ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 1, 2025

Matt Fitzpatrick

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Delighted to be joined by 2022 U.S. Open Champion, Matt Fitzpatrick.

How does it feel to be back at the Old Course this week?

MATT FITZPATRICK: It's always exciting to be back for this week. It's always a different week from normal tournament golf. Obviously play a team format. Played with my dad this year. It's been my Mum in previous years. It's always a special week.

Q. Given all the stuff that happened last week, what abuse were you getting? Do you regret not having your parents there, and did you see a new Matt Fitzpatrick last week?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I mean, I think last week, obviously it would have been nice to have my parents there to experience it but you never know if it would be the same if they had been there.

I think for me personally, people were giving me abuse about my braces. They were giving me abuse about my Skechers. Like that was kind of the extent that I heard. I'm sure there were probably word that I didn't hear.

Obviously Rory, Shane, in particular, got a lot on that Saturday afternoon, a lot worse, I guess. And obviously you see clips of various things being shouted out. Obviously it wasn't great, and like Rory said, it wasn't acceptable. I know obviously things have been said about what players have replied to to the crowd, which my opinion is warranted given what they gave in the first place.

So yeah, I think Mum and dad not being there probably made sense. I think they probably wouldn't have necessarily enjoyed that atmosphere. I don't think it was necessary enjoyable as a fan, particularly, more for family's sake, anyway.

In terms of my own performance, it was obviously my best Ryder Cup to date by some distance. Leading up to, it I had been playing well, as well. Just gave me the confidence to go out there and continue and to have the result I did was a huge bonus.

Q. Going forward, what are your thoughts on captain going forward, if it's Luke, or what do you think about Francesco?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, Fran was fantastic, as were all the vice captains. I had a lot of good conversations with them all. I know Luke already said it in his press conference but I think Edoardo is very, not underappreciated, but I guess -- well, no, I think underappreciated is the right thing. He is very appreciated by Team Europe, but I think in the outside world, it's very much, oh, he's just the stats guy or whatever.

But to me, Edoardo is No. 1 in the business by a complete mile. How he's helped Luke and the vice captains and how he's shaped the team, pairings, qualification, has been outstanding in my opinion. I think there's a lot of credit that needs to go to Edoardo as well.

Then in terms of Fran, yeah, Fran is a great character to have around. He's got great sense of humour. He's very similar to Luke in that he's quite quiet and reserved and probably very analytical in his thinking. Obviously a great option. I'm sure there's plenty of people that are good enough to do the job. Obviously Luke, like Rahmbo said, he's created a high bar for the next guys that come in.

Q. You touched on it as your bet Ryder Cup so far. How much did that mean, to prove a point to people after having a record of 1-7?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, of course, from my own personal side, there was obviously questions about me being picked in the first place, and it's not something -- the people that were raising those questions obviously didn't look at my season from May.

From May onwards, I had been playing very, very well and that was pleasing to me. I was playing well leading up to the Ryder Cup in the first place. I was never thinking to myself, should I be on this team or should I not be on this team? I had confidence from the start was great and to do what we did on the first day with Ludvig and Saturday afternoon with Tyrrell, as well, and even the singles to an extent, to play as well as I did there for the first nine, ten holes was obviously ideal.

Yeah, it was obviously a big week for me and felt like I proved a point with the pick. It's something I wanted to do for a long time in the three previous that I played in.

Q. In the team press conference, Rory was giving a bit of stick saying you would be the first to bed that night.

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, listen, I'm not a drinker. I don't drink at all. It's not my thing. I don't like the taste and I certainly to the extent like the feel the next day, that's for sure. It's not my thing at all.

But it's funny, we wake up Monday and you leave, you're getting your stuff together, and kind of the week is over, you say good-bye to everyone. To be honest mit feels a bit depressing. I feel quite sad about it all. It's easily one of the best weeks of my life.

It is right up there with winning the U.S. Open, it really is, and in particular, Saturday afternoon, to do something I'll never forget, and you just wish you could do that over and over and over again. Even if it was a week off, it would be the same thing.

But you come back, obviously playing with my dad this week, but playing individual golf again actually feels pretty sad if I'm honest.

