This event has always been different, and in a good way—two-man teams, shifting formats, and just enough chaos to make even elite players look human.
In 2026, it gave us something better than different. It gave us something personal. Brothers competing together, with a ton on the line, and delivering.
Alex Fitzpatrick, thanks to some timely shots from his all-world older brother Matt, won the team event, along with a cool trophy, $1.37 million, and a guaranteed spot on the biggest pro circuit in the world through the 2028 season.
The Shot, The Tap-In, The Win
When Matt Fitzpatrick stepped into the bunker on 18 on Sunday afternoon, this tournament was slipping away.
A four-shot lead earlier in the day had disappeared. A double bogey on 12 and a bogey on 14 had pulled everyone back into it. The kind of Sunday that starts with control and could have ended in despair.
Standing beside him was Alex Fitzpatrick—younger brother, former caddie, and now, suddenly, a single birdie that could change the trajectory of his career.
Matt hit the shot of their lives.
Out of the bunker, ballsy, controlled, a masterclass. It settled into tap-in range, turning pressure into probability.
Alex rolled in the short birdie putt, and then the tears started to flow. For the brothers, wives, caddies, parents, you, me, and any other lucky soul who was watching.
And just like that, they didn’t just win—they became the first brothers to win together on the PGA TOUR.
What They Earned (And Why It Matters)
Winning this event comes with real rewards—but for the Fitzpatricks, the context made it bigger:
- Matt Fitzpatrick: $1,372,750 + 400 FedExCup points
- Alex Fitzpatrick: $1,372,750 + PGA TOUR card through 2028 + spots in the rest of the 2026 big payday Signature events
For Matt, it’s another win during a heater stretch.
For Alex, it’s a career rewrite. One week, you’re grinding for status. The next, you’re locked into majors, big events, and a completely different future.
They each cashed the same check. But with very different meaning.
In the immediate aftermath, the emotions came through as clearly as the result.
Alex admitted just how surreal the moment felt:
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet… to do it with Matt, I mean, that’s what we dreamed of as kids.”
For someone who had spent years in his brother’s orbit—sometimes literally carrying the bag—that realization hit differently.
Matt, meanwhile, was focused on the shot that sealed it and what it meant to deliver in that moment:
“It’s the best shot I’ve ever hit, given the circumstances… and to be able to do that for Alex is something I’ll never forget.” (NOTE: This was when we started to get teary eyed watching it sink for Alex that he had just earned a spot on the PGA TOUR.)
He also acknowledged how quickly things nearly unraveled:
“We made it a lot harder than it needed to be… but that’s golf, especially in this format.”
And maybe the simplest line said the most about the week:
“To win with your brother… there’s nothing like it.”
The Week That Almost Flipped
Earlier in the tournament, the Fitzpatricks played like Hogan and Nelson were paired up.
They fired a record 57 best ball on Saturday, built a cushion, and looked like they might cruise. But Sunday—playing alternate shot—didn’t allow for cruising.
Mistakes compounded. Momentum swung.
And suddenly, they were tied with two other teams on the 18th tee.
This wasn’t last week’s leaderboard—new names stepped into contention and delivered:
- Kristoffer Reitan / Kristoffer Ventura — T2, $463,700 each
- Alex Smalley / Justin Springer — T2, $463,700 each
Both duos reached 30-under, posted numbers, and forced the leaders to earn every bit of it.
So Close They Could Taste Victory, But Didn’t
That’s the thing about this event—there’s nowhere to hide from the ending.
Reitan/Ventura and Smalley/Springer didn’t collapse. They didn’t give it away.
They just got beaten by one swing they couldn’t match.
From a financial standpoint, $463K is a great week.
From a competitive standpoint, it’s the kind of finish that lingers—because they were one moment away from flipping everything.
Final Take
The Zurich Classic always gives us teamwork.
This year, the tourney, which may be scrapped next year or whenever the PGA TOUR releases the new schedule, gave us something more specific: a brother entrusting another brother with his career and a finish to the tourney made for primetime TV that couldn’t be replicated with any other partner.
There’s something different about winning the Zurich when your teammate has been there the whole time—not just for the final round and winning tap-in, but for the entire life journey. In a sport that’s usually so individual, that might be the rarest thing of all.
Winners and Losers from Sunday in New Orleans:
Winner: Alex Fitzpatrick. This one is a no-brainer. Today, he woke up a card-carrying member of the PGA TOUR. Sure, his partner was World #3, but Alex outplayed his teammate and brother on Sunday and delivered when his team needed him to most.
