Matt Fitzpatrick Storms Toward U.S. Open

Matt Fitzpatrick didn’t win the RBC Canadian Open, but he may have left TPC Toronto with something nearly as useful with proof that his game is growling again before the U.S. Open.

While Bud Cauley finished the job at 17-under, Fitzpatrick closed like a man trying to hijack the spotlight, firing a final-round 64 to jump 10 spots into solo second at 15-under, just two shots off the lead.

READ MORE: Bud Cauley Turns Pain Into RBC Canadian Open Glory

That Sunday charge mattered because Fitzpatrick had been stuck in a quieter stretch after looking like one of golf’s hottest players earlier this season.

He opened the year ranked 22nd in the world and surged all the way to third after a wicked run that included a runner-up finish at THE PLAYERS Championship, a victory at the Valspar Championship and a Zurich Classic win alongside his brother Alex Fitzpatrick.

Lately, though, the engine had cooled. Fitzpatrick tied for 52nd at the Truist Championship, tied for 14th at the PGA Championship and tied for 36th at the Memorial Tournament.

Good enough to cash checks? Sure. Not good enough for a player who’s already stacked three PGA TOUR wins this year.

The issue, by his own diagnosis, was the putter. In Canada, that club stopped acting like a problem and started looking like a weapon again. Fitzpatrick made six birdies, buried an eagle on the par-5 18th and rolled in 116 feet of putts during the final round.

He ranked fifth in Strokes Gained: Putting on Sunday and 11th for the week, a massive sign that the fix may be real.

His biggest tweak was simple but important: less staring, more flow. Fitzpatrick removed an extra look at the hole during his routine, speeding up the process and letting the stroke feel cleaner.

That tiny change showed up loudly when he smoked a 4-iron from 221 yards to 12 feet on 18, then walked in the eagle putt like he knew it was center-cut.

The bigger picture is where this gets dangerous. The U.S. Open is next at Shinnecock Hills, and Fitzpatrick already owns the scars and swagger of a major champion.

READ MORE: Brooks Koepka Withdraws on Sunday with U.S. Open Looming

He won the 2022 U.S. Open at Brookline by one shot over Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris, and he tied for 12th the last time Shinnecock hosted in 2018.

Cauley got the trophy. Fitzpatrick got his warning shot. For everyone else heading to Long Island next week, that’s a real problem now.

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