His cheerful demeanor and impeccable attitude are the results of his admirable dedication to his craft, which is supported by a résumé with few competitors.
Billy Foster stands tall and has had several close calls as a caddie who has won events alongside players like Gordon Brand Jr., Seve Ballesteros, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Thomas Bjorn, and Sergio Garcia. He has experienced the greatest in golf’s grandest arenas and has learned how to be clear and succinct when the pressure is on.
Foster didn’t think twice when he witnessed Matt Fitzpatrick’s shot on Sunday’s third playoff hole at the RBC Heritage, which was played in the 18th fairway. Foster remarked, “Same shot,” to Fitzpatrick, his fellow Englishman.
The message was simple to deliver. Fitzpatrick had a birdie opportunity from around 25 feet below the flagstick after hitting a 180-yard 9-iron on the opening playoff hole, which was also the 18th. Now that they had 186, Fitzpatrick’s shot was executed flawlessly. It landed at the front of the green and released crisply before coming to rest within 2 feet.
As in the case of Jordan Spieth, there was still work to be done. “There is always a possibility” joked Foster.
The American made a powerful roll on his 33-foot birdie putt. Fitzpatrick was given the opportunity to score with a tap-in to win this magnificent “home game.”
Yes, that is accurate. The young player from Sheffield, England, is playing at home.
“Now, I believe I can retire.” joked Fitzpatrick after defeating Spieth at the RBC Heritage’s third playoff hole.
This is the competition that, aside from the major, I’ve always wanted to win. There isn’t another higher one, and that’s a fact.
The story of the Fitzpatrick family’s devotion to Hilton Head Island is now well known. At the time Matt and Alex were 6 and 2, respectively, Russell and Sue traveled to Hilton Head on vacation from England in 2000. No portion of the vacation meant more to young Matt than the opportunities to play Harbour Town Golf Links since they traveled over the pond several more times to explore the South Carolina Lowcountry.
“Simply said, this place holds significant meaning for me, and winning it meant the world to me,” he said.
Fitzpatrick had to play tenaciously in order to win, which may not make sense when you look at him closely. Fitzpatrick maintains his youthful appearance from 2013 when he dominated the competition at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts to win the U.S. Amateur. These days, he has braces on. Some people might mistake him for the college student he briefly was at Northwestern eight years ago.
Foster, who joined Fitzpatrick in 2019, will admonish you to not base your opinion of him solely on appearance because he knows his game.
That was made clear last summer when Fitzpatrick, once more at The Country Club, held off Scottie Scheffler with an exceptional par on hole 72 by hitting a world-class 9-iron out of a fairway bunker.
Foster wanted this game badly, though, because he needed to see some success in a playoff. Their team had lost the BMW International Open, Scottish Open, and Italian Open in their three previous playoff matches.
“We required this one,” he stated.
When Spieth sophisticated his approach at the par-4 13th hole and moved to 17-under, leading by two, a playoff appeared unlikely. But Fitzpatrick gained a stroke with a par at the 14th par-3 hole before pulling even with a birdie at the 16th.
The peculiarities of golf can be attributed to the fact that he maintained his tie with Spieth throughout their play on holes 17 and 18 in regulation and then 18 and 17 in the first two playoff holes. Foster, who has been working in this field for more than 40 years, was equally as impressed.
“It was a fantastic finish with many outstanding shots,” he said.
Fitzpatrick stated that despite how much he enjoys his trips to Harbour Town, the course hasn’t always returned the favor. “I’ve finished in the center of the pack a few times and missed the cut a few times,” he stated.
But sure, this more than makes up for those bad outings, and it is a great way to enter this week’s team-based Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
His younger brother Alex, a Wake Forest graduate who is making his way up the pro golf ladder by competing on the Challenge Tour in Europe, will be his teammate.
Playing on the Challenge Tour is hardly a glamourous endeavor, but Alex Fitzpatrick is also receiving assistance from a seasoned caddy named Phil “Wobbly” Morbey, who recently placed ninth in a tournament called The Challenge Presented by KGA in Bangalore, India.
“I’m now even more eager to leave. Just taking the day was one of my pre-day motives. It was a fantastic opportunity to go out and try to win, and fortunately, I was successful in doing so.” Matt Fitzpatrick stated in his final statement.
