ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

April 26, 2026

Alex Fitzpatrick

Matt Fitzpatrick

TPC Louisiana

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Champions, brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick. What an incredible day. Can we just open with some comments on what it means to get this win and experience this together? We'll start with you, Matt.

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, there isn't really words for it, to be honest be. You know, it was obviously the goal at the start of the week to having a good week coming off a win last week myself.

I knew I was going to come here and enjoy this week regardless of the result. I think playing so well gives you that extra confidence to come and really give it a go, so it was nice to kind of feel that mentally and not feel too tired.

Yeah, I mean, there isn't really words to describe the moment or the feeling. Yeah, it's just really special.

THE MODERATOR: Alex.

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I'm still lost for words. Just an overwhelming emotion of happiness. Like Matt said, at the start of the week it was coming here to be a family and spend time with each other, eat Mr. B's, and have a great week. To be sitting here now and done what we did, yeah, I'm pretty speechless.

THE MODERATOR: It came all the way down to the wire. Matt, can you talk us through your nerves and emotions on 18 hitting that bunker shot?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I actually wasn't nervous for the bunker shot really. I was a little bit, but I was definitely more nervous on other shots throughout the day.

When I got there, the lie was just absolutely obscenely good. It was literally like sat on a tee peg. I knew that it was going to spin, and I knew I had to kind of be aggressive with it.

I'd say, you know, it's as good a bunker shot as I've ever hit, but that may be lying. But to hit it the way I did and to finish where it did to make it the most stress-free tap-in of all time pretty much for such a big occasion was really, really nice.

THE MODERATOR: Alex, you said you've been shaking ever since that putt. How surreal has the past hour been for you?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I don't even know how to describe it. I thought I was going to miss the putt, stood over it, even though it was so short. I couldn't feel my hands, couldn't feel my legs, couldn't feel anything.

Yeah, it's just been a whirlwind. I think, yeah, at some point it will set in, but it's a pretty life-changing thing. Kind of excited to see what doors open and just try and play as good of golf as I can and chase him.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up to questions.

Q. First, for Matt, I guess the Zurich won't be maybe the most lucrative or most prestigious victory of your career, but just in terms of emotional satisfaction, the unique nature of it, where would you say this ranks?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Oh, God, it is really hard for me personally just because of what I've been fortunate to achieve to this point. A U.S. Open is a major that's special on a course that was special to me. Obviously Heritage is something I was going to when I was 7, 8 years old, so that's really special to me. To win a team event on the PGA TOUR with my brother, I don't know if it does get better than that.

I do think seriously believe for me personally it's just under a major. That winning this together with Alex, that's how special it feels. To get it over the line the way we did and to hang in there on the back nine, yeah, is incredible.

Q. Alex, they say at times you always remember how you got here. When you think back on your journey, what comes to mind, whether it be good or bad?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: That's a great question. You know, I did my four years at Wake Forest. I had a great time there. Coming out of school I didn't really know where I was going to end up, whether it was going to be trying to play Korn Ferry, trying to play Challenge Tour. I ended up on Challenge Tour.

You know, where I was, just trying to grind out to get on some form of a main tour. Yeah, I think even though it was recent, just kind of not playing my best golf last year and, you know, getting as late as October, and you are worried about losing your card. I feel like I'm just proud of myself for battling the way I did to keep my card and then starting the way I've done this year.

I'd say they're the things that I remember the most. You know, as much as it was great to win in India, and it was my first DP World Tour event, I think just having to deal with the fact that you might not have a job next year was pretty crazy.

Makes it even crazier to be sat here now and having won a PGA TOUR event with my brother. Yeah, just amazing.

Q. Matt, Dad told me that (indiscernible) -- Open a few years ago. Did it feel like that for you?

MATT FITZPATRICK: No, I believe that for sure. I was literally thinking after we made double, I'm, like, Oh, my God, my dad is going to be, like, fuming, but also, like, so nervous and freaking out at the same time.

