Brothers Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick opened a four-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans after shooting a tournament-record better-ball third-round 57.
A round of 15-under par, one shot behind overnight, brought the British team to 30-under par, overhauling interim leaders Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who shot 61s, and fellow Americans Davis Thompson and Austin Eccroat.
The brothers combined for 13 birdies at TPC Louisiana, eight of them on the back nine, and Matt added an eagle on the par-5 seventh.
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Indian Open final round highlights from Alex Fitzpatrick’s first DP World Tour win
“It’s an amazing day,” said Matt Fitzpatrick. “To be honest, I’m probably not impressed with how well we played today.” “It was just a hole.
“He’s played outstanding golf the last two days,” Fitzpatrick said of his younger brother, who won the Indian Open last month. “His game has really turned around over the last few months and I believe he will continue that trend.”
“He’s doing all the right things and it was definitely good to have such a big impact on the back nine.”
If the Fitzpatrick brothers win the tournament, Matt would win his fifth career PGA Tour title and become the first player to win back-to-back events in two years (Scottie Scheffler: 2024 Masters Tournament/2024 RBC Heritage).
Alex has a two-year exemption from the PGA Tour through 2028, as well as exemptions from the next four signature events: the 2026 PGA Championship and the 2027 Players Championship.
Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who tied the course record with a 58 on Thursday with a better ball that lasted 48 hours, shot 62 and were tied for second with Davis Thompson and Austin Eckrot.
Doug Ghim and Jeffrey Kang shot 61 and rose to fourth place, five strokes behind.
Zach Bauchou recorded his first hole-in-one in this tournament since 2024 on the par-3 third hole. He and Sam Stevens shot 64 and were eight strokes behind.
Billy Horschel, the only player to win the individual and team events in Zurich, shot 64 with partner Tom Hoge. There are 7 shots left.
Sunday’s final round will see the team return to replacement shots.
How is the event conducted and what is the format?
The Zurich Classic is the only team event on the PGA Tour schedule where teams compete in a four-ball format over rounds one and three. Each golfer plays his or her ball and calculates the lowest score for each hole.
The second and final rounds change to a foursome format, with players taking turns taking shots using only one ball. Team scores for each hole are calculated based on the total number of strokes, and players alternate tee shots throughout the round.
After the first two rounds, the top 33 teams and tied teams advance to the weekend. If there is a tie after 72 holes, a sudden death playoff will be held to determine the winning team.
What are the prizes?
There is much at stake this week, with PGA Tour chiefs raising the prize money for the Zurich Classic from $9.2 million (£6.83 million) to $9.5 million (£7.05 million).
The winner will share 14.45% of the prize money, which is expected to be around $1.372 million (£1.02 million).
Players on the winning team will also receive 400 FedExCup points each, but OWGR points will not be available.
Champions will also gain access to some of the biggest tournaments of the 2027 season, including the Players Championship and PGA Championship. He will also be exempt from competing in the Zurich Classic for the next two years.
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