Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick surrendered a four-stroke lead but combined to birdie the final hole in a dramatic victory at the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic pairs event on Sunday. The English duo posted a one-under 71 in the final-round alternate shot format in New Orleans, with world number three Matt bagging his second PGA Tour title in as many weeks after winning the RBC Heritage.
Alex, a DP World Tour regular, earned PGA Tour playing status through 2028, including an exemption to play in the upcoming PGA Championship, the second men’s major of the year. Alex Fitzpatrick, 27, made the winning putt after Matt fired a bunker shot within two feet of the cup as they finished 31-under par for the tournament. “I’m still shaking,” Alex Fitzpatrick said. “It was crazy.”
The duo of Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer and the Norwegian team of Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura shared second place, both teams on 30-under. Reitan and Ventura had seized a share of the lead with an eagle at the 18th, where Reitan’s shot into the green left Ventura a seven-foot putt. Smalley and Springer were tied for the lead until a bogey at 17 but birdied 18.
The Fitzpatricks had begun the day with a four-stroke advantage and were three-under through their first 11 holes. A double bogey on the 12th and a bogey at 14 saw their lead evaporate. “I felt like we played great for the first 11 holes,” Matt Fitzpatrick said. “We were really, really, really steady, really solid and didn’t really put a foot wrong. Just the one hole on 12, you’ve made that, and you quickly are sort of scrambling a little bit. From then on I felt like I struggled with my game, and I didn’t play well. Alex played fantastic. He really sort of managed to keep us in it.”
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