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Fitzpatricks' historic win earns younger brother Alex PGA Tour card
TL;DR
Alex Fitzpatrick secured his PGA Tour card after a historic win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside his brother, Matt Fitzpatrick. They finished with a score of -31, leading the tournament.
Key points
- Alex Fitzpatrick won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans
- Matt Fitzpatrick partnered with Alex in the tournament
- The Fitzpatricks finished with a score of -31
- K Reitan and K Ventura were runners-up at -30
- This win secures Alex's PGA Tour card
Mentioned in this story
Alex FitzpatrickMatt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Figure caption,
Fitzpatricks win Zurich classic to seal Alex's Tour card
Zurich Classic of New Orleans, final round
-31 A Fitzpatrick/M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -30 K Reitan/K Ventura (Nor), A Smalley/H Springer (US); -28 T Crowe/B Martin (US), JS Olesen/R Neergaard-Petersen (Den)
Selected others: -26 S Power/M Schmid (Ire/Ger); -25 D Brown/J Parry (Eng); -22 A Rai/S Theegala (Eng/US); -20 M Penge/M Wallace (Eng)
Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick made history by becoming the first brothers to win a PGA Tour event at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs tournament.
The English brothers started the final round with a four-shot lead, having set a tournament record score on Saturday, but struggled to find their rhythm and had to endure a nervy finish.
A double bogey on the 12th was followed by a bogey on 14 which opened the door for Norwegian duo Kristoffer Reitan and Kristoffer Ventura and Americans Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer.
It was a three-way tie on 30 under par with two pairings in the clubhouse when the Fitzpatricks were left on the final hole.
But world number three Matt played a beautiful shot from the bunker to leave Alex a simple birdie putt from just a couple of yards to wrap up a historic victory at TPC Louisiana.
Younger brother Alex, 27, was seventh in the Race to Dubai at the start of the week, with the top 10 earning a PGA Tour card but Sunday's victory earns him automatic membership of the Tour through to 2028.
It also gives him entry into the rest of the Tour's Signature Events which carry enhanced prize money, plus a spot at next month's PGA Championship and the Players Championship next year.
It comes after the world number 141 claimed his first career title on the DP World Tour in March at the Hero Indian Open.
"It won't sink in," said Alex.
"It's amazing to be here with him, my mum and dad. It's a lot of hard work and I can't believe we've done it.
"It's as good as it gets."
He added: "Winning a couple of weeks ago on the DP World Tour was the first time that I had an exemption for over a year.
"It's always been a battle to have some form of status somewhere, so it was nice to have some eligibility that I know that I'm going to be okay for a few years. It's pretty surreal. I don't think it will set in for a long time."
The Fitzpatricks missed the cut in last year's Zurich Classic and finished in a tie for 11th in 2024.
Q&A
How did Alex Fitzpatrick earn his PGA Tour card?
Alex Fitzpatrick earned his PGA Tour card by winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with his brother, Matt Fitzpatrick.
What was the final score of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans?
The final score of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans was -31 for the Fitzpatrick brothers.
Who were the runners-up at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans?
The runners-up at the Zurich Classic were K Reitan and K Ventura, along with A Smalley and H Springer, both finishing at -30.
What is significant about the Fitzpatrick brothers' win?
The win is significant as it marks a historic achievement for Alex Fitzpatrick, securing his place on the PGA Tour.
