Palm Harbor, Florida …… For a second tournament straight, Matthew Fitzpatrick could have easily chose not to speak post his second round at the Valspar Championship at the Copperhead course here at the Innisbrook Resort.
Fitzpatrick was travelling nicely moving to four-under through 14 holes ahead of shots at his 15th and final holes in a second day 69 for a clubhouse share of fifth place at five-under in the $US 9.1m event.
Matt Fitzpatrick speaks of his frustration post second round Valspar Championship. Image GolfByTourMiss
The affable Englishman is back in the deep end of the PGA Tour after the bitter disappointment in last week’s Players Championship.
Fitzgerald was leading the Tour’s flagship event with just two holes to play before Cameron Young sensationally birdied 17 and then after a poor Fitzgerald drive, pared the last for the American to claim success.
And was the scenario last Sunday, Fitzgerald hung back to speak with the media when he could have easily headed straight to the locker-room or whatever while he carried himself in the same affable manner today, agreeing to chat with a handful of media.
“Yeah, played well. Just not had any breaks,” he said. “Two bogeys there on the back nine. Missed the fairway on 6 by six inches and got a flier when it didn’t look like a flier. Then on the last there, same thing. Literally somehow it just bounced left up the slope. Missed the fairway by six inches again. And in the semi rough there and got a flier.
“So nothing I can do about that. Can’t really control it. But feel like been playing well, didn’t feel like it was too stressful out there. So hopefully some luck on the weekend.”
The double winning Ryder Cup star said it was nothing to do with any suggestion of Players Championship hangover.
“No, just frustrated right now. Just really annoyed that — I felt like I deserved more out of the round,” said the World No. 15.
“Yeah, just had those pieces of bad luck to sort of end the round on a sour note, really”.
Following this week’s event Fitzgerald will sit out both Texas hosted events ahead of teeing-up in what will be a 12th and also 11th straight Masters appearance, and where he finished a best of T7th in 2016 and T10th in 2023.
“I don’t have time (laughing), he said when asked if he would head to Augusta early.
“I don’t know how guys find time. But I don’t have time, yeah.
“I have two weeks off, but I got a few things going on that I need to figure out off the course. Yeah, obviously you go up there, it takes a day and a half and two days and being away for three weeks already. I played the golf course 50 times now, so I feel like I know what it’s about”.
