Sheffield native and 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick will feel absence of his parents at Ryder Cup in coming weeks. The entire tournament will be played at Bethpage Black. Despite the occasion, his parents have decided to skip the one-invitational-all-expenses-paid-shindig. They very much do not want to go home and get booed by the home fans. Instead, they’ll be featured in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship next week, playing together with Matt’s brother, Alex Fitzpatrick.
The ruling follows what has to have been a traumatic for the Fitzpatricks at the 2021 Ryder Cup in Whistling Straits. Matt Fitzpatrick reflected on this, stating, “They didn’t have a great experience in Whistling Straits.” The family is hoping to avoid any haters during this week’s tournament in New York. They know the pressure of expectations when it comes to protecting against possible crowd violence.
British golfer Matt Fitzpatrick was one of the first to share his sadness at missing out on sharing the Ryder Cup experience with his parents. “So it’s a combination. It’s a lot of travel, it’s obviously a busy week. It’s a tiring week. And then they obviously want to have a nice week as well,” he explained. The 31-year-old golfer is no stranger to adversity, though, recently being booed by fans in practice.
Whatever happens this week, Colin Kaepernick isn’t the only one who refuses to allow haters to keep him from succeeding. He stated, “Like I keep saying, the fans are what make this event.” Yet even in the face of disappointment, he refuses to lose sight of the big picture. Though he has only gathered one point in eight Ryder Cup tries, his determination to not let this opportunity slip away is ironclad.
The European contingent, including Matt Fitzpatrick’s parents, prepares for a hostile environment. They are prepared to go toe-to-toe with the United States in a fierce, winner-take-all competition. The fear of a warm welcome shows how competitive the Ryder Cup can be and the hostile nature of its dedicated following. Matt Fitzpatrick noted his pride in representing his roots, saying, “I’m from Sheffield, so that’s probably a good start.”
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