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English golf sensation Matt Fitzpatrick was inspired to his historic US Open win by a phone call with his tennis star ex-girlfriend – whose family are from Ukraine.
On a dramatic Sunday – which has now catapulted him to golf superstardom – the 27-year-old became just the third Englishman since 1924 to win the coveted title – after Tony Jacklin in 1970 and Justin Rose in 2013.
Alongside the prestigious title, the Sheffield-born golfer has also netted a cool £2.5million ($3.5million) prize pot.
However his historic win might never have been, but for a perspective changing phone call from his ex-girlfriend Deniz Khazaniuk.
He called the 27-year-old tennis star, who was born in Israel after her family immigrated from Ukraine, to check-up on her following Russia’s invasion of the country earlier this year.
And he says the conversation caused him to rethink his sporting mentality – something which has helped paved the way to his US Open triumph.
He said: ‘She was telling me about her gran who had a couple of strokes recently and can hardly walk, so she can’t go anywhere.
‘Then she told me about her uncle who had just packed his bags and was off to fight tomorrow.
‘I was sitting there in Florida ready to practise and it hit me, the contrast between the fact he might never come back and what I do.
Matthew Fitzpatrick of England celebrates with the DP World Tour Championship trophy alongside Deniz Khazaniuk in December 2020
Matt Fitzpatrick’s ex Deniz Khazaniuk – who is a tennis player – poses in the sun on the beach
Matt says his historic win might never have been, but for a perspective changing phone call from his ex-girlfriend Deniz Khazaniuk (pictured)
Deniz (pictured) lives with her family in Lviv, which has been hit badly during the invasion. Matt added the reality check of what they were going through made him appreciate his own life and ability to play the sport he loves
‘I’d already decided to be a little easier on myself this year and appreciate all that I have but that phone call just emphasised I don’t want to be miserable for the rest of my life worrying about winning golf tournaments.
‘Sure, I want to win but there has to be a balance.’
Deniz family are from Lviv, which has been hit badly during the invasion, though she herself was born in Israel where her parents immigrated from Ukraine.
Khazaniuk, whose father was an orthodontist and whose mother sold tennis equipment, grew up in the Northern city of Netanya.
She won the Israeli Singles Championship at 22 years of age and, despite her Ukrainian family roots, has represented Israel in the Fed Cup team.
She has not played since 2019, when she was defeated in the ITF Evansville by United States star Grace Min.
She is currently attending Barry University in Florida, where she helped the university team to a fourth straight national championship at the 2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis Tournament.
She was last seen publicly with the golf star supporting him at the 2020 DP World Tour Championships. It is not clear when and why the couple broke up, though she was referred to as his ex-girlfriend in initial reports of their phone call in March this year.
Matt said the reality check of what Deniz’ family were going through made him appreciate his own life and ability to play the sport he loves.
He even predicted his new worldview might reap rewards at the golf majors.
Matt added: ‘I think 100 per cent I’ve got too worked up about them in the past.
‘The people around me say that I’m different in a major week and while I can’t see it myself it’s something that I need to work on.
‘I feel that I’m a different player now to 2015-18, so hopefully I can relax in the majors and it will start to show.’
After his incredible win last night he was joined on the green by his mum Susan, his father Russell and brother Alex, who turned pro earlier this month.
Matt Fitzpatrick is congratulated on his victory by brother Alex Fitzpatrick as he walks off the 18th green during the final round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick of England is congratulated on his win by Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland as he walks off the 18th green during the final round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick celebrates with the U.S. Open Championship trophy after his historic win
It was a perfect Father’s Day gift for Russell who looked emotional as it all sunk in.
Matt is the first Englishman to win a major since Danny Willett — also from Sheffield — won the Masters six years ago.
Matt’s completed his win in the 122nd US Open on Sunday. He carded a closing 68 at Brookline to finish six under par, a shot ahead of playing partner Will Zalatoris and world number one Scottie Scheffler.
‘The feeling’s out of this world,’ he said. ‘It is so cliche, but it’s stuff you dream of as a kid. To achieve it, I can retire a happy man tomorrow.
‘It’s what you grow up dreaming of winning and I’ve worked so hard for such a long time.
