For years, Matt Fitzpatrick was the more recognized name among the golfing brothers from England. But this season, he’s been content to let his younger sibling Alex take center stage.
“I’m probably known as Alex’s brother now, rather than him being Matt’s brother,” the elder Fitzpatrick said Monday ahead of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.
Alex Fitzpatrick is set to compete in only his second major championship, while Matt aims for his second major title this week outside Philadelphia—a fitting backdrop for a tale of brotherly support.
Matt won the 2013 U.S. Amateur at Brookline with Alex as his caddie. Nine years later on the same course, he captured his first major, the U.S. Open, with Alex again by his side.
At that time, Alex’s playing career was modest: he made five of seven cuts on the DP World Tour. It took him four years of hard work before earning his first professional win at the Hero Indian Open this past March.
Then came the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The Fitzpatrick brothers teamed up for the fourth consecutive year, and playing some of the best golf of their lives, they won the title. That victory earned Alex a PGA Tour card and a spot in this week’s championship.
The brothers haven’t had much time to soak it all in.
“We honestly haven’t had much chance to sit down and take it all in,” said Matt, who also won the Valspar Championship and the RBC Heritage this spring before the Zurich. “I think we’re both off next week, so maybe we’ll do something then. But neither of us drink, so it won’t be anything crazy.”
Alex has proven he deserves his PGA Tour status. Since the Zurich, he tied for ninth at the Cadillac Championship and finished fourth at the Truist Championship after holding the 54-hole lead.
“Listen, I love talking about my brother,” Matt said. “It’s an amazing position to be in to have the privilege of talking about how well he’s doing. I’d much rather answer these questions than the opposite—why he’s not playing well. So it’s fantastic. I’ve said it’s his career, his choice. I’ll help him as much as I can if he wants it, but I also want him to make his own decisions.”
The Fitzpatrick parents had to change their travel plans after the Zurich win. They were set to fly back to Europe but stayed in the U.S. through the PGA Championship to support both sons.
For Matt, the routine this week remains mostly the same.
“This is the second time we’ve shared a house at a major, since he qualified for The Open in ‘23,” Matt said. “My preparation is the same. He asks when I’m playing and either joins me or fits in elsewhere. I’m strict on my routine—I need to do things at certain times. If he wants to fit in, great. But I also want him to do his own thing.”