Losers: Brice Garnett and Lee Hodges. This duo fell the furthest down the leaderboard on Sunday after posting a final round 73 – 19 spots, landing in T-26.
Winners: Buddies Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak. They finished up with a 5-under, 67 and vaulted into a top 10 position. Neither has played particularly well this season. Maybe the final round magic will catapult them both into winning ways.
Winners: John Parry and Dan Brown. These two unknowns shot the best round of the day and finished T-13. That final round 7-under is a great foursomes score. Good for these guys.
2026 Zurich Classic prize money payouts:
| Pos. | Names | Score | Team earnings | Individual earnings |
| 1 | Matt Fitzpatrick / Alex Fitzpatrick | -31 | $2,745,500 | $1,372,750.00 |
| T2 | Kristoffer Reitan / Kris Ventura | -30 | $927,438 | $463,719.00 |
| T2 | Alex Smalley / Hayden Springer | -30 | $927,438 | $463,719.00 |
| T4 | Rasmus Neergaard‑Petersen / Jacob Skov Olesen | -28 | $577,125 | $463,719.00 |
| T4 | Ben Martin / Trace Crowe | -28 | $577,125 | $288,562.50 |
| T6 | Billy Horschel / Tom Hoge | -27 | $370,500 | $185,250.00 |
| T6 | Eric Cole / Hank Lebioda | -27 | $370,500 | $185,250.00 |
| T6 | Doug Ghim / Jeffrey Kang | -27 | $370,500 | $185,250.00 |
| T6 | Davis Thompson / Austin Eckroat | -27 | $370,500 | $185,250.00 |
| T10 | Matti Schmid / Seamus Power | -26 | $224,992 | $112,496.00 |
| T10 | Ben Griffin / Andrew Novak | -26 | $224,992 | $112,496.00 |
| T10 | Matt McCarty / Mac Meissner | -26 | $224,992 | $112,496.00 |
| T13 | Karl Vilips / Michael Thorbjornsen | -25 | $138,985 | $69,492.50 |
| T13 | Lanto Griffin / Ben Kohles | -25 | $138,985 | $69,492.50 |
| T13 | Sam Stevens / Zach Bauchou | -25 | $138,985 | $69,492.50 |
| T13 | John Parry / Dan Brown | -25 | $138,985 | $69,492.50 |
| T17 | Erik van Rooyen / Christiaan Bezuidenhout | -24 | $100,383 | $50,191.50 |
| T17 | Nick Dunlap / Gordon Sargent | -24 | $100,383 | $50,191.50 |
| T17 | Adrien Dumont de Chassart / Davis Chatfield | -24 | $100,383 | $50,191.50 |
| T20 | Davis Riley / Nick Hardy | -23 | $72,200 | $36,100.00 |
| T20 | Matthieu Pavon / Martin Couvra | -23 | $72,200 | $36,100.00 |
| T20 | Wyndham Clark / Taylor Moore | -23 | $72,200 | $36,100.00 |
| T20 | A.J. Ewart / Casey Jarvis | -23 | $72,200 | $36,100.00 |
| T24 | Aaron Rai / Sahith Theegala | -22 | $51,110 | $25,555.00 |
| T24 | Brice Garnett / Lee Hodges | -22 | $51,110 | $25,555.00 |
| T26 | William Mouw / Takumi Kanaya | -21 | $44,713 | $22,356.50 |
| T26 | Adam Svensson / Adam Hadwin | -21 | $44,713 | $22,356.50 |
| T26 | David Lipsky / Rico Hoey | -21 | $44,713 | $22,356.50 |
| T26 | Luke Clanton / Blades Brown | -21 | $44,713 | $22,356.50 |
| T30 | Matt Wallace / Marco Penge | -20 | $41,610 | $20,805.00 |
| T30 | Keith Mitchell / Brandt Snedeker | -20 | $41,610 | $20,805.00 |
| T32 | Max McGreevy / Kevin Roy | -19 | $40,090 | $20,045.00 |
| T32 | Chad Ramey / Justin Lower | -19 | $40,090 | $20,045.00 |
| 34 | Ryan Gerard / Sudarshan Yellamaraju | -17 | $38,950 | $19,475.00 |
| 35 | Chandler Phillips / Carson Young | -16 | $38,190 | $19,095.00 |