Matt Fitzpatrick has demonstrated exceptional performance on the PGA Tour this year. Following his recent triumph at the RBC Heritage, he is set to compete throughout the upcoming weekend in New Orleans, partnered with his sibling, Alex.
Entering the second round of Friday’s Zurich Classic, the Fitzpatrick siblings were six strokes behind. However, the English duo delivered an outstanding 7-under 65 in the alternate shot format, propelling them to a shared second place at 15 under, just one stroke shy of front-runners Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, on a very tightly contested scoreboard.
Beginning their day on the back nine, the Fitzpatricks maintained a consistent, error-free scorecard for their initial eight holes. Subsequently, Matt executed an eagle chip-in on the 18th, advancing them to 4 under for the day and inspiring aspirations for a significantly low score. This eagle also served to compensate for what appeared to be a detrimental bogey on the 18th, which concluded their opening best ball round, occurring after both golfers sent their second shots into the water hazard.
A few imprecise shots caused them to fall considerably behind. Nevertheless, they recovered strongly on Friday, exhibiting minimal errors during their second round, which allowed them to ascend rapidly to a leading position.
“Our performance today was excellent. We hardly misplayed any shots,” stated Matt Fitzpatrick. “We sank crucial putts, had several promising birdie opportunities, and generally, our play was exceptionally consistent throughout the day.”
In total, they achieved six birdies, an eagle, and only one bogey, an impressive accomplishment in the alternate shot format. The siblings demonstrated a profound familiarity with each other’s playing styles as they navigated TPC Louisiana.
The current 2026 season has proven highly successful for the Fitzpatrick family. Matt has already secured two victories at the Valspar and RBC Heritage, effectively doubling his career PGA Tour wins, concurrently, Alex celebrated his inaugural career win on the DP World Tour at the Indian Open earlier in March.
Their aim now is to sustain this high level of play into the weekend and claim a joint victory. Such a win would hold unique significance for Matt, as clinching a third title this season would be remarkable, but crucially, it would pave the way for Alex’s potential transition to the PGA Tour.
Tension at the Cut Line
The format shift from best ball to alternate shot caused significant fluctuations on the leaderboard, culminating in an unpredictable Friday at the cut line. The leading 33 teams, including ties, advanced to the weekend, with the final threshold set at 10 under, merely six strokes behind the front-runners.
Among the prominent teams failing to advance were Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka, who were considered joint favorites with the Fitzpatricks at the start of the week. Despite a sluggish beginning in best ball, these two accomplished players delivered a commendable 3-under performance in alternate shot. However, this proved insufficient for weekend play, as they missed the cut by a single stroke, finishing at 9 under. This event was anticipated as an opportunity for Lowry and Koepka to conclude extended periods without a PGA Tour victory; instead, their failure to make the cut resulted in a setback in the FedEx Cup standings.
Their early departure from New Orleans was not an isolated incident of disappointment. Tony Finau and Max Greyserman also pushed to qualify for the weekend, achieving a 68 in alternate shot. Yet, they required one additional stroke to secure their spot, and Finau’s 10-foot birdie attempt on the final hole narrowly missed, leading to their premature exit. Conversely, two teams positioned within the top 10 at the start of the day—Jackson Suber and Stephan Jaeger, along with Michael Brennan and Johnny Keefer—experienced considerable difficulties, recording over-par rounds in alternate shot, which caused them to fall well outside the cut line.
However, the situation at the cut line wasn’t entirely bleak; several teams successfully carded crucial late birdies to secure their passage to the weekend. The standout instance involved David Lipsky, who chipped in from the 18th-hole bunker for a birdie, narrowly placing him and Rico Hoey within the cut.
Front-runners
1. Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer (-16)
The leaders after 18 holes experienced an erratic round, which led to a compression of the leaderboard. Nonetheless, despite not performing at their peak in alternate shot, the pair concluded robustly with consecutive late birdies on the 7th and 8th holes (having commenced play on the back nine), allowing them to reclaim the sole lead heading into the final rounds. In the previous year, Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak achieved their inaugural PGA Tour victories as a team, and Smalley and Springer aspire to replicate this success over the forthcoming two days.
Weekend Aspirants
T2. Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick, Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat, Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge (-15)
T5. Eric Cole and Hank Lebioda, Matt McCarty and Mac Meissner, Doug Ghim and Jeffrey Kang, Nick Dunlap and Gordon Sargent, Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura, Sam Stevens and Zach Bouchou (-14)
T11. Brice Garnett and Lee Hodges, Adam Svensson and Adam Hadwin, Ben Martin and Trace Crowe, Matti Schmid and Seamus Power (-13)
15. Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala (-12)
Realistically, every team that successfully passed the cut-off point remains a viable contender for the championship due to the tournament’s structure. As evidenced on Thursday, a pairing has the potential to achieve a 58 in best ball on Saturday and swiftly ascend the standings. Similarly, Friday demonstrated that alternate shot can just as rapidly destabilize a team, causing them to fall back.
This setup promises an exhilarating weekend, compelling every team to aim for exceptionally low scores during Saturday’s best ball round, followed by devising strategies to prevent mishaps on Sunday when they revert to alternate shot. Although teams within the top 15 will likely feel secure in their standings, even those who scraped into the cut at 10 under will commence Saturday only six strokes adrift, potentially posting an early score that firmly places them in contention for the ultimate round.
Latest Zurich Classic Betting Odds and Selections
- Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick (31/10)
- Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer (9/2)
- Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat (13/2)
- Sam Stevens and Zach Bouchou (19/2)
- Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura (19/2)
- Matt McCarty and Mac Meissner (10-1)
- Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge (11-1)
- Eric Cole and Hank Lebioda (15-1)
Making a confident prediction for a winner currently appears nearly unfeasible. However, my inclination is towards teams that performed more effectively in alternate shot, as this format will likely determine the outcome on Sunday. Among the top 10, Horschel and Hoge, Reitan and Ventura, and the Fitzpatrick siblings delivered three of the strongest alternate shot rounds. Lower on the leaderboard, Karl Vilips and Michael Thorbjornsen (55-1) made the cut with a 66 on Friday; if they can achieve their potential scores in best ball on Saturday, this duo could emerge as a significant contender this weekend.
