Matthew Fitzpatrick says what Rory McIlroy did when he won his first ever Ryder Cup point which he still remembers

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Few players went into the 2023 Ryder Cup with a bigger point to prove than Matthew Fitzpatrick, with the Englishman failing to win a single match in either of his previous two appearances in the event.

Matthew Fitzpatrick was far from being the only European to struggle at Whistling Straits in 2021. He was one of three members of Padraig Harrington‘s side to lose all of his matches in Wisconsin as USA won by a record margin.

But given that he had also lost both of his matches in his debut in the Ryder Cup five years earlier, it was inevitable that many would talk about his record heading into Rome.

Luke Donald looked to put an end to Fitzpatrick’s wait for a point by pairing him with Rory McIlroy in Friday afternoon’s session at Marco Simone. The pair were up against Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele.

What Rory McIlroy told Matthew Fitzpatrick after their win in Rome at the 2023 Ryder Cup

Fitzpatrick seemed to be holing putts from everywhere during the early stages. And Europe went on to win 5&3 as they opened up a 6.5-1.5 lead after the opening day in Italy.

Obviously, it was another statement of intent from the Europeans. But it was also a hugely significant moment for Fitzpatrick – something which was not lost on McIlroy.

In fact, speaking to The Times ahead of Bethpage Black, the 2022 US Open champion shared what McIlroy told him after they sealed their win.

“I remember Rory specifically saying he was so proud to be with me when I got my first point. I appreciated that from someone who is now one of the golfing greats. That point meant a lot,” he says.

Matthew Fitzpatrick had given up on making the Ryder Cup team for Bethpage Black

It was apparent for some time that Donald’s team for New York was not going to look drastically different from the side which won back the Samuel Ryder trophy in 2023.

Obviously, the main protagonists were always going to make their way onto the side, one way or another. But there was a question mark over players such as Fitzpatrick.

He missed four cuts in his first 10 starts on the PGA Tour in 2025, while he failed to finish inside the top 20 in that run. At that stage, it appeared highly likely that he could miss out.

But the 31-year-old started to turn his form around at the PGA Championship. And Fitzpatrick went on to produce a superb performance at The Open Championship, finishing tied for fourth at Royal Portrush.

It seems that he was freed up once he believed that his chances of making the Ryder Cup had gone.

“To be completely honest, this has probably been the easiest Ryder Cup cycle I’ve ever had,” he said. “2016 was horrendous because it was my first and I was desperate to make the team. In 2021 and 2023 I qualified for the team fairly comfortably. 

“This time, I was relying on a captain’s pick and, when they started being spoken about, I was miles off the list. I didn’t play well last year, I didn’t play well at the start of this season. It wasn’t a burden at all because I’d accepted the fact I wasn’t going to play and I was okay with that. That was actually probably a big help.”

The next challenge for Fitzpatrick will be to win a point in the States.

Having said that, he will probably not care a great deal about his own record if Europe return across the Atlantic with the Ryder Cup still in their possession.