Matt Fitzpatrick defies his wife at The Open as he sets the record straight
Matt Fitzpatrick has refused to use the golf balls that his wife marked for him ahead of The Open. The 30-year-old found himself second on the leaderboard on nine-under-par, one shot behind leader Scottie Scheffler, at the halfway point of the tournament.
The English golfer is targeting his second major title after winning the US Open in 2022. Fitzpatrick carded four under on Thursday before improving with a five under on day two, putting him in firm contention for The Open title.
While his focus will be on overtaking Scheffler, the attention during his post-round press conference was diverted to a video Fitzpatrick's wife Katherine had posted on social media. When asked by reporters, he quickly denied that he had used balls marked up by his wife for the major.
In a TikTok clip, Fitzpatrick's wife showed herself writing personalised messages on golf balls for her husband. He shut down the suggestion that his partner regularly marked balls for him.
'She does not mark my golf balls,' Fitzpatrick replied. 'She does not, no, and I would not let her, no.' When asked if he had used the balls shown in his wife's video during The Open, Fitzpatrick replied: 'I have not, no.'
Katherine had filmed herself opening a pack of balls ahead of The Open and scribbling messages for her other half. 'I always mark my husband's golf ball up for every tournament he plays. It's just like a special way for me to get involved,' she said, seemingly tongue-in-cheek as she gave a look off camera and smirked.
Displaying the golf balls to camera, her messages included 'MF is cute' and 'I love you'. She added: 'Most of the time I do hearts and stars. Sometimes, if it's more of a serious tournament, I'll do fish.'
However, Fitzpatrick's father Russell interrupted his daughter-in-law's story. 'What are you on about,' he quipped as he questioned Katherine's claims.
'No, I know you don't do that because I get all the second-hand balls and none of them look like that,' he laughed. 'All the golfers also know he don't mark them like that.'
An undeterred Katherine continued: 'Well, anyway, I'm still going to give you a pack of special golf balls, Matt. You don't have to use them, but they're packed and sealed with love.'
Matt and Katherine Fitzpatrick were first known to be dating in January 2023. The couple tied the knot in October 2024.
Following another impressive round at Royal Portrush on Friday, Fitzpatrick suggested there was less pressure on him than Scheffler . The American is world No.1 and chasing his fourth major victory, having triumphed at the PGA Championship earlier this year.
'He's going to have the expectation to go out and dominate. I wouldn't say I necessarily feel as much pressure,' Fitzpatrick said. 'He's an exceptional player. He's world number one and we're seeing Tiger-like stuff.
'I think the pressure is for him to win the golf tournament. For me, I hope I'm going to have some more home support than him, but it's an exciting position for me to be in given where I was earlier this year.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
8 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Darts star Luke Littler tries out brand new sport and fans reckon they know where he learned his technique
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DARTS star Luke Littler turned his hand to GOLF during the middle of the World Matchplay. But his dismal technique saw him likened to hapless movie character Happy Gilmore by giggling fans. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Luke Littler swapped darts for golf but struggled to get his technique right Credit: X 4 The ace took a break ahead of his World Matchplay quarter-final tonight Credit: Getty Littler took a break from the oche after booking his place in the World Matchplay quarters with a stunning comeback against Jermaine Wattimena. The Nuke was 7-2 down before sealing a 13-11 victory to set up a clash against Andrew Gilding on Friday night. And to take his mind off the occasion, Littler decided to swap a darts board for a golf course. However, it was hardly The Open's Portrush course — with Littler instead opting for a game of crazy golf. READ MORE IN DARTS HARD TO WATCH Sky host can't keep straight face at darts ace Gilding's answer to question The teen donned his best shorts-and-hoodie combo as he joined Sky Sports for a day on the whimsical green. But Littler showed why he should be sticking to darts with a dismal performance. Hilarious video footage showed him struggling to get past one hole, which involved hitting the ball through a miniature cabin. At one stage, Littler even managed to knock his ball off the green and into some paving stones. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS But just like his win over Wattimena, the world champion stayed strong and eventually bounced back by potting the hole successfully. However, some fans felt Littler's approach was less Scottie Scheffler and more Happy Gilmore. Luke Littler stuns World Matchplay Darts with one of his greatest ever comebacks against Jermaine Wattimena 4 Littler was compared to movie character Happy Gilmore Credit: Netflix 4 The hockey star-turned-golfer famously had no technique and relied on a big drive Credit: Scott Yamano/Netflix The fictional character, played by Adam Sandler in 1996 and in a sequel released today, is a hockey player-turned-golfer who has little technique and gets by on his gigantic drive. One fan laughed: 'Littler holding a putter like he's Happy f*****g Gilmore.' Another declared: 'Never seen a putter before.' One noted: 'Mr Bean was better.' Another added: 'Golf isn't his game.'