I mean, going down 15 I don't know if I saw him, but he was down at the right side of the ropes. He was kind of saying to me -- I looked across, and he was, like, Come on, keep going, keep going.

That was really nice. That was a really nice moment for me personally. It was, like, Yeah, Come on, mate, let's keep going here.

Yeah, I mean, certainly today I didn't expect to be as nervous as I was. Like going to bed last night, totally fine. I was, like, you know, we're both playing well, four shots clear. We had a great day on Friday. We were really comfortable with what we were doing. For the first 11 holes we were on a similar trajectory. I was feeling good at that point.

Then literally, yeah, terrible tee shot on 12, terrible second shot on 13, terrible tee shot on 14. I kind of felt like what the hell is going on here? I felt like I lost my swing.

Then all of a sudden, I'm, like, all right, I am feeling it now. I don't want to throw this away. We've done such great work to be in this position. You know, I just felt that we needed to just give ourselves a chance. And looking at the leaderboard coming up 16, we were fortunate enough that Alex and Hayden dropped a shot.

Wherever they dropped a shot, I'm not sure. At that point I thought if we can get to 18 with a chance at birdie to win, I felt like at least it's still in our hands.

Yeah, I actually fancied the one on 17, but it was woeful (laughing).

Q. Alex, talked about struggling through the tours, and now you are at this moment where you own a PGA TOUR card. Has that hit you that you don't have to sit here and fight every week? You can get into these events? How big is that for you personally?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Winning a couple of weeks ago on the DP World Tour was the first time that I had an exemption for over a year. It's always been a battle to have some form of status somewhere, so it was nice to have some eligibility that I know that I'm going to be okay for a year and a half or two years.

So I obviously didn't expect to be sat here knowing that I'll have exemption for, I don't know, a year, two years on this tour. So, yeah, it's pretty surreal. I don't think it will set in for a long time.

But, yeah, to be sat here doing it with him is the craziest thing ever.

Q. Alex, you talked about playing collegiately in America. Did you let yourself dream? Did you dream a lot about this, or did you put it out of your mind, to be in this position, winning a PGA event, being on the tour the next two and a half years guaranteed? Was this always a dream, or are you, like, no, I have to keep my head down and work to get to where you want to be?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: It's funny. Matt put his arm around me after he just stiffed it to a foot on the last. I was crouching there. Part of my head was going, Oh, my God, we're going to win, and the other half was going, I need to stay focused, I could still miss this.

But he put his arm around me, it was like all the times when we were at Hallamshire Golf Club, our home golf club in Sheffield, you know, and you are putting on the putting green and you have a putt to win a PGA TOUR event or a major or whatever, and stood there with the ability to win a PGA TOUR event with just a foot left, yeah, it was an amazing thing. Yeah, never thought it would happen.

Q. For both of y'all, when you are going to 12, you hit the double on 12, you had the bogey on 14, what are the conversations you two are having with each other in terms of you're feeling the pressure, you're feeling that, all right, we're getting some shots back, and the field is catching up, what are the conversations you're having coming down the stretch to make sure you fish it off?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: For me it was always a weird one. I felt like we were playing really solid through 11 holes. It wasn't Matt's finest tee shot on 12, but at least from my point of view, even though they weren't his best three-hole stretch, he's one of the best players in the world. For me it was like it's only a matter of time before he'll come back. It was just about trying to keep him involved. Like he said, walking down 15 was clearly a moment for him where it felt like we're still in it.

As long as I could keep us going, I felt like we were going to hit a couple of more good shots coming down the stretch and give ourselves a chance. Yeah, I felt like having him as my partner really helped in terms of just you are always going to have a shot at making birdie at least one of the last three holes with a couple of good swings. It helps having someone as good as him to back you up.

