US Open 2022: England's Matt Fitzpatrick wins after tense battle at Brookline

Fitzpatrick joins Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win the US Amateur and US Open on the same course

Matt Fitzpatrick of England celebrates with the US Open trophy at the Country Club on Sunday in Brookline, Massachusetts. AFP

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick produced a moment of magic on his way to claiming his first major title and a historic double in the 122nd US Open at Brookline.

A shot behind playing partner Will Zalatoris with six holes to play, Fitzpatrick sank a 15-metre putt for birdie across the 13th green to draw level and briefly moved two shots clear with another on the 15th.

World number one Scottie Scheffler closed to within one with a birdie on the 17th and Zalatoris did likewise on the 16th, but the American agonisingly missed from four metres for another on the 18th to force a play-off.

The victory means Fitzpatrick joins 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win the US Amateur and US Open on the same course, with Nicklaus doing so at Pebble Beach in 1961 and 1972.

With his brother Alex on the bag, Fitzpatrick won the US Amateur at Brookline in 2013, the same year Justin Rose became the last Englishman to win the US Open at Merion.

For the second major in succession, Fitzpatrick, 27, contested the closing round from the final group, having partnered Mito Pereira in the US PGA at Southern Hills last month.

On that occasion a closing 73 meant he missed out on the play-off between Zalatoris and Justin Thomas by two shots, with Thomas securing his second US PGA title in the three-hole shootout.

Three birdies in the first five holes of the final round vaulted Scheffler into the lead, but Fitzpatrick holed from two metres for birdie on the third and two-putted the short par-four fifth for another after driving to the green.

The Sheffield golfer then three-putted the sixth from long range to drop his first shot of the day, but his increased length off the tee paid off again on the par-five eighth as he hit the green in two to set up an easy birdie.

That took him back into a share of the lead and he soon led on his own as Scheffler dropped his first shot of the day on the 10th and then three-putted the 99-metre 11th – the hole that cost him a double bogey in round three.

Zalatoris had almost holed his approach to the seventh and also birdied the ninth to close within a shot of Fitzpatrick, who surprisingly missed from 1.2 metres for par on the 10th after splashing out of a bunker.

A birdie on the 11th took Zalatoris into the outright lead for the first time and moments later he had a two-shot lead, with Fitzpatrick three-putting from just a few inches closer to the hole on an identical line.

But Zalatoris bogeyed the 12th and saw his lead wiped out in spectacular fashion on the next, with Fitzpatrick letting out a massive roar after holing from 15 metres across the green for an unlikely birdie.

US Open - in pictures

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  Rory McIlroy lines up a putt on the ninth green during the opening round of the US Open at The Country Club. Getty

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  Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele at the ninth green during the opening round of the US Open. AFP

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  Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the sixth tee at The Country Club. AFP

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  Adam Hadwin of Canada grabbed the lead at US Open. AFP

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  Adam Hadwin plays his shot from the 17th tee during the first round of the US Open. AFP

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  Phil Mickelson struggled in the first round of the US Open. AFP

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  Phil Mickelson plays a shot from a bunker on the 15th hole. AFP

Another birdie on the 15th, coupled with a bogey from Zalatoris, briefly gave Fitzpatrick a two-shot lead but Scheffler and Zalatoris kept up the pressure with birdies on the 17th and 16th respectively.

Zalatoris then left a birdie putt on the 17th fractionally short and agonisingly missed from four metres on the last to force what would have been a fourth straight play-off in US Opens at Brookline.

Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama posted a closing 65, the lowest round of the week, to claim fourth place on three under, with Rory McIlroy and Open champion Collin Morikawa sharing fifth on two under.

McIlroy felt he was just one great round from claiming a fifth major title and first since 2014 after a battling 73 on Saturday, but mixed four birdies and four bogeys in his first 14 holes and eventually signed for a 69.

Defending champion Jon Rahm began the final round just a shot off the lead but struggled to a closing 74.