Matt Fitzpatrick Makes 'Best Golf I've Played in My Career' Claim During Scottish Open Run
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MARCH 15: Matt Fitzpatrick of England plays a shot on the second hole during THE PLAYERS Championship on March 15, 2026 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire GOLF: MAR 15 PGA, Golf Herren THE PLAYERS Championship EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260315050754
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MARCH 15: Matt Fitzpatrick of England plays a shot on the second hole during THE PLAYERS Championship on March 15, 2026 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire GOLF: MAR 15 PGA, Golf Herren THE PLAYERS Championship EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260315050754
Matt Fitzpatrick arrived at the Genesis Scottish Open carrying the confidence of one of the hottest players in golf. After another strong round on Friday, the Englishman made a bold assessment of his recent form.
Fitzpatrick posted a second-round 65 at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, moving to 8-under par and into a tie for fourth. He did his damage with five consecutive birdies from holes 11 through 15 on the back nine, briefly holding the solo lead before finishing one shot back of co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Jordan Smith.
The DP World Tour shared the post-round interview on X on July 10. Asked directly whether this is the best golf of his career, Fitzpatrick was unequivocal.
"Yeah, definitely. This stretch of, you know, from sort of March, February onwards to now has definitely been the best golf I've played in my career, for sure," he said in the DP World Tour's post-round video on X.
PEBBLE BEACH, CA - FEBRUARY 13: PGA, Golf Herren golfer Matt Fitzpatrick plays his tee shot on the 9th hole on February 13, 2026, during the second round of the PGA AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the Pebble Beach Golf Links at Pebble Beach, California. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire GOLF: FEB 13 PGA AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260213132
PEBBLE BEACH, CA - FEBRUARY 13: PGA, Golf Herren golfer Matt Fitzpatrick plays his tee shot on the 9th hole on February 13, 2026, during the second round of the PGA AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the Pebble Beach Golf Links at Pebble Beach, California. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire GOLF: FEB 13 PGA AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260213132
That stretch of form backs up the claim. Since finishing fourth at The Renaissance Club last year, Fitzpatrick has won three times on the PGA Tour, recorded two second-place finishes and added seven further top-10s. His world ranking has climbed from 22nd to fourth during that run.
The Renaissance Club has been a productive venue for him specifically. He has previously lost in a playoff here and posted finishes of fourth and sixth. That history feeds his confidence each time he arrives.
"I like this place from a confidence standpoint, for sure. It's somewhere where I've played well before and I feel like I can take from that every time I arrive and it gives me some confidence," Fitzpatrick said in the interview.
The leaderboard is close heading into the weekend. Scottie Scheffler missed the cut after shooting 2-over in the second round. Defending champion Chris Gotterup shot a 65 to reach 7-under, just one shot behind Fitzpatrick.
The Open Championship begins at Royal Birkdale on July 16, making this week the final chance for players to prepare before the last major of the season.
Matt Fitzpatrick and the 2026 run in context
Winning three PGA Tour events before July is a significant achievement, and Fitzpatrick has done it across different tournaments and playing conditions while climbing from world No. 22 to No. 4, underlining the consistency of his form since late 2025.
At The Renaissance Club specifically, Fitzpatrick's putting has been a weapon. In seven starts at the venue, he has gained an average of plus-4.6 strokes on the field with his putter, according to data compiled ahead of this week's event.
Fitzpatrick's strong showing at the Scottish Open provides momentum ahead of next week's Open at Royal Birkdale, where he will draw confidence from five previous top-10 finishes, including a tie for fourth at Royal Portrush in 2025, and a game well suited to links golf.
Fitzpatrick starts Saturday's third round at 8-under, just one shot behind the leader. He will play alongside Rory McIlroy in the second-to-last group.
Can he win his first Genesis Scottish Open title this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.
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Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Pulkit Prabhav