20:41 ET
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Paolo UggettiESPN
BROOKLINE, Mass. – Will Zalatoris fell short again, and this time he thought he had it.
After losing a 14-foot bird putt in the 18th hole that would have put him in a playoff with winner Matt Fitzpatrick, Zalatoris couldn’t help but sigh when he received the silver medal on Sunday as runner-up in the Open United States. He spoke to the media as the screens showed Fitzpatrick lifting the trophy, and then Zalatoris left with a forced smile. He had to get off the stage to let the champion through.
“This one in particular hurts a lot,” said Zalatoris, who now has six finishes in the top 10 in nine major starts, including three second-place finishes. “I’m three shots away from being practically one … having the chance to be a three-time major champion. A bounce here or there.”
2 Related
The 25-year-old entered the action on Sunday without a major win or a PGA Tour victory, but with a lot of confidence. He said on Saturday that his recent second-place finish in a playoff against Justin Thomas at this year’s PGA Championship had given him the belief that he could be one of the best players in the world. But the belief could not push his putt a few inches closer to the hole.
“With about six feet to finish, I thought I had it,” Zalatoris said of his putt. “It’s itchy, obviously. Having three runners-up so far in my senior career.”
Zalatoris tied the lead with Fitzpatrick on Sunday. Zalatoris fought early, making two bogeys in the first five holes before his ever dodging putter caught fire. He made birds in four of the next six holes and at one point maintained a 2-shot lead over Fitzpatrick.
“I fought like crazy,” Zalatoris said, calling his driving “atrocious” the week and adding that his hip was bothering him. The usual problems of the 2021 Masters runner-up have come with his putter, but as he said with a smile on Sunday, his putting was okay.
“I’m sure all the idiots on Instagram will say it has something to do with the lowering of the left wrist flexion,” Zalatoris said of the putt on 18. “I promise it has nothing to do with it.”
Zalatoris’ two costly mistakes came back. At hole 12, he lost the fairway and had to punch out, resulting in a 2-putt by bogey. On the 15th he lost the fairway again. Fitzpatrick did it too, but he lost it so much on the right that he had a better lie than Zalatoris, who was raw. Fitzpatrick made a bird. Zalatoris was stunned. The lead was then 2 in favor of Fitzpatrick.
At par-3 16, Zalatoris made a birdie to sit 1. But when Fitzpatrick saved his erring mistake he found the bunker with a perfect iron shot on the green 18, the pressure was again on Zalatoris, who then said Fitzpatrick’s approach shot was “1 in 20”.
“He knew very well that Will was going to play him,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s one of the best approach players on the tour.”
Zalatoris hit him at 15 feet. Fitzpatrick put 2 on par, so Zalatoris knew what to do. When he hit the ball and saw it run out right after the hole without falling, it was Zalatoris who fell to his knees in agony. The champion was decided.
“I’ve been asked, how nervous were you at the 18-year-old putt?” said Zalatoris. “It’s like he has nothing to lose. Either he enters or he doesn’t.”
Even after a hard defeat, Zalatoris projected confidence, saying he has the recipe to win. Less than a month before the next big – The Open at St. Andrews – Zalatoris said he is happy to be able to try again soon.
“I’m not happy about finishing second,” he said. “Obviously I’m trying to get it done. The comfort level is there, especially now that I know I can do it. I just have to keep waiting my turn.”