Scottish Sun
8 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
I'm an F-cup & found a TikTok Shop bra that's so comfy I've slept in it – I've got so many colours & it's now half price
Plus, scroll down for top tips to keep your bras looking their best BUST MUST I'm an F-cup & found a TikTok Shop bra that's so comfy I've slept in it – I've got so many colours & it's now half price Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FASHIONISTA with size 36F boobs has claimed to have found a 'game changer' bra that is so comfortable you can sleep in it. Not only is it wireless and seriously comfortable, but according to Hannah Wakeman, there's 'no digging' either. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A bargain hunter has proudly showed off her recent purchases from TikTok Shop - wireless bras that she described as "game changing" Credit: tiktok@cleaningwithhan_ 2 Not only are the bras super affordable, but they're wireless and come in loads of colours too Credit: tiktok@cleaningwithhan_ Eager to show off her rave review of the affordable underwear, which has currently been slashed down to less than £12, the content creator took to social media and gave her followers a close-up look at her new bras. In response to a comment that read: 'Best bras I've ever worn, just got a second one, threw my old bras out,' Hannah held up the CURLADY Women's Comfortable Push Up Bras and beamed: 'These are SO comfortable ladies. Game changer. You need to try!' She then said: 'I had to get some more of these bras - these don't feel like you're wearing them, I don't go to sleep in bras, I never do that, but this bra I accidentally went to bed in it because I forgot it was on, that's how comfy it is. 'There's no digging, there's no wires, just pure comfort.' Now, Hannah has the purse-friendly bras in three colours - chocolate brown, black and nude. 'I needed some more, because I needed other colours to go under other tops,' she continued. There's eight colours to choose from, but that's not even the best part, as Hannah gushed: 'If you're worried about it not fitting, it does come with a back extender.' The CURLADY Women's Comfortable Push Up Bra is available to buy from TikTok Shop from sizes S to 3XL. Hannah, who is a size 12/14, confirmed that she buys the wireless and seamless bras, which have amassed an average rating of 4.5 out of five, in a size XL. 74,000 of the full coverage bras have now been sold and while they were once priced at £23.98, they have since been reduced by 50% off and are now down to only £11.99. Mum-of-two with 36D boobs shares the 'best bras' she's 'EVER worn' - and they're just £3 each Fashionistas gush The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @cleaningwithhan_, has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly gone viral and racked up 1.3 million views, 1,953 likes and 237 comments. And it's clear that Hannah isn't the only one to love these bargain bras - as many shoppers eagerly raced to the comments to share their thoughts. These are the best bras ever! I got myself all the colours! So comfy TikTok user One person said: 'These bras are fantastic. I've ordered loads of different bras, always gone in the bin ....but these are a game changer, they're beautiful and soft and I just forget I've got a bra on. I have six of these.' Another added: 'These bras are amazing. And I HATE bras! I have seven of them now.' Top bra tips Fabulous' Deputy Fashion Editor, Abby McHale has shared her tips for keeping your bras looking their best. 1. Don't wash your bras in the washing machine on their own, this is how your wiring will get damaged. Instead either wash in a pillowcase or take them in the shower with you and wash as you would your body. 2. Always start on the loosest hooks for your back, that way as the bra is worn more and the elastic stretches you can tighten it up with the tighter hooks. 3. If you wear your bra two to three times a week then it should last between six months to a year before you need to replace it. 4. You should always be able to feel your bra throughout the day, if you don't it means it's not doing its job properly. 5. It's actually the band across the back that keeps your boobs upright and not the cups itself. A third commented: 'I'm pregnant in the third trimester. These bras are an absolute godsend, so comfy!' Not only this, but someone else gushed: 'These are the best bras ever!!! I got myself all the colours! So comfy.' Whilst one fashionista explained: 'I bought one to try and was absolutely delighted. And the back extender was a bonus.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
The Guardian
8 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘City of singles': cosmopolitan prewar Paris's ‘crazy years' brought to life
