Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open winner, has on three occasions had his mother, Sue, as his pro-am partner in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. Most pros in the Dunhill are paired with celebrities or titans of business. But the more sparkly names in the field can bring their own partners.
“The first time Matt asked me to join him, I was excited,” Sue says of her 2022 appearance. “But as the tournament drew closer, I started to think, ‘I don’t know if I can really do this.’ I was so nervous. If it had been cancelled at the last minute, I think I would have been relieved.”
Good thing Sue stuck it out and played again, because a year later she and her son made history by becoming the first all-family squad to win both the team and individual titles.
“It’s my after-dinner story now,” Sue says with a laugh.
Love affair with the game
Though Matt’s mum was new to playing golf in the company of celebrities and pros, she’s no stranger to the game. Sue met her future husband, Russell, when she was 16. “Russell started playing golf when he was 14, and he introduced me to the game a couple of years after we met,” Sue says. “I took a few lessons, and Russell taught me the rest.” The couple married in their early 20s and began traveling to local clubs to play in mixed-foursome competitions. During that period, they had two sons, Matt and Alex, both of whom would develop into exceptional golfers.
“I always wanted to be a mum, but you know how it goes — you’re lucky if it happens,” Sue says. “I think those early years when the children were small were the happiest times we’ve ever had. We felt very privileged, and it was such a fun time for us as a family.”
The Fitzpatricks passed on their love of golf to their children, first by way of plastic of clubs and then the proper kind. As the years went by, Matt’s personality and interests revealed that he was very much like his father, who was a banker. Statistics, numbers and black-and-white thinking began to shape the way Matt processed the world, from grades to golf. Behind his love for numbers, hard work has been one of Matt’s trademarks.
Alex is more like his mum. He’s a free spirit with an artsy side and a sharp wit. Alex is a natural athlete like his brother and excels in many different arenas (including ambidextrous table tennis). “Alex is a gifted soccer player and could have had a career in football, had he wanted to pursue it,” Sue says. He now plays on the DP World Tour with aspirations of joining the PGA Tour.
Among the traits Sue ingrained in her boys: respectfulness. “I don’t like people who are bad mannered or rude, so it was always very important to me that my sons have good manners,” she says. “We taught them not to be too shy with people, but to look them in the eye.”
The Fitzpatricks after Matt’s win at the 2013 U.S. Amateur.
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‘Just want them to be happy’
Sue and Russell have always played big roles in their sons’ golf careers. As they saw their boys improving, the Fitzpatricks would take them to the tournaments the boys wanted to play in but also were careful not to push them too hard. “We never wanted to be those parents who wanted their child to be the next Tiger Woods,” Sue says. “They needed to want it for themselves. In those years, both of our boys worked very hard, but they never stood out.”
When asked what advice she might offer to a mother on the front end of her parenting journey, Sue is thoughtful and intentional with her words. “What’s more important is your health,” she says. “You’ve got to be grateful for what you can do every day, because your life can change in a minute. Ultimately, when it comes to your kids, you really just want them to be happy. It’s important to remember that.”
Seemingly one way in which Matt has honored his mother’s support is by inviting her to play in the Dunhill. “I’m so happy he asked me,” Sue says. “I loved every minute. I just wanted to make him proud of me and truthfully, I didn’t know if I could. Everybody is watching, and that’s not a comfortable place to be. He had faith in me though, and I am so happy I’m doing him proud.”
Later this year, Russell will take his turn alongside his son, though it doesn’t sound like he’ll receive much counsel from his bride.
“I’m trying not to say, ‘If you want some advice, you gotta get practicing,’” Sue says, laughing.