‘I had the big monkey on my back of not winning over here, it’s all everybody talked about and to do it in a major, there’s nothing better.
‘I don’t know if Jack (Nicklaus) is listening to this but he gave me some abuse at the start of the year, when I won a member-member competition at his club and he said congratulations on finally winning in the United States.
‘I can go back to him now and say I’ve won twice.’
Fitzpatrick can also tell Nicklaus that he and the 18-time major winner now share the distinction of being the only players to have won the US Amateur and US Open on the same course.
Nicklaus achieved the feat at Pebble Beach in 1961 and 1972, while Fitzpatrick won the US Amateur at Brookline in 2013.
‘Any time you’re sharing a record with Jack Nicklaus, it’s unbelievable,’ Fitzpatrick added. ‘So for me to have that as well is incredible.
‘He called me up at the presentation to congratulate me. Coming from someone like that, it means the world.’
Scheffler and Zalatoris both narrowly missed birdie putts on the 18th to force extra holes, with all three previous US Opens at Brookline having been decided in play-offs.
‘I battled like crazy,’ Zalatoris said. ‘Obviously, you say that about every US Open round you play, but considering where I drove it today, the fact I was even under par was obviously pretty nice.
Matt’s completed his win in the 122nd US Open on Sunday. He carded a closing 68 at Brookline to finish six under par, a shot ahead of playing partner Will Zalatoris and world number one Scottie Scheffler
Matt Fitzpatrick lines up a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament
Matt Fitzpatrick celebrates with caddie Billy Foster after winning on the 18th green during the final round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club
Matt Fitzpatrick (pictured second right) along with father Russell (left), brother Alex (second left) and mother Susan (right), holds the trophy after winning the 2022 US Open golf tournament at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts
‘I battled like crazy,’ Zalatoris said. ‘Obviously, you say that about every US Open round you play, but considering where I drove it today, the fact I was even under par was obviously pretty nice.
‘I thought I made a lot of nice putts just to keep myself in it. Stealing one on 9, saving par on 13. I really felt great with the putter all week, and I hit a great putt on 18. It just happened to hang out there.
‘It was fun, man. Matt’s shot on 18 (from the fairway bunker) is going to be shown probably for the rest of US Open history.
‘I walked by it, and I thought that going for it was going to be ballsy, but the fact that he pulled it off and even had a birdie look was just incredible. So hat’s off to him.’
Matt Fitzpatrick won the US Open but his caddie Billy Foster’s tears nearly stole the show… from staying in hotels ‘too dirty for rats’ to pranking Tiger Woods while stuck in the toilet, he is one of golf’s great characters
By Isabel Baldwin for MailOnline
It was Matt Fitzpatrick who joined the history books by winning the US Open on Sunday night, but in the aftermath of victory on the 18th green at the Country Club in Brookline, it was his caddie who almost stole the show.
Billy Foster was in floods of tears as he strode over to the hole, plucked the pin out and kissed the flag.
An emotional scene, which, after the recent furore over golf’s civil war, lifted the doom and gloom surrounding the sport, was many years in the making – 40 years to be precise.
Foster has walked almost every inch of hallowed ground in golf and it was only fitting that after almost four decades in the business he clinched his first major win at Brookline, the same course where back in 1913 a caddie crossed the road to play and win the US Open.
The penultimate major of the year came down to the last hole at the legendary venue as Fitzpatrick was able to tap in for par before Will Zalatoris missed a birdie putt that would have sent things to a play-off.
Foster has been on the bag for two of the Englishman’s wins – 2020 DP World Tour Championship and 2021 Andalucia Masters – but at the weekend Fitzpatrick secured the biggest win of his career – and of his caddie’s too.
Fitzpatrick clinched his first major as he became only the third Brit to win the US Open but it was he who had his arm around his teary caddie, rather than the other way round, before they shared a warm embrace.
The Englishman wasn’t the only one to break his major duck. After decades of caddying for the titans of the game, from Seve Ballesteros to Lee Westwood, Foster finally got the ‘gorilla off his back’.
