Matt Fitzpatrick, who had been in impressive form with recent wins at the RBC Heritage and Valspar Championship, relied on his younger brother Alex to seal the victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Despite holding a significant four-shot lead on the back nine, the Fitzpatrick brothers encountered difficulties, including a double-bogey on the 12th hole and a bogey on the 14th, which saw their lead diminish. However, Alex Fitzpatrick delivered crucial shots to keep their team in contention for the lead.
On the par-5 18th hole, Matt Fitzpatrick executed a remarkable bunker shot that left the ball just inches from the pin. Alex, showing incredible composure, sank the subsequent birdie putt, securing a hard-fought one-shot victory for the siblings.
“To win a team event on the PGA Tour with my brother, I don’t know if it gets any better than that,” expressed a jubilant Matt Fitzpatrick, a 2022 U.S. Open champion. “That’s how special it feels. To get over the line the way we did and to hang in there on the back nine is incredible.”
Fitzpatrick Brothers Show Resilience After Losing Lead
The English pair finished with a 1-under-par 71 in the alternate-shot format, setting a new tournament record with a total score of 31-under 257. They narrowly defeated the teams of Kristoffer Reitan/Kris Ventura and Alex Smalley/Hayden Springer, who tied for second place.
Matt Fitzpatrick admitted to a challenging stretch from the 12th to the 14th holes, stating, “I felt like we played great for the first 11 holes. We were really, really, really steady, really solid. Then I hit a terrible tee shot on 12, terrible second shot on 13, terrible tee shot on 14. I kind of felt like what the hell is going on here? I felt like I lost my swing.” He acknowledged Alex’s pivotal role in keeping them competitive during this difficult period.
“It wasn’t Matt’s finest tee shot on 12, but at least from my point of view, even though it wasn’t his best three-hole stretch (from 12-14), he’s one of the best players in the world,” commented Alex Fitzpatrick. “For me it was like it’s only a matter of time before he’ll come back. It was just about trying to keep him involved. As long as I could keep us going, I felt like we were going to hit a couple of more good shots coming down the stretch and give ourselves a chance.”
Following Matt’s errant tee shot on the 12th, Alex’s skillful flop shot on the 13th saved par. Although they bogeyed the 14th after Matt’s tee shot found a bunker, they rallied with crucial par saves on subsequent holes, with both brothers contributing. Matt’s adept putting and chipping, coupled with Alex’s solid play, kept them in contention.
Clutch Performance on the Final Hole
Entering the 18th tee tied for the lead, Matt Fitzpatrick delivered an excellent drive, setting up Alex for a lengthy second shot. Alex’s approach landed in a greenside bunker, from where Matt produced an exceptional shot that rolled to within inches of the hole, setting up an easy birdie opportunity.
“When I got there, the lie was just absolutely obscenely good. It was literally like it sat on a tee peg,” Matt described his bunker shot. “I knew that it was going to spin, and I knew I had to kind of be aggressive with it. I’d say it’s as good a bunker shot as I’ve ever hit, but that may be lying. But to hit it the way I did and to finish where it did to make it the most stress-free tap-in of all time pretty much for such a big occasion was really, really nice.”
This victory not only secured the tournament title but also earned Alex Fitzpatrick a two-and-a-half-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
“I thought I was going to miss the putt, stood over it, even though it was so short. I couldn’t feel my hands, couldn’t feel my legs, couldn’t feel anything,” Alex recounted, still overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment. “I’m still lost for words. Just an overwhelming emotion of happiness.”
