An Amateur and A Veteran

Working in the GOLF Magazine office generally has its perks. Professional golfers will periodically make appearances. The latest and greatest equipment hits our desk long before it hits retail. The biggest one, however, is pretty simple. Any assignment I’m given pertains directly to the sport I love. It makes for a pretty easy workweek, that’s for sure.

This past week, it was all about the US Open. On Thursday and Friday, I was running the Sports Illustrated Live Blog, tracking the tournament for hours at a time, adding insight, updates and feeding the conversation in any way possible.

Coincidentally, my shifts running the blog corresponded directly with the first two tournament rounds for Phil Mickelson, America’s favorite golf dad, who was yearning to win his first US Open title after finishing runner-up an astounding six times.

Unfortunately for him, Phil’s Father’s Day weekend was less than impressive. He would make a run, then falter, another run, another fall. It showed a lot of what we have come to expect from Mr. Mickelson. The more fascinating player for me, however, was the amateur playing alongside him, Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick is only an amateur in the sense that he doesn’t get paid to golf, at least not yet. He’s 19 years old, looks like he is 14, but just won the US Amateur last fall. He’ll make money from this game eventually; when he feels he’s ready to.

His game isn’t quite flawless yet, which he won’t be punished for, because he has plenty of growing to do. He may have stumbled over the weekend, but remember, he can’t even joy a drink at the 19th hole yet. Watching him play amongst the pros throughout those first two rounds was enthralling for golf purists.

While Pinehurst No. 2 fooled professionals all week long, Fitzpatrick shot just 4-over par through the first two rounds. All he did was simplify a game of so many thoughts, breaking it down to its few, essential roots.

He was more focused on making pars than stretching for birdies. While the pros experimented with every possible shot shape or recovery look, Fitzpatrick kept the game simple, aiming for the center of the green, staying short instead of going long and settling with two good putts instead of aiming for one great one.

To no surprise, he shot just 1-over in his first round and 3-over in his second round. He was the only amateur to make the cut. After watching him do so, all the perplexities of golf seemed to make sense, if only for a day or so.

It wasn’t something only a prodigy like himself could pull off, though. It was a lesson to any golfer out there, especially those who struggle from time to time. There can be a lot of reward in going all out to get birdies, but it also comes with some inherent risk.

There’s plenty of reward, as well, in making a string of pars. Desperately aiming for birdies can get any golfer in trouble. That was the case at Pinehurst, as it is at every other golf course on Earth.

So while it was easy to stray away from the US Open on Father’s Day when Martin Kaymer won by eight strokes, recall the steps Fitzpatrick made to simplify the game. It is a simple one, after all. Try your best to keep it as such.