U.S. Open: 5 things we learned Sunday, from Matt Fitzpatrick’s work ethic and LIV Golf prep to the USGA’s set up

Last year, Jon Rahm, one of the most powerful players in golf, won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. The year before that, it was Bryson DeChambeau, one of the biggest hitters on the PGA Tour (or LIV Series starting in a few weeks). The year before that, Gary Woodland, another power player, won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Matt Fitzpatrick has always been an outstanding putter and possessed a solid short game, but recently has gotten longer off the tee.

“(My coach and biomechanist Sasho Mackenzie) gave me this speed stick called The Stack. I’ve been doing that religiously week in and week out,” Fitzpatrick said Sunday evening. “It’s like going to the gym basically. It’s like a training program. I’ll be honest, it’s worked wonders. I feel like maybe three years ago if I was in this position, four years ago, and I was playing with Will in the final group, I’d be concerned that I’m going to be 15, 20 behind him. And I felt comfortable all day that I was going to be past him, which to me gives me confidence obviously going into the next shot knowing that you’ve got less club.”

During the 2018-19 PGA Tour season, Fitzpatrick ranked 151st in driving distance on Tour (287.9 yards per drive), but this season he is up to 298 yards. That’s still 108th, but he ranks 40th in driving accuracy, so while he’s 11 yards longer, he still hits about 65 percent of the fairways.

On demanding golf courses like Southern Hills last month during the PGA Championship and this week at The Country Club, which featured thick rough and fescue along the fairways, he ranked fifth in driving accuracy and was 36th in driving average at 309 yards.

Fitzpatrick is also legendary on Tour for his work ethic. He has tracked every shot he has hit in competition and practice rounds for the last 12 years. If he continues to put in the work, more victories could be on the way.