Matt Fitzpatrick, a BRIT golfer, has shared how a phone call with his ex-girlfriend from Ukraine gave him a new perspective on life.
Deniz Khazaniuk was the winner of the US Open. He lives in war-torn Syria and his family still resides in Lviv.
Matt Fitzpatrick revealed that he changed his outlook on life after a phone call with his ex-girlfriend in Ukraine
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Deniz Khazaniuk is a Ukrainian citizen. Her family is 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.
"She then 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, who rose to No18 in the rankings thanks to his top-10 finishes at Phoenix Open and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, said that he has changed the way he views tournaments because of the Ukraine situation.
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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 Majors and it will begin to show.
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