Fitzpatrick brothers confident ahead of Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick feels like he has come a long way since his last appearance at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Fitzpatrick and his brother, Matt, are back in the field for this year’s edition of the event at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., after tying for 19th in 2023. Alex Fitzpatrick currently sits at 44th on the DP World Tour, and he is also coming off a strong performance at the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Championship,

where he tied for 23rd.

“I think it’s all learning experiences for him last year, and even this year to an extent, but obviously through that, his game has changed over time,” Matt Fitzpatrick said of Alex. “He’s had more time to work with his coach and more time to work with his team and just grown as a player, I think, more understanding his own game, how tour life works, how he manages his time.

“I think there’s all these things that he’s had to try and figure out, and even I’m still learning, and this is my 10th year as a professional. ... I don’t think you ever get to the point where you’ve cracked it, so I think he’s still very early on in his career, and he’ll keep learning.”

Alex Fitzpatrick has played in just four events on the PGA Tour. Last year, in addition to the Zurich Classic, he also participated in The Open Championship after landing in the Valspar Championship in 2022.

While he might not be the most experienced player on the PGA

Tour, Alex Fitzpatrick believes he has what it takes to perform on one of golf’s biggest stages.

“I’m kind of still finding my feet a little bit, and you’re always trying to figure the game out, but I think definitely this year I feel like I’ve developed a lot as a player and as a person,” Alex Fitzpatrick said. “We have a good blueprint for where I want to go and what I want to do.”

As for the team aspect of this week’s Zurich, Matt Fitzpatrick plans on leading the way since he has more knowledge of how tournaments on the PGA Tour operate.

“I’ve got more of a feel for it than him, so I feel like some of it is guiding him around, as well, and just helping him with maybe where to aim, where we’re going to play, particularly in foursomes when it’s about keeping the ball in play,” Matt Fitzpatrick said. “He’s probably going to make more birdies than me because he’s a bit more aggressive and can kind of — I can play the safe ball and he can kind of go for it.”