Matt Fitzpatrick Makes Honest Revelation on Wife Katherine Gaal's Special Tradition During The Open

Matt Fitzpatrick Makes Honest Revelation on Wife Katherine Gaal's Special Tradition During The Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush is heating up, with Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick competing for top spot this weekend. Fitzpatrick sits at eleven par presently at the third round while Scheffler leads the tournament.

Scheffler shot a brilliant 64 on Friday and Fitzpatrick followed closely with a five-under 66. Scheffler, the world No. 1, is aiming for his second major of the season, while Fitzpatrick is chasing his second career major after his U.S. Open win in 2022.

While Fitzpatrick's performance has grabbed headlines, his post-round press conference took an unexpected turn. His wife, Katherine Gaal, is a talking point now with her Instagram video.

In the clip, Katherine is seen marking golf balls with messages like “I love you” and “MF is cute,” claiming it’s her way of supporting him. “I always mark my husband’s golf ball up for every tournament he plays,” she said, adding it’s a fun tradition, though her tone suggested it was mostly tongue-in-cheek.

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A post shared by Katherine Fitzpatrick (@katherinefitz)

However, Fitzpatrick was quick to shut down any suggestion that he used those marked balls during The Open. “She does not mark my golf balls,” he clarified per the Mirror. “She does not, no, and I would not let her, no.” When asked if he used the specific balls from Katherine’s video, he simply replied, “I have not, no.”

Matt Fitzpatrick magic on 2.

Matt makes an eagle to tie the lead with Scottie. pic.twitter.com/IUt8fhKGDl

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2025

While Fitzpatrick has cut in all three majors this year, he’s never finished higher than T-20 at The Open. But this time, just one shot off the lead, he’s firmly in contention, golf balls marked or not.

Related: Rory McIlroy Sends Honest Message During Second Round of the Open Championship

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.