Matt Fitzpatrick is stepping onto the first tee at Aronimink this Thursday with history on his mind—and a golden opportunity to end a 107-year drought for English golfers at the US PGA Championship. The last Englishman to claim this title was Jim Barnes, who won the very first tournament back in 1916, then repeated in 1919. Since then? Nothing but silence for England at this major.
But if anyone can rewrite that story, it's the 31-year-old from Sheffield. Fitzpatrick isn't just playing well right now—he's playing the best golf of his life. Three wins in his last five starts and over $10.5 million already banked in 2026 have given him the hottest start to a PGA Tour season he's ever had. Only Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Cameron Young sit above him in the world rankings.
Fitzpatrick himself believes he's surpassed the level that brought him the 2022 US Open title. "I thought 2022 was my golden period," he says. "I always said for two or three years afterward that was the best I'd ever played. But the start of this year has definitely eclipsed that—the results are better, and the underlying numbers are stronger too. It's all happening so quickly, but I'm trying to cherish every moment."
His run began with a runner-up finish at the PGA Tour's flagship Players Championship in March, followed by a win at the Valspar Championship. He then turned heads with a strong showing at the Masters in April. But Fitzpatrick saved his biggest statement for the RBC Heritage, where he defeated world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a play-off to take the title. He followed that up with another victory alongside his brother Alex at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
What makes this surge so remarkable is the contrast to just 12 months ago. When Fitzpatrick arrived at Quail Hollow for the 2025 PGA Championship, he hadn't recorded a single top-20 finish that season and had slipped to 85th in the world rankings. Now, he's a top-five player on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained from tee to green, and strokes gained approaching the green—the kind of all-around dominance that wins majors.
With Aronimink's challenging layout demanding precision and composure, Fitzpatrick's game looks perfectly suited to end that century-long English wait. For fans who love to see history in the making—or just love a good comeback story—this week promises to be unforgettable.