HORIZON IRISH OPEN

June 28, 2022

Alex Fitzpatrick

Mount Juliet Estate

Press Conference

NEIL AHERN: Welcome to the Horizon Irish Open. Making your professional debut this week. How excited are you about the week ahead?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, very, my first professional event. Been looking forward to it for a while. Excited to get the week started.

NEIL AHERN: Following in the footsteps of your brother who made his professional debut in 2014. You've seen his career and a lot has happened in the last few weeks. What are your goals and targets in the short terms and beyond that?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I think especially this week it's about enjoying it. It's your first one. It's hard to go in there thinking, almost like all guns blazing but I'm just hoping to play some good golf and hopefully that will take care of a good result. Just try and enjoy this week and make the most of it.

Q. The LIV thing, did they come to you and say, hey, Alex, would you fancy playing for us?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: They did. It was a long discussion with my family about what the best scenario is, and we all came to the same conclusion, which was sort of, why do you play golf? And that to me was hopefully winning trophies and building yourself a legacy, and I felt like the best place to do that was starting the on the PGA TOUR.

Obviously you want to win majors and win PGA TOUR events, and that's hopefully where I see myself going. That was the final conclusion we came to.

Q. We've seen a lot of guys come out of college, especially the U.S. collegiate system and hit the ground running. In what way does it prepare you well for life on the professional tour?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I think college personally is probably the best way to go for players who want to develop and be ready for the professional game. You get used to flying all the time, play great golf courses and practise at amazing facilities all day.

I think it's a little difficult over here in the U.K. when you've got rain all the time and facilities that, in my opinion, can't match the ones that are in the States. And that's why I felt like I developed nicely by being out there, and don't know if I would be the same player if I was to stick around here.

Q. Have you talked to Matt about what to expect this week?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I have asked him a few questions but we've not gone into great detail. I live with him this year and he's probably fed up with me by now. I'll ask him a few questions about the course and not asking too much more. Just trying to figure out for myself.

Q. It is hard to get sponsor's invites. When did you find out about here, and also I would imagine that Matt's win in the U.S. Open is going to possibly open some doors on the PGA TOUR.

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I guess the first question, I found out about probably two or three weeks ago, I was incredibly excited.

So obviously it's funny, following in your brother's footsteps but sometimes that isn't a bad thing, especially the route that he's gone. Hopefully it might open a few doors, but if it doesn't, I still have to play good golf and if I don't play good golf, then doors will be shut. Just all about enjoying myself and working hard and hopefully get some good results.

Q. What was your feeling watching that match?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I was a bit of a nervous wreck, I'll be honest. I was saying to a few people who we were with, it's much much harder to watch than it is to play.

Like I'm sure he was feeling a touch nervous, but when you play you're in full control. Whereas if you're on the sideline you have no idea what's going to happen. I had full confidence in him to start, and I said to myself, if he wins I won't cry. And I ran on to the green and tears were shed. That was it. But an amazing week for the family and for him and couldn't be prouder.

Q. You obviously look up to him and stuff but what have you learned from his game that you bring into your game?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: We're different in a lot of ways. Our games are completely different. I would say he's a great driver of the golf ball and a great putter, and I would say my iron and short game would be better than his. Hard to say when he's just won the U.S. Open. I think if we were one player, we would be pretty good as well.

Mainly he tells me all the time, "Hit it straight and you'll be just fine." If I can start doing the same stuff he does, then hopefully I'll be fine.

Q. When a golfer wins, everybody is coming up to him and congratulating him. Are you getting a lot of that?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: It's crazy. Yeah, it's been a whirlwind of messages and e-mails, and I didn't even win. I was just there watching but yeah, it's incredible and he deserves everything he gets. The work he puts in; no one sees behind closed doors and the work he puts into it and the dedication he has everything and he has.

Q. Does it inspire your own game going forward?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I'd like to win a U.S. Open, be honest, it would be nice.

Q. Just a bit of background. Are you a Blade or an Owl?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Absolutely a Blade.

Q. Is your brother a Blade fan as well?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Massive Blade fan. We have supported them since we are young. My dad is a Blade as well. Although my mom is an owl but we don't speak about that.

Q. Fitzpatrick, how what's the Irish connection? How far back do you have to go?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: My grand dad's dad was in some way Irish. But I'm an eighth Irish, whatever that consists of. Yeah, I would claim myself as being a little Irish. So that will help with support this week or whatever.

Q. There's three places in The Open on offer this week. Have you thought about that at all?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: It would be nice, yeah, I'd love to play some good golf and earn one of them spots. But at the end of the day if you don't play good golf, you won't get there. And I'm just here trying to play some good golf and hopefully the results take care of themselves.

Q. Does feel a bit different this week to your from Wake Forest prep?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yes and no. I've been lucky enough to play in a couple of these now, and a PGA TOUR event. Felt like I learned a lot playing them. I don't know, I would say I feel prepared for this week. It's a little different knowing that you can actually earn money, strange to me.

I've been an amateur for so long. But yeah, just it's normally just the same routine, kind of practise the first couple days and start first day, four rounds and see where you go.

Q. What's your caddie situation this week? I'd say Mark probably would have liked the bag if he wasn't playing.

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I've got a great caddie this week in Martin, one of Billy Foster's friends. Incredibly knowledgeable and incredibly funny as well. So I noticed he was a Leeds fan, so giving each other a bit of stick about that.

Q. I'm not expecting to say he's a chopper but Mark Power, can you describe what kind of player he is?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Oh, I could really get him here. Powerful and erratic. No, he's great. He's one of those players that's capable of shooting 61 on any given day and especially around here on this golf course, I'm sure he'll play great and I'm sure his name will be up there this week or at some point soon.