Matt Fitzpatrick wins the US Open
Matt Fitzpatrick, one shot ahead, slams his tee shot into a bunker on the final hole at Brookline’s Country Club. heads are in hands. Will Zalatoris lurks on purpose. What followed under heavy pressure was one of the best comebacks in major championship history. From clay and 160 yards, Fitzpatrick’s iron shot ended within 20 feet of the cup. “It was a hit and hopeful,” a beaming Fitzpatrick later said of that epic sports theater moment.
The then 27-year-old Sheffield golfer had broken his big duck. So does veteran Yorkshire caddy Billy Foster, who counts Seve Ballesteros among his previous employers. Fitzpatrick has prevailed in the toughest of environments and survived that terror of the 72nd hole. He joined Justin Rose as the only English golfer to win the US Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970.
Tiger Woods waves goodbye in St Andrews
Even the charming, cuddly Tiger Woods of late is not at all prone to such moments. Tears streamed down his face as he crossed the Swilcan Bridge on day two of the 150th Open. Galleries rose to applaud, Woods waving his cap in acknowledgement. Players on the adjacent fairway, the 1st, paused to watch Woods take a bow.
This was a moment in our golfing days. Woods may play at the Open again but, by his own admission, will almost certainly not be in the field when the tournament is expected to return to St Andrews in 2030. He missed the cut in 2022, but that hardly mattered; A golfer who has won 15 major titles, including two in the home of golf, while recovering after recovering from a serious injury, was hailed by the crowds. Woods had no interest in hiding his feelings. “The warmth and the ovation at 18 … it just got to me,” he said.
Tiger Woods provided one of the golfing moments of modern times with his emotional farewell in St. Andrews. Photo: Paul Childs/Reuters
Lydia Ko claims the LPGA Tour Championship
Lydia Ko, now 25, had a long-held desire to retire from golf at the age of 30. Ahead of the Tour Championship, and to the relief of women’s football supporters, she appeared to be backing down on those plans. Perhaps this attitude owes much to job satisfaction; Ko is the former teenage superstar – she won majors in 2015 and 2016 – who suffered a slump before returning to the top of her sport.
She is now number 1 in the world again. Prior to this year, Ko had only won twice on the LPGA Tour since 2016. She had already won the Gainbridge and BMW Ladies Championship before arriving in Naples, Florida in November. Ko opened with rounds of 65 and 66 before withstanding Leona Maguire’s charge to win the season-ending event and $2 million by two shots. Whether she wants to play to 30 or beyond, Ko has never had so much scope to dominate women’s football.
Rory McIlroy holes out of a bunker at 6 p.m. on Masters Sunday
Much of what happened to Rory McIlroy for the rest of 2022 can be attributed to this brilliant act. It began a year in which he won three titles and returned to world No. 1. At that time it was not about a sign for the future. Instead, it offered a glimpse of the old McIlroy and a reminder of why he is a must-see on the pitch.
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His attack on Sunday at the Augusta National — McIlroy had become the only legitimate threat to Scottie Scheffler — faltered with four pars starting in the 14th. But on the last one, McIlroy gave himself a whiff of overdue fame. McIlroy jumped in wild cheers as his ball took the break perfectly off the sand and rolled into the hole for a birdie. “I’ve never been so happy on a golf course here,” said the Northern Irishman.
This completed a 64; McIlroy’s lowest Augusta round. Yes, the Northern Irishman made headline after headline in 2022 by articulating firm thoughts on LIV Golf. He also created magical moments on the ropes.
Keith Pelley aims at LIV Golf
The level of frankness and irritability regularly associated with LIV’s year-round rebel tour actually makes it very difficult to pinpoint a verbal utterance. However, Keith Pelley stole the show when he finished on the podium at Wentworth in September.
The European Tour Group chief executive had been criticized in some circles for largely remaining silent when LIV picked up Ryder Cup stars from his tour. At the PGA Championship, Pelley decided he had advised long enough. During an extraordinary press conference, Pelley berated “irrational and ridiculous comments on social media.” He castigated “the LIV propaganda machine”. Sergio García has been in the firing line after claiming the DP World, formerly European, Tour is on track to become the fifth best in the world. “One of our members playing here this week actually said that,” Pelley scoffed. “It’s incredible.”
García survived just one lap of Wentworth before shuffling back across the Atlantic. Pelley hit his targets with the kind of steadfast defense that surely the stalwart members of his tour could only admire.
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