Matthew Fitzpatrick makes complaint about US Open: "Obviously it always sounds like sour grapes"

Former US Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick says the course set-up at Oakmont is 'straight unfair'. 

Fitzpatrick came into the third men's major of the year looking to get his mojo back. 

The Englishman has been off his game for quite some time. 

So much so, in fact, that he decided to part ways with his long-time caddie Billy Foster in March. 

The 30-year-old battled hard to make the cut this week but will not be winning his second US Open title tomorrow. 

"I personally don't think it's fair," Fitzpatrick told the Daily Mail after putting the finishing touches on a 74. 

The score left him on 9-over par for the championship, just one stroke better than Masters champion Rory McIlroy. 

"I think there's hard that's fair and there's just straight unfair. And I just think that this falls into that category, really.

"I just don't think it necessarily rewards good shots, and I think it penalises bad shots too harshly."

Fitzpatrick said when you hit greens as 'extreme' as the ones at Oakmont then it amplifies any miss. 

"I get that it's the same for everyone and you have got hit good shots and obviously it always sounds like sour grapes when a player complains," he said. 

“[But] I just feel like there's a line, you know, that could be very dangerous.

"I am a huge fan of the US Golf Association, I've played 11 US Opens now, and I feel like I've experienced what is hard and fair and what is hard and unfair over the course of my career now.

"I just feel like this falls into that category of unfair. I think Xander [Schauffele] said something great earlier this week.

"People watch the US Open to see us shoot eight over par and that's a good score – I completely agree with that. I love that.

"I think that's what makes it interesting from a normal week of shooting 25 under. 

"It is a tough golf course, but I think I don't necessarily feel like it needed to be made more extreme than it is."

Tyrrell Hatton gripe

Whilst Fitzpatrick is not in contention to win, his European Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton most definitely is. 

Hatton carded a fine 68 on Saturday and will play in one of the final groups tomorrow. 

The LIV Golf recruit didn't share Fitzpatrick's complaints about the set-up. 

He did, however, take issue with the thick grass inside the slopes of the bunkers. 

"I don't see the need to have so much rough in the side slopes of the bunkers," he told reporters.  

"The bunkers, the faces on them are so severe, if you go in them off the tee, you're not really reaching the green for the most part. 

"Certainly around the green, if you go in the bunker and you're short-sided anyway, they've done a hell of a job raking them this week because they're so flat, and almost certainly you feel like you're on a bit of a downslope, so they're still hard to play out of. 

"You're really struggling to hit a bunker shot close anyway. 

"So if the ball trickled back in the bunker, I don't see -- I would say that's probably a bit more fair than -- I've had two experiences this week of staying in the face.

"But that's how they've set it up this year, and it doesn't matter if I don't agree with it or every player in the field doesn't agree with it. 

"Everyone has to deal with it. It's just how it is."