Q. Matt, for those of us who don't have brothers, what do you think being known for a long time as Matt's brother kind of did to Alex? How did he handle that? Now that he's on the PGA TOUR, has he finally shed -- you know, gotten out from under your shadow?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I obviously can't speak for him. I've never had that, obviously. I think probably I'd never really understood how much of a, I guess, burden it is for him. I knew it growing up, because it was when I was probably -- I guess when I was on tour really, he wasn't quite in college yet. Every time we go to the golf club there in Sheffield, it was, Oh, what is Matt doing, how is Matt doing, where is Matt? It was never asking about Alex.

I'm sure that gets really annoying, because for the last few years it's been, How is Alex getting on? That was really annoying to me (laughing).

No, I mean, it's a big deal. I was so happy for him when he won in India. That was a really big moment. To win on any tour is difficult. He did it in Challenge Tour, and he's done it on the DP World Tour, and now, you know, we've done it together here.

I've really seen -- this is obviously as up close and personal as I've seen his game in tournament golf. This is the only spot I see every year. I don't think we've played together any other tournament, I don't think. I've seen a drastic improvement over the last few years compared to the first year that we were here, and we were brilliant in four ball, and we didn't quite score well in the foursomes, but I've seen a drastic change in his own ability and his own belief.

I think that in itself should give him confidence that, you know, he is his own person, and he has his own game, and he has his own strengths and his own weaknesses just like we all do. I think now obviously with this win, he's got the exemption. He's got some time. He's got things to think about and plan. It's his own career. It's his to choose with how he wants to do whatever he wants to do.

I'll always be around for advice. I don't ever want him to think, oh, I'm Matt's brother. I feel like this is a stepping stone to continue to move in the direction that he's his own person. I obviously hope that he feels that way too.

Q. Alex, I didn't mention this word, but "inspiration." You have this guy sitting next to you. You caddied for him, gosh, 13 years ago when he won the U.S. Amateur. How has he inspired you these past 27 years of your life?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Obviously not to get emotional, but we both grew up wanting to be the best golfer we can possibly be and be one of the best players in the world. He is one of the best players in the world. I'm biased, I think he's the best player in the world. It's just my opinion, even though it's not -- the stats wouldn't say so.

Yeah, I'm incredibly appreciative of him, everything that he does for me. There's just so many little things that I'm sure that he does that I don't know about that he does for me as well. Yeah, I'm obviously incredibly lucky to have him as my brother.

I don't think there's many people that can say, you know, one of the best players in the world is your brother, but also, just what he does for me. Yeah, just love him to bits. There's not much more to say.

MATT FITZPATRICK: I didn't charge him any rent at my house last week (smiling).

Q. We've been talking about Mr. B's all weekend, and I think y'all are going there for a fifth time. Can you tell me, did the owners, the hostess, the waiters, they all know you by name? Do you have a table you go to every night?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Alex can answer this.

Q. How do you pick this place, and now it's become your home?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: It was hilarious. Obviously I mentioned it a couple of days ago, and they messaged me on Instagram yesterday and was, like, Hey, if you are ever in town or coming back, please let you know, we would love to see you.

I texted them back because we had a booking at 7:00. I said, I'll see you in ten minutes. It was pretty funny.

No, their head chef, the executive chef, Vincent, came yesterday. He sat and talked to us. He signed a couple of things for us. It was really, really cool. So, yeah, I bought one of the cooking books, so I'm going to have to start looking for places over here and, yeah, hopefully make some of the things that he makes in the kitchen, but obviously not as good.

Yeah, they've been amazing with us. The food is incredible. We love going back are. Yeah, we'll be back four or five times next year.

MATT FITZPATRICK: I don't want to be the first person to test that food (laughing).

THE MODERATOR: We've heard about Mr. B's. The real question is, will you guys be doing karaoke, and what's the song of choice?

MATT FITZPATRICK: No, no, no, no, no, no. I say this every year. I see everyone who wins, they do a little sing-song. That's not for me. I apologize now to everyone, but no (laughing).

ALEX FITZPATRICK: My voice is terrible, so they don't want to hear that either, so... I don't think so, no.