Brothers Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick shot a tournament-record 57 in the third round of the Zurich Classic in New Orleans, opening up a four-shot lead heading into the final round.
Dropping one stroke off the pace overnight, the English pair moved to 30 under after a round of 15, well ahead of half-time leaders Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who shot 61, and fellow Americans Davis Thompson and Austin Eckrot.
The brothers combined for 13 birdies at TPC Louisiana, eight of them on the back nine, with Matt adding an eagle on the par-5 seventh.
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Highlights from the final round of the Indian Open, where Alex Fitzpatrick won for the first time on the DP World Tour
Matt Fitzpatrick said: “It was a great day. To be honest, I might not be too happy with how well we played today.” “It was hole after hole.
“He played great golf the last two days,” Fitzpatrick said of his brother, who won last month’s Indian Open. “His game has really turned a corner in recent months and I believe he will continue that trend.”
“He’s doing all the right things and it was obviously great for him to have such a big impact on the back nine.”
If the Fitzpatrick brothers win the tournament, Matt will win his fifth PGA Tour title and become the first player to win back-to-back tournaments in more than two years (Scottie Scheffler: 2024 Masters Tournament/2024 RBC Heritage).
Alex will receive a two-year exemption from playing on the PGA Tour through 2028, as well as the next four signature events: the 2026 PGA Championship and 2027 Players Championship.
Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who shot a course-record tying 58 on Thursday’s better ball that lasted 48 hours, shot a 62 to move into a tie for second with Davis Thompson and Austin Eckrot.
Doug Jim and Jeffrey Kang shot 61 and moved into fourth place, five strokes behind.
Zach Bouchu achieved his first hole-in-one since 2024 on the par-3 third hole. He and Sam Stephens finished with a 64, eight strokes apart.
Billy Horschel was the only player to win in Zurich in both individual and team format, scoring a 64 with partner Tom Hoge. It was a 7 stroke difference.
For Sunday’s final round, the teams will return to alternating shots.
What is the structure and format of the event?
The Zurich Classic is the only team event on the PGA Tour calendar, with teams competing in a four-ball format in the first and third rounds. Each golfer plays his or her own ball and the lowest score for each hole is counted.
The second and final round shifts to a foursomes format, with players taking turns taking shots using only one ball. The total strokes are the team’s score for each hole, and players take alternate tee shots throughout the round.
After the first two rounds, the top 33 teams and ties will 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 is the prize?
There’s a lot at stake this week, with PGA Tour chiefs increasing 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 per cent of the prize money, which is expected to be around $1.372 billion (approximately £1.02 million).
Players on the winning team also receive 400 FedExCup points each, but no OWGR points.
Champions will also qualify for some of the biggest tournaments of the 2027 season, including The Players Championship and PGA Championship. They will also receive an exemption to play in the Zurich Classic for the next two years.
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