AVONDALE, La. — In a sport that tends to orbit around the biggest names, the fastest swings and the most marketable players, Matt Fitzpatrick is a little different. Without much fuss, without much self-promotion and, in many ways, without the kind of constant attention that usually follows the game’s most elite players, he has climbed to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
After winning last week’s RBC Heritage, his second PGA Tour victory in the last month, Fitzpatrick now has four career PGA Tour titles, including the 2022 U.S. Open. He also has the kind of statistical profile that would make almost any pro envious. And yet, when major championship favorites are discussed before big tournaments, his name is rarely mentioned.
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Fitzpatrick does not seem especially bothered by that. If anything, he prefers it.
“I’m also always happy to be flying under the radar,” Fitzpatrick said Wednesday at the Zurich Classic, where he and his brother, Alex, are playing together for the fourth straight year.
Is Alex Fitzpatrick surprised that his brother doesn’t get talked about more heading into big events? Not really.
“You know, your Rorys and Scotties of the world, they’re always going to be the favorites going into the majors and stuff. Unbelievable players,” he said.
Is he surprised that Matt has reached the lofty ranking he now holds?
“With all the hard work that I’ve seen him do and all the behind-the-scenes stuff that I’ve seen, it’s hard to say I didn’t expect it. I did expect it,” said Alex, who himself won the DP World Tour’s Hero Indian Open in March. “Golf is a hard enough game. To see him from last year, where he wasn’t playing the golf he wanted, to now winning multiple events in the year, I think, yeah, he’ll contend at all the majors he wants to this year. Hopefully I didn’t jinx it, but it wouldn’t surprise me if I see him pick one off.”
Mark Blackburn started coaching Matt Fitzpatrick last year at the PGA Tour stop in Hilton Head, right after the 2025 Masters. He sees the lack of buzz and attention focused on Fitzpatrick as a positive.
“I think, in a way, it’s a big advantage to us to not have the distraction,” Blackburn said. “He’s very happy with doing what he does with his team. We’ve got a great team of people, just kind of doing our thing and running our process.”
That word, process, comes up again and again around Fitzpatrick, and for good reason. He has long been known as one of the game’s most detail-oriented players, having kept track of every shot he hits in tournaments while also keeping detailed notes about practice sessions and non-tournament rounds. He studies trends with unusual discipline, but Blackburn offered an important distinction.
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“He’s very analytical in the data and the process,” Blackburn said. “He’s not overly technical with his golf swing.”
That may help explain why his rise has felt so steady, like a measured progression. Fitzpatrick is not trying to win a style contest. He is trying to build a complete game. And right now, it looks like he’s done it.
Through the RBC Heritage, Fitzpatrick ranked third on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, third in greens in regulation and fourth in driving accuracy.
Historically, putting has been Fitzpatrick’s strength, and as he tried to add length off the tee, Blackburn said his iron play suffered. When the two started working together just over a year ago, that was the first thing they addressed.
“Now, though, I would argue that his iron game is statistically one of the best,” Blackburn said. “So, he doesn’t really have any weaknesses.”
For the competition, that’s a dangerous thing to consider about a player who already has a major championship on his résumé, but the numbers back up the coach. Heading into the Zurich Classic, Fitzpatrick ranked sixth in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green.
The PGA Tour doesn’t have a stat that measures composure or grit, but with the crowd chanting “USA! USA! USA!” as Fitzpatrick battled Scheffler in a playoff last Sunday, the Englishman showed plenty of both. He hit a laser-guided 4-iron from 204 yards to 13 feet to set up the winning birdie.