With a little help from his brother, another Wake Forest golfer has full-time status on the PGA Tour.
Alex Fitzpatrick teamed with older brother Matt Fitzpatrick to win the Zurich Classic Sunday and the two-year exemption that comes with it. Tied for the lead with only the par-5 18th hole to play, Matt hit a long bunker shot within tap-in distance for a winning birdie.
Despite struggling after leading by four shots entering the back nine with shots that hit trees and cart paths, and another that embedded in the bunker of a fairway bunker, the Irish brothers won with a birdie putt on the 72nd hole for a 31-under-par total at TPC Louisiana.
The Fitzpatricks shot 1-under 71 in Sunday’s alternate-shot format. Their wild back nine included a double-bogey at No. 12 after an errant tee shot and an attempted recovery shot that bounced backward after hitting a tree. Players played best-ball on Thursday and Saturday
Though it was the second straight PGA Tour for Matt, the 2022 U.S. Open winner, who prevailed in a playoff last week at the Heritage Classic against Rory McIlroy. Alex, 27, had won on the DP World Tour is his last start.
The Fitzpatricks edged Jamestown resident and Duke graduate Alex Smalley and his partner Hayden Springer as well as Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura, the teams that tied for second place.
