English siblings Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick have taken a commanding four-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, courtesy of a record-breaking better-ball third round of 57. The duo had begun the day just one stroke behind the leaders but surged to 30 under par, surpassing halfway leaders Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who carded a 61, as well as fellow Americans Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat. At TPC Louisiana, the brothers combined for an impressive 13 birdies, with eight of those coming in the back nine, and Matt also secured an eagle at the par-five seventh. According to Matt Fitzpatrick, "It's been an amazing day, but to be honest, I'm not sure it's fully sunk in just how well we played today.
It was just one great hole after another. My brother has been playing brilliant golf over the last two days, and his game has really turned a corner in recent months, so I have every confidence he'll keep up this form.
He's doing all the right things, and it was great to see him make such a big impact on the back nine." If the Fitzpatrick brothers emerge victorious, Matt will claim his fifth PGA Tour title and become the first player in over two years to secure back-to-back wins. Alex, meanwhile, will receive a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour through 2028, along with exemptions to the next four major events, including the 2026 PGA Championship and the 2027 Players Championship. Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who had tied the course record with a 58 in better ball on Thursday, shot 62 and dropped into a tie for second place with Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat.
Doug Ghim and Jeffrey Kang carded 61 to move into fourth, five shots off the pace. Zach Bauchou achieved the event's first hole-in-one since 2024 on the par-three third hole and, along with Sam Stevens, finished with a 64, eight shots behind the leaders. Billy Horschel, the only player to have won the Zurich Classic in both individual and team formats, shot a 64 with partner Tom Hoge and trailed by seven shots.
The final round on Sunday will see the teams switch to alternate shot. The Zurich Classic is the PGA Tour's sole team event, with teams competing in a four-ball format during the first and third rounds, before moving to a foursomes format for the second and final rounds. The winners will share a significant portion of the $9.5m prize purse and gain entry to several major tournaments in the 2027 season, including The Players Championship and The PGA Championship.