LOS ANGELES — Matthew Fitzpatrick made his U.S. Open title defense a bit more memorable on Friday with a hole-in-one on the 15th hole at Los Angeles Country Club.
The ace, which Fitzpatrick said was his first as a pro in tournament competition, likely was the difference between making the cut and missing it.
Fitzpatrick stands at 1-over, and the ace helped him make the cut, which was set at 2-over. But he still trails second-round leader Rickie Fowler by 11 strokes.
“As soon as I hit it, I thought that it got a good chance of going close,’’ said Fitzpatrick, the winner last year at Brookline. “Dead center. My hand was a bit sore afterward, I’ll be honest, after all the high-fiving. But, yeah, it was good.’’
Fitzpatrick didn’t see it go in, but the reaction of the crowd at the 110-yard uphill par-3 told him all he needed to know.
He began a wild celebration, sharing high fives with his caddie, Billy Foster, and playing partner, Cam Smith.
“As soon as I hit it, I felt like it was a good number and a good distance, so I knew it was going to be in and around the hole.
“Obviously didn’t expect it to go in, but, yeah, it was a pleasant surprise. It was so exciting to see it and the first ever professional hole-in-one. Without that, I probably wouldn’t be here for the weekend. So, yeah, it was needed.
“It means a lot,’’ Fitzpatrick added. “Obviously, I really wanted to play here all week. Defending champion here makes it a little bit more special to play out the week, regardless of the position.’’
Fitzpatrick understandably called No. 15, the shortest hole on the course, “a great hole … miles better than the other two long par-3s. It’s not even a contest.’’
Padraig Harrington, who shot 1-under on Friday to get to 2-over and on the cutline with the afternoon wave of players still playing, still fancies himself, at age 51, as capable of winning a major.
“I still think I’m a player,’’ Harrington said. “You know what? I’m a lot better than I was two years ago when I finished fourth at the PGA. I putt a lot better than that, my game is a lot better, I hit the ball better.’’
Harrington said jokingly before the tournament began that he might “give up a body part’’ for a 4-under score this week.
When reminded on Friday that he needed to go to 6-under over the weekend to get there, he said with a smile, “It’s doable. It’s not going to win the tournament. They’re not giving up body parts for that anymore. No, that was negotiation before the start of the week.”
Sam Bennett, who was a star at the Masters as the low amateur, is putting on quite a performance this week. He stood at 5-under after shooting a second-round 68. Bennett turned pro after Augusta and is acquitting himself quite well.
“Amateur golf has prepared me well,’’ he said.
Asked what his goal is for the week, Bennett said: “I didn’t really have a goal. I mean, to win. I put myself in a situation, I find myself in a good spot going into the weekend, then I’m really excited to tee it up tomorrow.’’
The low round from the early wave of tee times was Min Woo Lee’s 5-under 65, which got him to 6-under for the tournament.
“Everything is working pretty good,’’ he said. “[LACC] reminds me of Royal Melbourne and a few Melbourne courses.’’