Matt Fitzpatrick and Scottie Scheffler will play together in the final group at The Open Championship on Saturday.
The world number one leads the standings after two rounds at Royal Portrush on 10 under par, and Fitzpatrick is only one stroke behind (-9).
Scheffler is obviously the favorite to win the Claret Jug, but the Englishman is a major champion himself and won’t go down without a fight.
Fitzpatrick shared his honest thoughts on the prospect of playing alongside Scheffler on day three at The Open.
Matt Fitzpatrick looks forward to playing with Scottie Scheffler at The Open
Fitzpatrick will relish the challenge of playing with Scheffler in the final pairing at The Open Championship.
The occasion won’t be too big for the 2022 US Open winner, and he should have the crowd on his side. After all, Northern Ireland is a lot closer to England than to America.
“It’s probably nicer than playing the US Open (smiling),” Fitzpatrick joked when asked what he expects the atmosphere to be like in round three.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t say I necessarily feel as much pressure. The pressure, he’s going to have the expectation to go out and dominate.
“He’s an exceptional player. He’s World No. 1, and we’re seeing Tiger-like stuff. I think the pressure is for him to win the golf tournament.
“For me, obviously, I hope I’m going to have some more home support than him, but it’s an exciting position for me to be in, given where I was earlier this year.”
It’s hard to argue with Fitzpatrick’s point – Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet and already has a one-shot advantage. The ball is in his court over the weekend.
Matt Fitzpatrick’s form is completely different from earlier in the season
Seeing Fitzpatrick’s name near the top of a major championship leaderboard would not normally be a surprise to anyone.
Except, Fitzpatrick has really struggled on the PGA Tour this season, missing the cut at the Phoenix Open, the Players Championship, and the Valero Texas Open.
He explained that his poor form earlier in the year makes his strong performance at Royal Portrush so far this week even more rewarding.
“Yeah, yeah, 100 per cent. There’s nothing better than being in contention,” the 30-year-old continued.
“It feels a bit uncomfortable at the time, but that’s what you’re searching for. You want to feel that. It means you’re doing something right for the most part.
“Yeah, it’s great to have an opportunity over the next two days, and it was last week, as well, and the week before. It must be fantastic for Scottie. (Laughter).”
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