PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 16, 2025

Matthew Fitzpatrick

Quail Hollow Club

Flash Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Matthew Fitzpatrick is with us now at the 107th PGA Championship. We'll get right to questions starting here with Juan.

Q. You are one of the few players that have experience being in contention in a major, and it's one of the difficult things. So how do you deal with it and how much does that memory, the emotional memory of this will help you this week?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Obviously being in this position before is a huge advantage. I think the biggest thing for me that I'll take on is I obviously want to win another major, of course I do, but I've already won one, so I feel like there's less pressure when you've already won one definitely. Maybe that's a personal thing.

I think you can definitely enjoy it as much as you can, probably a little bit more, I would say. Yeah, just looking forward to being in contention again. And I think that's the biggest thing, is it's just nice to be in the position.

Q. Can you pinpoint kind of a turning point in your season when you felt like you started to play golf that -- you called it rubbage a couple months ago.

MATT FITZPATRICK: I wouldn't say -- I've still not had a good result yet, and the game is a results business. I would say Harbour Town was a really good week for me. I finished last in putting that week, which is -- may have never happened in my career, to be honest, and I finished 38th or something. I think Harbour Town was the big change.

There was a few things that were different that week, and that's why I feel like -- since then I feel like I've made progress in my game and taken some big steps forward. Like I say, hate to be cliche, but there's a lot of good processes going on. I just -- hopefully the underlying performance is going to come out over ideally the next two days, but if not, the rest of the season.

Q. Change anything with your putting since Harbour Town?

MATT FITZPATRICK: No, it's not just putting, it was my whole game. I've driven it all right this year actually. Driving's not been too bad. Not hitting my irons well enough, not chipping well enough, and not putted well enough so far this year. Just been a combination of those three, and I feel like I've made some strides in those areas the last few weeks.

Q. What's been clicking this week?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I'd say everything really. I really feel like I hit a lot of really good drives, irons have been under control. For me, it's always been a weaker part of my game. To see it pay off, hit the shots that match my intention this week has been good. Then obviously made some putts and chipped it well as well.

Q. Is there a point at which being in contention at a major starts to feel real? Compared to like Thursday morning, maybe not. Sunday afternoon definitely.

MATT FITZPATRICK: I would say like Saturday back nine, I think. Listen, I know I am obviously wherever I am right now, but you've still got a big first nine and then a big second nine.

Saturday is always, I feel like, the make or break of how close you are to the lead or how far away you are, or if you're leading.

Yeah, I would say Saturday back nine is kind of where ideally you'd like to play your best holes -- your best golf of the tournament for the last 27, in my opinion.

Q. 14, where did you drive it? Up in the hill?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Short right in the rough, on the hill.

Q. Awkward second shot?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, very. I just chipped it to the middle of the green. I think I had 75 feet, and I just two-putted from there. We just felt it was safer.

Q. Was it kind of a letdown? Were you a little disappointed? Because it's a hole you can take advantage of.

MATT FITZPATRICK: I'm just happy to be playing well this week. Yeah, of course, it's a hole that you want to birdie, but for me I'm just trying to play smart, I'm trying to not make silly mistakes. If I look at the bogeys I've made this week so far, there's only one that really I was pretty guaranteed, whereas I feel like the ones I made on the first day, they were putts that I'd back myself to hole eight, nine times out of ten.

If I can just keep doing that and not get myself in trouble, I can give myself a chance.