Brotherly Love

Matt Fitzpatrick is one of the best golfers in the world. The 31 year-old Englishman won the 2022 U.S. Open and has 15 other wins worldwide to his name, including three PGA TOUR wins already this season.

His brother Alex is an accomplished golfer in his own right, having won the DP World Tour's Hero Indian Open in March for his first win at that level. Until last weekend, though, he'd yet to earn a permanent place on the PGA TOUR. 

The brothers teamed up last weekend to play in the TOUR's unique Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The two-man format features best ball (fourball) in rounds one and three and alternate shot (foursomes) in the second and fourth rounds. 

After a scorching third round that saw the pair birdie or eagle 14 of the 18 holes en route to a 15-under 57, the Brothers Fitzpatrick led the event by four strokes. If they won, Alex Fitzpatrick would join his brother as a full member of the PGA TOUR - but only if they won.

A couple of loose shots on the back nine led to a double bogey on 12 and a bogey on 14, and the pair found themselves in a three-way tie as they headed to the 18th and final hole. Older brother Matt split the fairway on the par five 18th, then Alex hit his approach into a greenside bunker. The boys needed to get up and down from a challenging spot to win and earn Alex his card through 2028.

And they did this:

That's the good shit right there. For Matt to hit that shot with his brother's career progression on the line is all kinds of onions. After the round, Alex said, "It won't sink in. It's amazing to be here with him, my mum and dad. It's a lot of hard work and I can't believe we've done it It's as good as it gets."