Q. And the stats are important, too?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, the stats are important, too, as well.

Q. How nice was it to reunite with your family?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it's been great to see them. They were watching all week. I was in contact with them over text, asking how it was. I shared the ins and outs of the atmosphere. I think they were pretty happy with the decision.

Q. How excited are you to play with your dad? Growing up was there competitive matches?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, when we would go on holiday we would play against each other and that was fun. I played with my Mum the last two, three years until my dad was going to be able to have a go. My agent, Mark Steinberg said, if I can get you in, would you be interested, and he said yes. Signed up from the Dunhill, and with an effort from Mark, as well, to get over the line, pretty special.

Q. This is a daft question but when you were talking about how they were having a go at your braces, and the other one I didn't quite get they were talking about, your Skechers shoes?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, they were talking about my shoes. No, not my drawing skills. Rightly so, I'm not very good. Although I did a good drawing of the Statue of Liberty.

Q. Obviously Sunday, the match between yourself and Bryson, a big figure throughout the week, quite fiery with the crowds. What was he like to play against one-on-one?

MATT FITZPATRICK: He was fine. Bryson's character, he's got a lot of energy. You get in that environment with the home crowd -- I think it was very helpful to get off to a great start. To be up so early was helpful at that point just to keep the crowd not really on his side as such. Was kind of much more tame. But no issues with Bryson. I knew what he was about, and that's what excites the fans over there and that's great.

There was no issues. It was obviously a good match. I wish it ended a little bit differently but in the end it was a half-point.

Q. Just on the fan thing, what would your message be to Europe's fans in two years' time about where they should set that behavior bar?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I mean, in my opinion, by Saturday afternoon, it's one of the best things I've of seen in my entire life, the chanting, the cheering, the songs. Like that, to me, is what makes European fans so great versus American fans. Not to say All-American fans are giving the abuse because they are not. It's only a small few.

But to me that's what makes the European fans so good is the creativeness, the chants, not the -- just shouting random obscenities. That's the best bit for me that I heard all week was "Is this a library" chant; "Is there a fire drill" chant. They all come from football, and that's what makes them so funny and so about and so creative.

For me, just more of that. It's not really -- it's not nasty. It's not personal. Obviously in Rome there was the whole incident -- it was a creative chant, it was hilarious and that to me is what makes the European fans so about and that's what makes the atmosphere so good. I don't have any worries about European fans. What the The PGA of America guy said about it was the same in Rome, he clearly wasn't there. I guess he wasn't there or he must have been listening to something else because it was just never the case that it was anything like that. It's always been playful and just banter, really.

Q. Was the apology from The PGA of America enough?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I mean, yeah, I guess they are apologizing on behalf of the fans. Like I say, I saw those comments about the -- I saw the interview with the PGA guy discussing about it was the same in Rome. It's pretty offensive to European fans the fact that he said that, really.

You know, I don't want to speak on behalf of everyone but we did feel there was a little bit of bitterness when we got to the -- when they presented the trophy there and shook their happened. I think it was -- they can't control what comes out of everyone's mouth, there's no doubt about it.

I wouldn't say we were looking for an apology but I would say it's understandable that they would apologise. I've had a number of friends who are American send messages, texts, all sorts, apologizing for the fans and saying really sorry that you had to deal with that stuff.

But we knew what we were going to deal with going in. Luke and the team did such an amazing job with that; you over prepare so that actually when you get there, we expected this, anyway. So it wasn't an issue.

Q. When you say there was bitterness, who specifically are you talking about?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Well, the CEO of The PGA of America obviously o. Me and Rosey both looked at each other as if to say, that wasn't a very heartfelt congratulations, I know that. And he said we only retained it but actually we won it, so....

Q. Moving forward, do you see golf using more AI, and are you personally invested in that?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, obviously it's a big part of any industry now is data and data collection and how you use it. I think in the game of golf, data have been around for a while now and it's been used in all sorts of ways. I personally use it to probably the most extreme amount in order to find any little percentages I can in my game and improve.

Yeah, it's definitely a big thing, like I say, Eduardo Molinari last week was absolutely fantastic the way that he's helped the team, as well as the other vibes.