Matt Fitzpatrick (left) won the US Open to clinch a first major win for him and caddie, Billy Foster (right)
An emotional Foster kissed the flag on the 18th green after Fitzpatrick sealed the win
The Englishman’s victory was the first major win of Foster’s 40-year career as a bagman
The 59-year-old struggled to keep the tears at bay as he waited for Will Zalatoris to putt
Foster is one of the most recognised caddies in the world, having been on the bag for Westwood, Ballasteros, Sergio Garcia, Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke and even Tiger – every one of them a great of the game.
And his service to the game has made him one of the most colourful characters in the sport.
Many of golf’s greatest stars took to social media to congratulate the beloved bagman. Both Shane Lowry and Nick Faldo hailed Foster as a ‘legend’ and Ian Poulter claimed it was ‘worth the wait’.
Many of golf’s greatest stars took to social media to congratulate the beloved bagman
But before the glitz and glamour of working with the biggest names in golf, Foster had to scrap along.
‘I stayed in hotels where if rats had walked in during the night, they would have taken one look and left because it was too dirty,’ he said, via Sports Illustrated. ‘But I couldn’t afford anything else.’
The caddie has been on the bag for 14 Ryder Cups
The 59-year-old started out by caddying for South African Hugh Baiocchi, in 1981 after working as an apprentice joiner with his father.
He then switched to Gordon Brand Junior, with whom he got his first taste of the Ryder Cup in 1987.
Since then he has appeared at 13 more Ryder Cups, most recently at Whistling Straits in 2021 with Fitzpatrick.
Foster picked up Ballesteros’s bag in 1990 after he was approached by the Spaniard at the German Masters and a week later a letter arrived at his parents’ house in which Ballesteros praised Foster’s attitude before outlining his conditions: ‘Don’t talk to the press; The player is always right; There should be no arguments.’
He did not witness a major win – with Ballesteros’s last coming at the Open at Lytham St Anne’s in 1988 – but Foster did have a front row seat to the legend’s moments of magic, most notably the famous finish at the European Masters in 1993.
Having pushed his drive right on the final hole, Ballesteros was left with a seemingly impossible shot over a wall with trees also blocking his path.
Foster picked up Seve Ballesteros’s (right) bag in 1990 after the Spaniard approached him
Foster suggested taking his medicine but Ballesteros saw his gap and took it, producing shot over the wall and above the pines to land just short of the green – resulting in the ‘greatest shot’ his caddie had ever seen.
Another player on Foster’s clientele list is 15-time Major winner Woods, who the caddie described as having the same ‘aura’ as the late Ballesteros.
Foster was only on the bag for a few days as Woods ‘borrowed’ the caddie from Darren Clarke for the 2005 President’s Cup.
Foster caddied for 15-time major winner Tiger Woods during the 2005 President’s Cup
His regular caddie, Steve Williams, was home with his wife, who was having a baby and Woods asked Clarke for permission to use his caddie for the week.
‘That was an incredibly humbling moment,’ Foster said. ‘To be asked [by] who I consider the best player of all time. I’ll carry that to my grave, to have caddied for the chosen one.’
Three years previously, Foster and Woods found themselves on opposing sides at the 2002 Ryder Cup but the caddie did come to his future employer’s rescue.
Foster, who was caddying for Clarke in his match with Thomas Bjorn against Woods and Paul Azinger, revealed the 46-year-old was caught short in the toilet at the Belfry.
Insisting he could not leave the American stranded, Foster got down on his hands and knees to pass a few sheets of toilet paper to Woods.
Foster couldn’t resist a little jibe, however, as he exclaimed ‘Europe one up’ as Woods grabbed the sheets from him – and sure enough, Clarke and Bjorn won one up.
The bagman faced Woods during the 2002 Ryder Cup as he caddied for Darren Clarke (left)
Clarke and Thomas Bjorn beat Woods and Paul Azinger (right) one up in the opening match
Bjorn is yet another great name adorning Foster’s CV but his experience with the Dane at the 2003 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s provided the caddie with one of his biggest major ghosts.
Bjorn took a two-shot lead to the 16th hole when catastrophe struck as he left two shots in a greenside bunker. He made double bogey and lost by one to Ben Curtis.
