There was noise.
As they walked toward the 17th green, you could hear it. U-S-A. U-S-A. U-S-A. “It does have a little feeling of a Ryder Cup,” announcer Dan Hicks said on NBC’s broadcast. On the 18th tee, you heard things again, though this time it was a few boos in the direction of Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick, who was all squared with American Cameron Young on the 72nd hole of the Players Championship played at TPC Sawgrass in, yes, U-S-A.
But there, Fitzpatrick laughed.
After all, he said afterward, all of it was just noise. He said he’s used to it — though he did say that you probably wouldn’t hear it back in his home.
But did it influence play?
Notably, on 17, Fitzpatrick had led by a stroke over Young, then Young made a birdie to Fitzpatrick’s par on the famed island-green par-3. Then, following the boos on 18, Fitzpatrick pushed his tee shot to the right and into pinestraw, and he bogeyed the hole while Young parred, giving the Players crown to Young.
But when asked for his thoughts on the crowd and whether it affected him at the end, Fitzpatrick said he has heard things before — and heard worse things. He named the unruly crowds at last year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York, along with what sounded like his 2023 RBC Heritage victory, which was won in a playoff over American Jordan Spieth.
Below is Fitzpatrick’s complete answer:
“Listen, the crowd, that was literally child’s play compared to Bethpage. If they think that was anything, then they need to reassess. Get yourself up to New York.
“Listen, that’s how it is. That’s how it is. I would hope it’s the exact same if — well, it probably wouldn’t be because we’re a little bit more polite in Europe, I would say, but I would hope it would be of similar intensity in Europe.
“I knew it was coming. I had it with Jordan Spieth in 2023. Yeah, it’s funny to me. I find it hilarious.”
As for the tee shot on 18, Fitzpatrick said he believed he pushed it slightly, but thought it would be good. He’d seen Young just hit a draw with some wind coming from the right and thought his ball would do the same — but “just gone dead straight” and into the rough.
“Once you’re out of position,” Fitzpatrick said, “it’s difficult to make your par.”
Still, the bogey was one of two he made on the day, against six birdies. His circle on 13 gave him the lead, then another one on 15 helped him recover from a bogey on 14. Added all together, Fitzpatrick said he’s encouraged. There has been progress with coach Mark Blackburn.
Soon, he said, he thinks he’ll make his own noise.
“I was saying last night to my psychologist,” Fitzpatrick said, “I feel like I’m very good at getting myself into position between 15 and five. I don’t feel like — I don’t feel like I get in enough positions between five and first. I feel like if I can do that, obviously it’s easier said than done, then I believe I will win more.
“It’s obviously easier said than done, but I back myself down the stretch, and I feel like if I can do that, then it’ll be good things.”
