Matt Fitzpatrick's US Open victory feeling '10 million times better than I thought'

Matt Fitzpatrick admitted he was still getting used to his status as a major champion, six months on from his emotional victory in the US Open at Brookline.

In a special programme for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds the 28-year-old from Sheffield said: "It was 10 million times better than I thought it would feel after winning a major.

"It was so incredibly rewarding."

• Listen on BBC Sounds - Matt Fitzpatrick: A major champion

But Fitzpatrick, who won the US Amateur Championship on the same Massachusetts course in 2013, also conceded he has been experiencing mixed feelings since lifting the trophy.

"It's very weird," he admitted. "I've done it and it's like 'perfect let's go and try and win more' but at the same time I've had 'well I've done it now, why do I have to do any more?'

"I've spoken to a few people about it and it's a very common trait after they achieve success. I've always pushed myself hard, people always say you're too hard on yourself and I probably am.

"But it's been leading up to that moment to win a major championship. The first few weeks afterwards it's like pure elation and everything is amazing and then the dust settles and you've got to get yourself up and do that all over again."

Fitzpatrick is enjoying a welcome winter break and it is unlikely he will spend much of the time working on his game. Any golf he plays will be purely recreational.

"Right now I'm just trying to find that balance," he said.

The show details his epic one-shot victory at the Country Club over Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and his fellow American Will Zalatoris.

As well as Fitzpatrick, the programme hears from his caddie Billy Foster, coach Mike Walker and the player's family.

Foster told us about the phone call he made to his player because his on-course attitude was so poor - he was "tripping over his bottom lip" - in a tournament at Hilton Head the week after this year's Masters.

"It's the only time I've ever FaceTimed him and I just told him straight," Foster stated. "I said; 'look everything about your game, the work ethic, the way you drive it, the way you chip, the way you putt, the way you go about everything is so professional.

"It's 10 out of 10 Matt, but your attitude is two out of 10. It sucks. And if you ever want to achieve what you want to achieve you need to address it otherwise you're never going to achieve what I believe you can achieve.

"Let me tell you, you are so close. You're on the cusp of something so big here so get your attitude sorted, alright? And I left him with it."

At the next major, the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills, Fitzpatrick showed a marked improvement and was in contention until the final two holes. But for the player Brookline was always the primary target.

Famously he stayed with his family at the same home near Boston as he had done when winning the US Amateur nine years earlier. The owners were the Fultons and Will Fulton was the general chairman in charge of the US Open at Brookline.

"When he came back he wanted everybody in the same bedroom," Will told the programme. "He wanted everybody to do exactly what we did in 2013.

"We have four children and they're older now and nine years ago they were obviously little kids. So everybody had to go back to the same spots and sleep in the same beds and it worked out perfectly."

Walker, who has coached Fitzpatrick for 13 years, says the golfer is prone to working too hard but from the moment he started teaching him he possessed an attitude that set him apart from the rest.

"The psychological maturity that he had was way beyond his years at the time," Walker said. "From an early age he was always wanting to tick every box with a no stone unturned kind of mentality."

Walker also told the story of how Fitzpatrick's youthful looks led to him being a victim of mistaken identity when he made his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine in 2016.

"He went to the merchandise tent and they asked him how the junior Ryder Cup had gone. He had to say, no I'm playing next week!" Walker said.

Now Fitzpatrick has transformed himself into one of the game's biggest hitters, who has reached the heights of his profession. His nine-iron from a fairway bunker at the last to set up a championship-winning par was an unforgettable moment.

"He hit the golf shot off the season," said Foster who endured a string of near misses in majors when carrying the bags of players such as Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood.

"Fitz is arguably the most professional player I've ever worked with," Foster added. "His work ethic, the effort he puts into every department of his game.

"He writes down every shot, whether it's on the range, and everything goes into his spreadsheet. It's incredible."

All these efforts culminated in this extraordinary major triumph and wonderful moments enjoyed by the close knit community around the player.

Will Fulton recalled sitting at home the morning after the victory. He said: "About 7am I'm there by myself having this quiet moment and Matt sticks his head around the corner and he leans in.

"And I see him looking at me and I say 'hey congratulations'. And in his left hand he swings the US Open trophy around in front of him.

"We both start laughing and we probably talked for an hour, just the two of us. It is a moment in my life that I will never forget."

Everything about that triumph, you sense, is indelibly imprinted on the memories of all those involved.

Although it seems the dust is still settling, it is a fair guess that soon enough Fitzpatrick will be ready to go again full tilt in pursuit of more major glory.