The English siblings, Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick, entered the final day of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a comfortable four‑stroke lead after a historic better‑ball round that saw them post a tournament‑record 57. Their 15‑under‑par performance vaulted the pair to a cumulative 30‑under, eclipsing the previous leaders, Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who had carded a 61, as well as fellow Americans Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat.
At TPC Louisiana the brothers demonstrated an aggressive brand of golf, racking up 13 birdies over the course of the round, eight of which came on the back nine alone. Matt also added an eagle on the par‑five seventh hole, a decisive swing that helped to stretch their lead even further.
"Amazing day. It probably hasn't fully sunk in how well we played today, if I'm honest," Matt said after the round.
"It was just hole after hole." Alex praised his younger sibling, noting the progress he has made recently. "He played brilliant golf both last two days," Alex observed of Matt, who had just captured the Indian Open a month earlier. "His game has really turned a corner these last few months, and I believe he will keep that momentum going. 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 Fitzpatricks can hold on for the victory, Matt would notch his fifth PGA Tour win and would become the first player in more than two years to claim back‑to‑back titles on the tour, a feat previously achieved by Scottie Scheffler, who won the 2024 Masters and the 2024 RBC Heritage in consecutive weeks.
The win would also grant Alex a two‑year exemption on the PGA Tour through the 2028 season, plus entry into the next four signature events, including the 2026 PGA Championship and the 2027 Players Championship. Meanwhile, the previous leaders, Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who had set a course‑record‑tying 58 in the better‑ball format on Thursday—a score that held for 48 hours—shot a 62 on Saturday and fell into a tie for second place with Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat. Doug Ghim and Jeffrey Kang posted a 61 to move into fourth, five strokes off the lead.
Zach Bauchou recorded the tournament's first hole‑in‑one since 2024 on the par‑three third hole. He and partner Sam Stevens closed with a 64, leaving them eight shots behind the leaders.
Veteran Billy Horschel, the only player to have won the Zurich Classic both as an individual and as part of a team, posted a 64 with partner Tom Hoge, sitting seven strokes back. The final round on Sunday will shift to the alternate‑shot (foursomes) format, where teammates share a single ball and take turns hitting shots.
This change in structure often reshapes the leaderboard, as it tests teamwork and strategic shot‑making under pressure. The Zurich Classic remains the PGA Tour's sole team‑oriented event.
The first and third rounds are played as four‑ball, where each player plays their own ball and the lower score on each hole counts for the team. The second and final rounds are contested as foursomes, with players alternating shots and teeing off on opposite holes. After 36 holes, the top 33 teams and ties advance to the weekend, and any tie after 72 holes is settled via a sudden‑death playoff.
This year’s tournament carries heightened financial stakes. Tour officials have increased the total purse from $9.2 million (£6.83 million) to $9.5 million (£7.05 million).
The winning duo will split roughly 14.45 percent of the pot, which translates to about $1.372 million (£1.02 million) per player. In addition to the monetary reward, each member of the victorious team will earn 400 FedExCup points, though the event does not award Official World Golf Ranking points. Beyond the immediate payout, the champions secure valuable exemptions for the 2027 season, including invitations to marquee tournaments such as the Players Championship and the PGA Championship. They also lock in a two‑year exemption to return to the Zurich Classic, ensuring they can defend their title without having to qualify.
The tournament has been a showcase for both seasoned veterans and rising talent, highlighting the unique dynamic of pairings where chemistry and complementary skill sets can outweigh individual brilliance. The Fitzpatrick brothers, already well‑known for their individual achievements on the European Tour and PGA Tour, have demonstrated that their shared understanding of the game can produce extraordinary results when they collaborate. As the weekend draws to a close, fans can anticipate a dramatic showdown on the final holes, where the pressure of the alternate‑shot format may either preserve the Fitzpatricks' lead or provide an opening for the chasing pack.
Regardless of the outcome, the performance of Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick has already added a memorable chapter to the history of the Zurich Classic, illustrating how teamwork can produce scores that redefine what is possible in a professional tournament setting.