2023 Tour Championship: Top 10 power rankings at East Lake

Just a month ago at The Open Championship, Matt Fitzpatrick was warning us not to bet on him to win at Royal Liverpool.

Now, he’s a Viktor Hovland 61 away from potentially winning the BMW Championship.

Fitzpatrick finished two shots back in a tie for second place after carding rounds of 66-67-66-66 at a former major championship venue, Olympia Fields.

It looked like it was either his or Scottie Scheffler’s to win until Hovland’s 28 on the back nine.

Fitzpatrick took the loss in stride while chiding his friend, Hovland.

“Can’t do anything about 61. I did just see Viktor — I called him a little shit,” Fitzpatrick said jokingly in a clip the PGA Tour posted on social media with a bleep.

"“But for me, just really pleased again that I played really well final round in contention with World No. 1, and I didn’t lose it. Someone else came from behind and won it. Can’t do anything about that.”"

Fitzy hasn’t been as consistent as he was last year when he won his maiden major championship at the U.S. Open. Injuries have played a part in that.

He found some form this week right in the nick of time before he tries to help Europe reclaim the Ryder Cup this fall in Rome.

Plus, it’s not like Fitzpatrick has been in the wilderness this season. He won a designated event, the RBC Heritage. The Englishman owns five top-10s and had two top-20s and three made cuts at the majors.

Fitzpatrick ranks 19th on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained per round (.966) and is gaining strokes in every category.

He’s done well to add distance throughout his bag in recent seasons. That will help him be able to attack instead of play on the defensive at a tough course this week.

This is the 28-year-old’s second trip to East Lake. Fitzpatrick finished T-15th on the official net leaderboard and T-16th on the gross leaderboard with rounds of 64-71-67-70 last year.