'Listen, the crowd, that was literally child's play compared to Bethpage' - Fitzpatrick won’t blame fans for Players loss

Matt Fitzpatrick

Matt Fitzpatrick laughed off the suggestion that the pro-American crowd cost him The Players after he lost out to Cameron Young on the 72nd hole at TPC Sawgrass.

The English star looked poised to become just the sixth European to lift the title when he took a one-stroke lead to the 17th.

But after watching Young draw level with a birdie at the infamous “island” green par three before winning with a par at the last, he dismissed suggestions that he’d be put off by booing from the home crowd before it was his turn to hit and chants of U-S-A, U-S-A for the New Yorker.

“Listen, the crowd, that was literally child's play compared to Bethpage,” said Fitzpatrick, who moved up from 24th to 15th in the latest world rankings.

“If they think that that was anything, then they need to reassess. Get yourself up to New York.

“Listen, that's how it is. That's how it is. I would hope it's the exact same if -- well, it probably wouldn't be because we're a little bit more polite in Europe, I would say, but I would hope it would be of similar intensity in Europe.

“I knew it was coming. I had it with Jordan Spieth [at the RBC Heritage] in 2023. Yeah, it's funny to me. I find it hilarious.”

The Sheffield star had no bone to pick with Young, who moved from 15th in the world to fourth and saw his Masters odds shorten to 28-1.

Young’s 375-yard drive at the 18th was the longest recorded since the tour started tracking shots in 2003.

But the new champion was in no mood to start setting lofty goals for the future.

“This is a hard game, and there's a lot of people that are really good at it,” Young said. “Yeah, I'm not huge on setting goals. I've done it. I don't have like a list for this year or anything.

“My mind for the second half of last season was East Lake, Ryder Cup.

“My mind for the first part of this season is preparing for the Masters. So my goal is to be in contention as much as possible before that.

“This tournament certainly has a major feel; The Players is an unbelievable event. I feel like if anything, I mean, it's its best possible prep you could ask for for our first major of the season.”

It was a tough week for the Irish in that regard.

Shane Lowry has yet to re-set after his Cognizant Classic disappointment, and after missing his second cut in a row since that reverse, he’s taking this week off before the Tour heads to Texas for back-to-back events in Houston and San Antonio before the Masters.

Rory McIlroy has yet to decide if he will add another start before his title defence at Augusta National, but he dismissed as “preposterous” suggestions that the indoor simulator league he founded with Tiger Woods, the TGL, was responsible for the back injuries that affected him and Collin Morikawa last week.

"It's a little more travel for the guys, a little more," McIlroy said at TPC Sawgrass, where he tied for 46th after finishing second last in the field for strokes gained putting. "To put it solely on that is preposterous. No.”

McIlroy's Boston Common and Woods' Jupiter Links are scheduled to meet in the TGL semifinals at the SoFi Centre on Wednesday, but the Holywood star could not confirm he’d tee it up.

“We'll see,” he said yesterday. “Yeah, geez, I haven't even -- yeah, we'll see.”

He indicated during the Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club that his initial plan was to be at Augusta National the weekend before the Masters, ruling out an appearance at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

“I'll probably walk around and watch the final round of the ANWA on Saturday,” he said last month. “I'll be a part of the Drive, Chip & Putt in some way.”

He played the Texas Children's Houston Open last year, but it remains to be seen if he’ll return next week.

“I'll see,” he said. “I haven't really made a decision either way. I'll see how my body feels.

“We'll see how I feel in practice and at home, and if I get itchy feet at home, maybe add an event at some point.”

Seamus Power is 91st in the FedEx Cup standings after his tie for 70th at TPC Sawgrass, where he was a late addition to the field.

He’s the second reserve for this week’s Valspar Championship at Innisbrook and will be hoping for another late call-up for an event where he was joint eighth behind Viktor Hovland last year.