London—English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick says his shock US Open triumph was “10 million times better” than he had ever imagined.
The 28-year-old swept to a maiden triumph at the majors at Brookline in June when he edged Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by just one shot.
“It was 10 million times better than I thought it would feel after winning a major. It was so incredibly rewarding,” Fitzpatrick told the BBC in a Christmas review.
However, he admitted to enduring mixed feelings in the aftermath of his breakthrough win.
“It’s very weird. I’ve done it and it’s like ‘perfect let’s go and try and win more’ but at the same time I’ve had ‘well I’ve done it now, why do I have to do any more?’,” he explained.
“I’ve spoken to a few people about it and it’s a very common trait after they achieve success. I’ve always pushed myself hard, people always say you’re too hard on yourself and I probably am.
“But it’s been leading up to that moment to win a major championship. The first few weeks afterwards it’s like pure elation and everything is amazing and then the dust settles and you’ve got to get yourself up and do that all over again.” AFP