In 1926, James Joyce was working on his novel Finnegans Wake while living in a spacious apartment in the 7th arrondissement of Paris with his partner, Nora Barnacle, and their two adult children, Giorgio and Lucia. Joyce's neighbours in the elegant stone building at 2 Square de Robiac included a Syrian family whose three children had an English nanny called Jessie, Russian émigrés, an Egyptian industrialist, and the US writers William and Elizabeth Placida Mahl. The details are part of a new exhibition that paints a portrait of the French capital a century ago when it was a hub for artists, intellectuals and young unattached men and women during the decade that became known as les années folles (the crazy years or roaring 20s). Curators at the Musée Carnavalet have drawn on work by researchers from France's National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS) using artificial intelligence to create a database of the 8m individual handwritten entries from the censuses of 1926, 1931 and 1936. The result is an almost comprehensive list of those recorded as living in the 80 districts of Paris's 20 arrondissements at a time when the population of the city reached 2.9 million people. Only the details of those in prisons, hospitals or religious institutions have not been released. 'It's absolutely fascinating. For the first time we can name almost every person who was registered as living in Paris during this period,' said Valérie Guillaume, the director of the Musée Carnavalet. 'From the information, we see Paris was a city of single, young adults and that there were many different nationalities. There were very few children in the city at that time.' As France recovered from the first world war, Paris attracted a cosmopolitan and global crowd of writers, artists, and musicians who mingled with people fleeing revolution, genocide and persecution, workers from France's colonies as well as young people from the countryside seeking jobs. While Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and Amedeo Modigliani were busy reshaping the art world, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and F Scott Fitzgerald were living it up in the French capital and George Orwell was down and out. Before 1926, population counts had been carried out in Paris, but the census that year was the first to give precise details of city inhabitants including date and place of birth, dependents and profession. Until now, the public has been able to consult the censuses in the Paris archives, but this has required a manual search. 'The artificial intelligence was trained to recognise letters and numbers in the handwritten entries in the census to create a database that can be searched and consulted. Entries that were ambiguous were checked by a human,' Guillaume said. 'It's never been done before because it's an enormous job; too big to manage without digital help.' Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion The Musée Carnavalet, which is dedicated to the history of Paris, said the censuses threw up a 'mosaic of diverse life stories in a whirlwind of memories and emotions'. Aside from the famous, including the US actor and entertainer Josephine Baker, the singers Édith Piaf (born Gassion) and Charles Aznavour (born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian), and the celebrated model Kiki de Montparnasse (Alice Prin), the exhibition focuses on ordinary Parisians. The data also reveals interesting comparisons between the 1920s, when the average lifespan of a Paris resident was 50-60 years, and now, when inhabitants live to aabout 80. As well as documents and photographs from the era, many of which have never been previously seen publicly, visitors to the exhibition will be able to consult the census database. 'People will be able to look for details of relatives who were living in Paris at the time or the names of people living in their building a century ago,' Guillaume said of the exhibition, which opens in October. The People of Paris 1926-1936 exhibition will also include newsreels and broadcasts from the era as well as recordings of Parisians recalling life in the city in the 1920s and 1930s made as part of a City Hall project in the 1990s. Joyce lived in Paris for 19 years, frequently moving address until the Nazi occupation of France in 1940, when the family moved to Zurich, where he died the following year. Finnegans Wake was finally published in 1939. As a matter of record, the 1926 census entry for the Joyce family is not entirely correct: the children are wrongly recorded as having been born in Ireland instead of Trieste, Italy, and Giorgio is recorded as Georges. 'This whole project is fascinating and a living thing. For the first time we can put a name to those registered as living in Paris during that decade,' Guillaume said. 'On one hand it is a very large mass of information and on the other it's personal because we are looking at individual people and their stories.'
