Matt Fitzpatrick received a police escort at the 2026 US Open for reasons not made public. The protective measure became the stage for a quintessential moment when his father, Russell Fitzpatrick, met the officer assigned to accompany his son for Friday and Saturday rounds.

“That’s fantastic. Keep him in check,” Matt Fitzpatrick’s father said when the police officer introduced him and his duties for two days. “Keep him in check. Not letting him do anything he shouldn’t be doing.”

Sky Sports Golf captured the entire exchange in a video posted on X. The video has since gone viral with 36,ooo views and many comments.

The video encapsulates the Fitzpatrick family dynamic. But there’s another reason why the joke landed perfectly. The English professional is vocal about his views. For example, he is one of the most open critics of slow play. In April 2023, he called slow play a “disgrace” in an interview with Sky Sports.

Similarly, he called his experience at the 2026 Valspar Championship “really frustrating” because of the same issue. While he didn’t specifically call out his playing partner, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, NBC also complained about it, and Chassart received a warning.

Since Matt Fitzpatrick is vocal about pointing out others’ misconduct, his father’s jab of keeping him in check seems fitting.

Matt Fitzpatrick and Russell Fitzpatrick share a friendly relationship. His father has always supported him and continues to do so. Even today, he is seen at many events, like the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. However, he witnessed hateful comments like “sl*t his throat, Berger” being thrown at the English professional during his singles match vs. Daniel Berger. Therefore, Russell Fitzpatrick and his wife, Susan Fitzpatrick, chose not to attend the 2025 Ryder Cup in person.

Like at many other events, Russell Fitzpatrick is present at Shinnecock Hills to support his son, who is performing exceptionally well to this point. In the first two rounds, the 5-time PGA Tour winner scored 67 and 70 to finish 3-under par. Four shots short of the leader, Wyndham Clark, he was tied for 2nd along with Xander Schauffele and others after the second round.

Fitzpatrick is not the first one to receive this special treatment. Police have escorted many other professionals throughout the game’s history for safety reasons. Tiger Woods, for instance, didn’t just receive an escort; the PGA Tour had to hire six former FBI agents to ensure his safety at the 1997 Masters.

Rory McIlroy has also had the honor a couple of times. In 2019, he got a police escort for the third round of the BMW Championship. The local police offered him an escort, which he accepted.

When he arrived on the course, the announcer teased him, saying, “From Northern Ireland, who is here thankfully on time, the 2016 FedEx Cup champion … please welcome Rory McIlroy.”

He was referring to another police escort he had back in 2012 during the Ryder Cup at Medinah. Back then, he mixed up his start time with the final day of the biennial event. A police officer came to his rescue and escorted him to the course.

Police escorts had already played memorable roles in golf history. At the 2026 U.S. Open, though, Matt Fitzpatrick’s escort became memorable for a different reason, thanks to Russell Fitzpatrick’s witty request.