Neil Warnock has told Matt Fitzpatrick that he was brought to tears by the golfer’s dramatic US Open triumph earlier this month.
Sheffield-born Fitzpatrick claimed his first Major title in stunning fashion, holding his nerve in a fairway bunker on the 72nd hole at Brookline to claim a one-shot victory over Will Zalatoris.
The die-hard Sheffield United fan was a popular winner among many due to his humble nature and fierce work ethic.
Golf attracts the elite of celebrity names, with Michael Jordan among the huge stars to send Fitzpatrick a congratulatory message – but the 27-year-old recently told talkSPORT of his delight at receiving texts from Blades legends Billy Sharp and Chris Wilder after his first Major win.
However, few were more invested in Fitzpatrick’s historic triumph than iconic Bramall Lane boss Warnock – and not just because he had a little flutter on the Englishman to win.
Fitzpatrick joined the talkSPORT Breakfast on Thursday to reflect on the events in Massachusetts and Warnock, also live on air, took the opportunity to send the golfer an emotional message.
Former manager Warnock told Fitzpatrick: “When I was watching it – I had a little fiver each-way bet and I’ve stuck by you in tournaments when you’ve come close – I don’t know how your family coped with that!
“Let alone you, with a club in your hand, in a bunker, knowing you had to get it on the green.
“The emotion that I felt! I was crying my eyes out and I was sat watching television.
“They can’t take it away from you. No matter what happens in the rest of your life. It’s an amazing achievement.
“To be a Sheffield United fan as well, wow!”
Fitzpatrick’s triumph came at the place where he burst onto the scene at the US Amateur back in 2013.
He even stayed with the same Boston family, something which Warnock found admirably modest.
Warnock added: “Do you know what I loved about it? You’re a level-headed lad, I know how much you practise and how much dedication goes in.
“But I thought it was fabulous that you went back and lived with the same family from your amateur win all those years ago.
“You stayed down to earth. A lot of people would’ve gone in a first-class hotel and hired a villa but you stayed with the same family.”
One of the most thrilling championships in recent memory went down to the last shot as Fitzpatrick’s moment was jeopardised by a rare errant tee-shot into a fairway bunker at the last.
Under the most intense pressure, Fitzpatrick pulled off the shot of his life to find the green, and par was enough to hold off playing partner Zalatoris – who missed a putt to force a play-off by millimetres.
Looking back on that 9 iron from the sand, Fitzpatrick admits it was the greatest shot of his life so far.
He said: “Fortunately, the shot that I had didn’t leave many options, that was a positive.
“From that moment, me and Billy [Foster] decided on the shot and the club, it was an easy decision.
“It just came out ten-times better than I thought it would and it was constantly moving towards the flag.
“Afterwards, everyone was like, ‘What a shot!’ I was like, ‘Yeah it was a good shot, I was pleased with it, but I didn’t really think about it’.
“I’ve watched it back since, thought about the actual shot and everything around it, and now I realise that it is clearly the best shot I’ve ever hit.”
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