPATRICK WINS THE 122nd U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP ON NBC AND PEACOCK

“This is one of the best final round ball-striking performances in a major championship that you will ever see…he is the cream of the crop.” – Paul Azinger on Matt Fitzpatrick

“Matthew Fitzpatrick is a champion again at The Country Club in Brookline…it’s that old Country Club magic.” – Dan Hicks

“Some of the highest quality golf I have ever seen.” – Brandel Chamblee on Fitzpatrick on Live From the U.S. Open

“As good as the Sandy Lyle bunker shot at Augusta years ago.” – Azinger on Fitzpatrick’s fairway bunker shot on 18

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 19, 2022 – NBC Sports presented final round coverage of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship from The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., across NBC, USA Network and Peacock, capped by Live From the U.S. Open on GOLF Channel.

Matt Fitzpatrick (-6) hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation en route to a final round 68 to earn his first major championship and first PGA TOUR title, defeating Will Zalatoris (-5) and Scottie Scheffler (-5) by one shot.

U.S. Open – Final Round Leaderboard

Player Total
Matt Fitzpatrick -6
Will Zalatoris -5
Scottie Scheffler -5
Hideki Matsuyama -3
Rory McIlroy -2
Collin Morikawa -2

 

ON MATT FITZPATRICK (-6, Champion)

Dan Hicks: “Matthew Fitzpatrick is a champion again at The Country Club in Brookline…it’s that old Country Club magic.”

Paul Azinger: “This is one of the best final round ball-striking performances in a major championship that you will ever see…he is the cream of the crop.”

Azinger on Fitzpatrick’s fairway bunker shot on 18: “As good as the Sandy Lyle bunker shot at Augusta years ago.”

Azinger on Fitzpatrick’s tee shot on No. 18: “What a mistake. What a huge mistake. You’ve got miles to the right. You can hit it in the corporate tents and get a free drop. Now he’s at the mercy of the lie. That is a big error, really one of the only errors he’s made. A bad decision and a bad club. It should have been a driver or an iron.”

Roger Maltbie on Fitzpatrick’s long iron shot on No. 15: “That was the shot of the day. Brilliant.”

Brandel Chamblee on Live From the U.S. Open: “Some of the highest quality golf I have ever seen…there’s multiple ways in which power helps you – of course it helps you beat up the par 5s, but coming out of the rough, to have more club head speed and a better angle of attack, we saw it come full circle from last year to this year and there’s no way that’s not a large part of the reason why Matt Fitzpatrick has won his first major championship.”

Jaime Diaz on Live From: “Most U.S. Opens are lost. This one was not. No one gave it away. Matthew Fitzpatrick put this away with fantastic ball-striking.

Maltbie prior to Fitzpatrick’s long birdie make on No. 13: “You’re just trying to get this up in a two-foot circle…if it goes in, it’s your lucky day.”

Azinger on Fitzpatrick’s long birdie on No. 13: “The emotions that have just been bottled up came roaring out with that putt.”

Azinger: “He’s confident. He reminds me of Lanny Wadkins – he’s got the guts of a burglar.”

ON WILL ZALATORIS (-5, T-2nd)

Azinger after Zalatoris’ tee shot into the rough on No. 12: “Just imagine the weight on his shoulders now, knowing he’s two shots clear.”

Maltbie: “Virtually every miss today has been to the right.”

ON RORY MCILROY (-2, T-5th)

Azinger: “He got off to a terrific start…but he’s got the weight of the golf world on his shoulders right now.”

ON JON RAHM (+1, T-12th)

Notah Begay III on No. 10: “He’s certainly not on top of his game today. Loose with approach shots and really hasn’t been able to get anything close.”

ON KEEGAN BRADLEY (-1, T-7th)

Azinger after his third consecutive bogey to start the final round: “I hurt for him. It means so much to Keegan Bradley. He’s from the area, a diehard fan, he just wants to play well – almost wants it too bad.”

ON FINAL ROUND

Azinger: “They’ve worked their entire life for this opportunity. You train your mind and physical body how to get through the pressure…I would look at it like this if I was in the top 10 – this is the opportunity of a lifetime (and you) might never get it again. My goal would be to not let anyone celebrate at my expense…You can’t have stage fright and win the championship.”

Justin Leonard on Grayson Murray throwing his putter: “The U.S Open is a very difficult task, but it’s made worse when you let it get to you like that.”

Arron Oberholser on being asked how it felt when Will Zalatoris said he looked up to him as a child: “That meant a lot to me. As a player, as someone who can inspire another kid…that meant a lot.”

Leonard on winning a major: “There’s definitely sacrifices that are made to get to that point, whether it’s time with your friends or family, depending on what stage of life you’re in. All of that becomes well worth it. A lot of it is for four days in a major championship, you’re under the microscope, and all of a sudden you realize you were the only one that really truly passed or aced the test.”

Hicks after Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick made long putts on No. 13: “They don’t look like two guys that haven’t won on the PGA TOUR before.”

–NBC SPORTS–