It wasn’t the sole great miss of Foster’s career. His 10-year relationship with Westwood featured nine top-three finishes in majors, including three runners-up.
Bjorn had a two-shot lead at the 2003 Open when catastrophe struck in a bunker on 16
A 2010 Masters loss to Phil Mickelson had to hurt but the most painful arguably came at the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry when Westwood three-putted on the 72nd green to miss out on a play-off for the Claret Jug with Tom Watson and Stewart Cink.
But Foster also enjoyed a laugh with Westwood with the duo providing comedy gold at the 2017 US Open.
Many players complained about the length of the rough at Erin Hills during that year’s tournament but Westwood and Foster found the funny side.
The player posted a video to Instagram, explaining he had lost his ball to the rough just off the fairway before Foster can be seen army crawling his way out of the fescue, exclaiming: ‘I’ve found it!’
Foster also experienced misses during his 10-year working relationship with Lee Westwood
He was on Westwood’s bag for 10 years before they split in 2018 and Foster soon joined another Yorkshireman, Fitzpatrick.
After a storm of ‘heartbreaking losses’ came the ‘perfect’ ending as Fitzpatrick finally handed Foster his major win.
‘I’ve probably had six or seven really close calls, a couple heartbreaking losses,’ Foster said. ‘It was tough to stomach sometimes.’
‘Just pure, utter relief,’ Foster said. ‘I have the monkey off my back, but it feels more like a gorilla.’
However, Foster had to have felt he was cursed as history looked to be repeating itself on the 18th tee.
With a one-shot lead Fitzpatrick, who had been happy to hit his driver most of the day, took his three-wood off the tee instead and sent it wayward into the sandy traps on the left hand side of the green.
‘It’s in the air turning toward the trap and I’m just like…,’ said Foster, who then made the face-palm motion.
Luckily for them both, Fitzpatrick pulled off a shot for the history books to leave himself with two putts for par.
Undoubtedly the ghosts of majors past began creeping into his mid but Foster managed to keep his emotions at bay.
‘Two or three times it flashes in front of your eyes and you have a little tear filling up and you say ‘stop that, stop that. Don’t even go there, just get on with it,’ Foster said.
‘But I’d be lying if it didn’t cross my mind two or three times out there today. You just want it so badly you can’t help but think about it. But we both did very well, we worked well out there today. There was no mistakes, not one. Everything was perfect.’
Under immense pressure to get par, Fitzpatrick pulled off an incredibly tough bunker shot
The victory was made even sweeter by the fact it followed yet another ‘almost’ at the PGA Championship.
Quick-witted and straight-talking, Foster appears to have a close working relationship with Fitzpatrick.
At the 2019 Scandinavian Invitational, Fitzpatrick asked his caddie for an opinion on a shot that was in a bush. Foster initially joked that they should ‘flip a coin’ to decide the outcome, before stating: ‘Everyone watching at home will say you’re cheating. Get on with it!’
Their banter-filled relationship shone through again at this year’s Masters. Playing the par-five 13th, Fitzpatrick was unsure on the yardage given by his bagman.
Foster and Fitzpatrick had another ‘almost’ at this year’s US PGA Championship
Stepping away from the ball, Fitzpatrick questioned the advice, which forced the caddie to say: ‘We’ve both thought about it and decided it’s the right play so get on with it.’
The quip resulted in the player to ask: ‘Oh sorry, are you in a rush?’ To which Foster responded: ‘No, there’s no rush.’
Quips aside, Fitzpatrick credits Foster for his recent success, having learnt patience from his bagman.
‘I think that’s the one thing that I’ve learnt more and more certainly over the last few years, particularly with Billy on the bag as well, is just to stay patient and the birdies will come, basically,’ explained Fitzpatrick.
Quick-witted Foster appears to have a close working relationship with the US Open winner
Meanwhile, at the PGA Championship, the pair seemed more focused on the Premier League than the major in front of them with Foster’s final-round morale hanging in the balance.
Fitzpatrick’s beloved Sheffield United weren’t in the top-flight, but his legendary caddie, a lifelong Leeds United supporter, watched on as his side fought for their Premier League survival.
