Matt Fitzpatrick still thinks about what Scottie Scheffler said last July. It was at Royal Portrush, right before the Open Championship. Scheffler, the World No. 1, got a little philosophical in his pre-tournament press conference. He talked about how winning feels amazing — but only for a few minutes.

"It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling," Scheffler said. He used his win at the Byron Nelson as an example. He worked his whole life to win that tournament at home. He celebrated. He hugged his family. His sister was there. And then? "It's like, 'okay, what are we going to eat for dinner?' Life goes on."

Scheffler called professional sports "a really weird thing to do." All that effort. All that work. For something so fleeting. He admitted winning doesn't fulfill the deepest desires of his heart.

Fitzpatrick heard all of it. And he filed it away. Speaking on Monday ahead of the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink, Fitzpatrick explained why Scheffler's words hit so hard.

"[Scottie's words] really stuck with me because I was very intent on saying, well, okay, if I'm lucky enough to win again, that I take it in. I enjoy it. I really think about it and enjoy it with the people that it means something to, as well as myself."

After listening to Scheffler, Fitzpatrick promised himself something simple. The next time success came around, he wouldn't let it slip past him. He'd slow down. He'd soak it in. He'd share it with the people who matter.

And then, not long after? The wins started coming.

A Career Year for Fitzpatrick

The floodgates opened fast.

Fitzpatrick won the DP World Tour Championship in November. Then he won three times on the PGA Tour this season — including the RBC Heritage and the Valspar. He and his wife are expecting a baby. His brother Alex earned a PGA Tour card after they won the Zurich Classic together.

It's been a wild, beautiful stretch. And Matt isn't taking a second of it for granted.

"I'm trying to cherish it as much as possible. It's all happening very quickly," he said.

The numbers back up the feeling. Per Data Golf, Fitzpatrick ranks third in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green. Sixth in ballstriking. Fourth in approach. His tee-to-green and ball-striking numbers are better than they were when he won the 2022 U.S. Open. 

So how did he get here? Curiosity. Work ethic. And a deep love for data. Fitzpatrick digs into Trackman numbers. He compares seasons. He studies every detail to find small edges.

"Looking for those small, small percentages, how does that look, I think that's ultimately where you're always trying to go," he said.

He knows it can look strange from the outside. A player at the top of his game still tinkering? "You always think from the outside, like, why is he doing that? Like, you know, that seems so stupid," Fitzpatrick said. But those tiny gains are everything at this level.

He also knows golf isn't linear. Good stretches end. Rough patches come. That's just how it works.

But he's not adding pressure this week at Aronimink. He's sticking to what got him here.

"So if anything, it's trying to let it happen still," he said.

And if it does happen this weekend? He'll make sure to enjoy every second.

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Written by

Sahil Prashar

Edited by

Sahil Prashar