AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick are hoping to take advantage of a rare opportunity to win a PGA Tour event together.
The English brothers have played some of their best golf lately, and the field at this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans is down on star power because of the tour's jam-packed schedule.
“It’s been a nice start to the year for both of us,” said Matt Fitzpatrick, now ranked third in the world after a victory last weekend
in the RBC Heritage. “I feel like this year, our expectations are higher given the form that we had shown. ... We feel like we have as good a chance as anyone.”
The PGA Tour's only team event falls this season in the midst of a six-week span that includes two major championships (the Masters and the PGA Championship) and three signature events at Harbour Town, Doral and Quail Hollow.
That meant if top players elected to come to the Big Easy, they'd either have to play six straight weeks or skip one of the big-money, limited-field events.
Still, there are some high-profile names among the 74 two-man teams on the tee sheet for Thursday's opening round.
Those include Shane Lowry, who won the Zurich two years ago with Rory McIlroy and is now teaming up with five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, who is in his first season back on the PGA Tour after playing on the LIV Golf circuit.
“We’re going to have a good bit of fun out there,” Lowry said, praising Koepka's iron play. “My job is to try and hit it in the fairway and let him do his thing.”
Each player will play his own ball during the first and third rounds, with the team recording the better score on each hole. The second and final rounds use the more difficult alternate-shot format.
Last year's champions — Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak — are back to defend; former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark is paired with Taylor Moore; Billy Horschel, the only player to win the Zurich in both a single-player and team format, has joined forces with Tom Hoge; Sahith Theegala and Aaron Rai comprise a team of PGA Tour winners; and six-time tour winner Tony Finau joins Max Greyserman.
The field also includes some players who don't have the status to get regular starts on tour.
“Everyone that’s on the PGA Tour or has a conditional PGA Tour card, they’re still incredibly talented golfers,” Griffin said. “Maybe they just haven’t broken through yet.”
Griffin's first victory came at the Zurich — a breakthrough that preceded two more titles and a spot on last year's U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Matt Fitzpatrick arrived in New Orleans after edging world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff at Hilton Head on Sunday, giving the 2022 U.S. Open champion his second victory this season. The 31-year-old won the Valspar Championship in March.
In between those Fitzpatrick family triumphs came 27-year-old Alex's first European tour title at the Indian Open in March.
The Zurich offers the brothers their one chance to play together, as they've done the previous three years. Their best finish was 11th in 2024. A year ago, they missed the cut.
“Last year, I felt like both of us weren’t kind of playing the best of our ability,” Alex Fitzpatrick said. “Coming into the event was a little stressful.
“Obviously, this year with the form we’ve both been in, the expectations are high,” he continued. “But at the same time, it takes the pressure a little off because it feels more like we can enjoy this week.”
The only downer during Wednesday's pro-am came when Matt Fitzpatrick looked at his phone to see how the brothers' favorite soccer team, Sheffield United, was doing (Sheffield lost 3-1 to Blackburn).
“Hopefully, we don't play like them,” Alex said.
While players on the winning team do not get a spot in the Masters, each gets credit for a PGA Tour victory and a two-year exemption. Alex is not a full-time PGA Tour player.
“That would be something I might be thinking about if we’re coming down the stretch on Sunday and we’re in contention,” Alex said.
A good week for Koepka could move him high enough to earn a spot in the upcoming signature events. He was an alternate at Harbour Town.
Griffin and Novak enjoyed the novelty of seeing images of themselves as the defending champions on signs at the par-72 TPC Louisiana.
“We’re familiar with the golf course. We like the vibe. We play well in partner golf together,” Griffin said. “It will be fun to defend for the first time for both of us.”
Added Novak: “I don’t show up to many tournaments usually where I’m kind of the betting favorite.”
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