Matt Fitzpatrick, a Brit golfer, has shared the heartbreaking phone call he had with his Ukrainian ex-girlfriend. It gave him a new perspective on life.

Deniz Khazaniuk is Deniz's former partner. He lives in war-torn Syria and his family still resides in Lviv.

Fitzpatrick said to Sportsmail in March that she was talking about her grandmother who has had two strokes recently and cannot walk. She can't even go anywhere.

"Then, she told me about her uncle, who had just packed his bag and was going to fight tomorrow.

"I was in Florida, ready to practice and I noticed the stark contrast between what he might do and what I do.

Fitzpatrick has reached No18 in the world, thanks to his top-10 finishes at both the Phoenix Open as well as the Pebble Beach pro-am. Fitzpatrick admitted that the Ukrainian situation has changed his view of tournaments.

More information in sport

FITZ RIGHT IN

After a brilliant day, Fitzpatrick is on the verge of joining Nicklaus' record books.

TOP TIPS

Six picks for US Open, including two Major champions as well as a 200/1 shot

He said, "I had already made a decision to be kinder to myself this year and to appreciate all I have. But that phone call only confirmed that I didn't want to live my whole life worrying about winning golf tournaments."

"It's true that I want to win, but there must be balance.

"People around me tell me that I'm different in major weeks, and although I don't see it myself, it's something I need to work on.

"I feel like I'm a completely different player from 2015-18. I hope I can start to relax in the majors, and it will begin to show."

Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris are currently tied for first at the US Open, with Jon Rahm just one shot behind.

If he wins, it will be his first majors win. A fifth-place finish at this year's PGA Championship would be his best performance to date.