Matt Fitzpatrick shows his class after teammate | Golf News

Matt Fitzpatrick got here agonizingly close to claiming The Players Championship trophy, ending second to his “good friend” and TGL teammate Cameron Young, but displayed attribute grace in defeat.

Young secured victory by making a birdie on 17 before two-putting from nine-and-a-half ft on the 18th inexperienced to declare the first-place prize of $4.5 million at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. He performed the ultimate spherical alongside TGL teammate Fitzpatrick, who had held the lead until the seventeenth gap.

“I love Cam,” said Fitzpatrick after the spherical. “He’s such a nice guy. He’s so laid back; it’s so nice. Always knew we were going to have a good day today, just obviously both comfortable around each other, and it was.”

Speaking to NBC on the 18th inexperienced, Fitzpatrick praised the 28-year-old American as an wonderful teammate as properly.

“I’ve got a ton of respect for Cam,” he continued. “He’s a good friend and teammate in TGL as well. We’ve gone really well. I knew it was going to be a nice pairing today. When you’re coming down the stretch you want to be with someone that you’re comfortable with and I felt we’re gonna have a good day. It was exciting.”

Young, who crushed Fitzpatrick’s hopes with a birdie on the legendary island seventeenth gap before securing victory with a par on the 18th, described enjoying alongside the European as extraordinarily comfy.

“He’s a great guy,” Young remarked after Fitzpatrick missed the eight-foot par putt that would have triggered a three-hole playoff.

“We’ve gotten to be around each other a decent bit through TGL, through our team, New York, and he is an excellent playing partner. He plays quick. He’s a very polite, very kind guy and enjoyable to talk to when you get the odd moment to share a few words walking around out there.

“So a very, very comfy pairing for me, and I feel you most likely noticed it with both of our golf. We had every proper to both be nervous and discovered ourselves in some tough spots, but I really feel like for the both of us I feel it was a comfy one.”

Level on the leaderboard entering the 18th hole, the two players engaged in conversation to calm their nerves.

“We had been just saying stuff, I feel, to just form of quiet our own minds,” said Young. “In those moments there’s a lot working through your head, and for me to have Kyle, one of my best associates, on the bag sitting there, it is a very nice time to have one thing a little bit lighter in phrases of dialog.

“I could have stared at my feet walking all the way down the fairway or we could have looked around and had a little bit of a laugh. I think at the moment option two was a good call.”