Matt Fitzpatrick says it would be his “worst nightmare” going toe-to-toe with his brother Alex in the final group on Sunday with The Open on the line.
The final men’s Major of the year is set to be a special one for the Fitzpatricks after Matt’s younger brother Alex came through Final Qualifying to book a spot in the game’s oldest championship for the first time.
It makes them the first English siblings to play in the same Open since Geoffrey and Bernard Hunt in 1965 at Birkdale. But while Matt thinks that’s “amazing”, he admitted he’d feel very differently if they were battling it out for the Claret Jug come Sunday evening at Royal Liverpool.
“People ask, what would you do if you were in the final group on Sunday, and I said, well, that would be kind of my worst nightmare, to be honest,” Fitzpatrick said, before backing his brother do well on his Major debut.
“It’s an exciting week, and I’m just so pleased for him. I think it’s great, gives him a good boost of confidence qualifying, and there’s no reason why he can’t do well this week. It’s a golf course in 2006 that required really good accuracy off the tee and great iron play. He can definitely do that.”
As for any words of advice he has passed on to Alex, who is four years his junior, he added: “I think my biggest thing, a couple bits of advice I’ve given him, he came last week to play 18, which I think was helpful, see the golf course, no stress, no rush, and then I just told him take these next few days easy, nine holes each day.
“I remember speaking to my coach, Mike, about what to do at my first Open back in 2013, and that’s what he stressed, is don’t tire yourself out. I think I played nine Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so I think that was kind of similar to what Alex should do.
“And then the other one is just no media, as well, just so he can concentrate, concentrate on myself and stay away from you lot.”
‘The Open is my weakest major’
The Englishman also played down his chances this week and admitted links golf “doesn’t really suit my eye.” He won the Silver Medal for finishing as the low amateur on his Open debut in 2013 at Muirfield but has since only managed a couple of top-25s and missed the cut at the Scottish Open.
It’s little wonder, then, that he isn’t hopeful of landing a second Major title to go with his US Open success last year.
“I would argue The Open is my weakest major, to be honest, so my expectations have probably got to match my results previous,” Fitzpatrick added. “My best…
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