'I've eclipsed golden period' - why Fitzpatrick is in US PGA frame

Matt Fitzpatrick's only major triumph to date was at Brookline in 2022 in the US Open [Getty Images] When Matt Fitzpatrick gets under way at Aronimink on Thursday, he will be aiming to end a 107-year wait for an English winner at the US PGA Championship. Jim Barnes was the first and last, claiming victory at the first two tournaments in 1916 and 1919. However, Fitzpatrick, who hails from Sheffield, is arguably the best-placed of any Englishman to end that long drought.

Three wins in his past five starts and more than $10. 5m (£7. 8m) banked already in 2026, has given the 31-year-old his best start to a campaign on the PGA Tour.

And with only Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young above him in the world rankings, Fitzpatrick believes his game is in a better place than when he won the 2022 US Open. His second-placed finish at the PGA Tour's flagship Players tournament in March was followed by a victory at the Valspar Championship and a strong showing at the Masters in April, the first major of the year. He followed up defeating Scheffler in a play-off to win the RBC Heritage with further success alongside his brother Alex at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

"I think 2022 was my golden period and I said for two, three years afterwards it was the best period that I had ever played," Fitzpatrick said. "But the start of this year has definitely eclipsed that because of the results [and] the underlying numbers themselves have definitely been better. "I'm trying to cherish it as much as possible.