Fitzpatrick brothers post record 57 for 4-shot lead in Zurich Classic
AVONDALE, La. — – Matt Fitzpatrick and his youthful brother Alex shot a tournament-record 15-under 57 in better-ball play on Saturday, giving them a four-shot lead heading into the ultimate spherical of the Zurich Classic.
“Amazing day. Probably not kind of sunk in how well we played today, if I’m honest,” Matt Fitzpatrick stated. “It was just hole after hole.”
The Englishmen had been at 30-under 186 by means of 54 holes – additionally a record on the PGA Tour’s solely staff occasion.
Matt Fitzpatrick continued to ship after arriving as arguably the most popular participant in golf with two wins this spring, together with final weekend at Harbor Town. The elder brother, ranked third in the world, highlighted his spherical with a chip-in birdie on the primary gap and a 33 1/2-foot putt for eagle on the par-5 seventh.
His 210-yard strategy with a 5-iron on No. 12 settled 4 toes from the opening, organising a birdie that gave the Fitzpatricks a lead they maintained for the remainder of the day.
Alex Fitzpatrick, who performs on the European tour, held up his finish as he seeks his first PGA Tour title, which might give him an exemption by means of 2028 on the identical tour as his extra achieved brother.
“He played brilliant golf both last two days. His game has really turned a corner these last few months, and I believe in him to continue that trend,” Elder Fitzpatrick stated of his youthful brother, who received the Indian Open final month. “He’s doing all the right things, and obviously it was nice for him to have such a big impact there on the back nine.”
Alex Fitzpatrick discovered the inexperienced on the par-4 eighth with a 325-yard tee shot to arrange a birdie. I birdied the sixteenth with a brief chip-in and the par-3 seventeenth with an 18-foot putt. Alex reached the par-5 18th inexperienced in two to arrange his staff’s eighth birdie of the again 9.
“For me, it feels like no matter what happens tomorrow, it’s going to be a great week regardless,” Alex stated. “You know, just spending time with family that I don’t get to do very often is very, very nice. It makes it a little nicer that we’re playing good golf.”
The new low on the TPC Louisiana got here after a pre-dawn thunderstorm that resulted in gamers being allowed to elevate, clear and place their golf balls in the green. The wind additionally died down as heat, humid air settled over the old-growth cypress swamp on which the course was constructed for a lot of the spherical earlier than a breeze returned late in the day.
“I didn’t think we would have the score we have,” Alex Fitzpatrick stated. “We’ve definitely exceeded our expectations for today.”
Alex Smalley and Hayden Springerwho had a course record-tying 58 in higher ball on Thursday that held up for all of 48 hours, shot 62 and dropped right into a tie for second with Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroot.
Doug Ghim and Jeffrey Kang shot 61 to maneuver into fourth, 5 pictures again.
Zach Bauchou had the occasion’s first hole-in-one since 2024 on the par-3 third gap. He and Sam Stevens completed with a 64 and had been eight pictures behind.
Billy Horschel – the one participant to win the Zurich as a person and in the staff format – shot a 64 with associate Tom Hoge. They had been seven pictures again heading into Sunday.