On the final day of the season – and the final round of the US PGA – the player shared a photo to Twitter showing their set-up with an iPad, a laptop and a television showing three different matches. He wrote: ‘Big one today…..need Billy to be in a good mood later!!’
Foster had to have been in a good mood on Sunday with his well-earned celebrations almost immediately kicking off.
An hour after Fitzpatrick finished off his victory, Foster was still revelling in the win, standing on the 18th fairway with a beer in hand.
He was due to fly out of Boston on Sunday night but reportedly happily missed his flight and who knows if he will make his rescheduled one on Monday.
He had big plans for his celebrations, saying: ‘I’ll start with a beer in the caddie shack. Followed by another 20.’
After his 40-year wait, Foster would have deserved all 21 of those beers – maybe even 40, one for every year he has had to wait.
The secrets to Matt Fitzpatrick’s US Open success: Taking a note of EVERY stroke he has played for the last TWELVE YEARS, chipping cross-handed, and being ‘Bernhard Langer’s love child’!
By Derek Lawrenson for the Daily Mail
Matt Fitzpatrick produced a superb display to win the US Open.
In a game dominated by 6ft-plus players, Fitzpatrick is a 5ft 9in anomaly — and a fascinating one at that.
So, how did ‘Fitz’ alter his game to win his first major? And what makes him different to his rivals? Let’s have a look…
Matt Fitzpatrick produced a hugely impressive display as he secured glory in the US Open – and unusually for a 27-year-old, the Englishman wears braces on his teeth
1. HE WEARS BRACES
Fitzpatrick started wearing them in March and they’ll be in for a while yet. ‘I thought it was about time if I was ever going to do it, and I’ve just got used to them,’ he told Sportsmail.
2. HE’S RATED BY THOSE WHO KNOW
Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley likens him to Sir Nick Faldo in his diligent approach to the game. His veteran caddy Billy Foster, in a nod to Fitzpatrick’s prodigious work ethic, refers to him as ‘Bernhard Langer’s love child’.
McGinley added on Sunday: ‘I don’t think there’s a weakness in his game. He had a problem in some tournaments against the big bombers but he’s certainly fixed that with how far he hits it now. And he’s got a big heart, which tends to be overlooked.’
Paul McGinley has likened Fitzpatrick’s approach to that of Sir Nick Faldo (left) but his caddy Billy Foster calls him ‘Bernhard Langer’s love child’ (Pictured: Langer, right)
3. HOW HAS HE ADDED SO MUCH LENGTH?
It’s all down to The Stack. It’s a speed training system devised by Fitzpatrick’s coach Mike Walker and a biomechanist called Sasho Mackenzie.
It’s complex to describe but the benefits are clear. Fitzpatrick’s clubhead speed is now comparable with the likes of Jon Rahm.
He has gone from an average-length hitter to a formidable one by using speed drills
4. CHIPPING CROSS-HANDED
Another Mike Walker innovation. Fitzpatrick, 27, adopted this method as a training drill until it felt so comfortable that he incorporated it into his game for certain shots around the greens.
When that proved effective, he went the whole hog and now uses it everywhere bar playing from bunkers. Last year, Fitzpatrick was ranked outside the top 100 in all four chipping categories. Now he’s in the single digits in each.
Fitzpatrick uses the quirky technique of chipping cross-handed – his left hand below his right
5. HE’S GUTSY
It was a bold decision to put at risk a successful career in search of the X factor that he lacked. It might well prove comparable to Faldo’s decision to seek out the innovative coach David Leadbetter, and a partnership that transformed him from a European Tour winner into a six-time major champion.
Under immense pressure on the final hole, he somehow pulled off an incredible bunker shot
6. HE’S A NERD
From the moment he emerged as an amateur golfer of high promise and won the US amateur title in 2013 Fitzpatrick started taking a note of every stroke he played. Twelve years later, he’s still at it. He doesn’t note where his ball finishes in relation to the flag.
He charts where it lands in relation to the shot he was trying to hit. Take the 15th on Saturday, a seemingly superb iron shot dead on line that finished 6ft from the hole. In Fitzpatrick’s book, that went down as a five-yard miss on accuracy and length because he was aiming to be that far to the right of the flag and that far longer.
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