ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

April 18, 2023

Matt Fitzpatrick

Alex Fitzpatrick

TPC Louisiana

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're going to get things started. We would like to welcome Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick to the Zurich Classic New Orleans media center. First of all, Matt, congratulations on the win last week at RBC Heritage. We'll start off with some opening comments about less than 48 hours turnaround but capturing that second win.

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it was just a bit of a whirlwind, as is always is when you win. But yeah, was obviously delighted with last week. It was a very, very special win for me, and just felt that my game was kind of improved pretty quickly from Augusta to Harbour Town. I saw some real positive things, and it obviously ended with a win. It was special.

THE MODERATOR: Alex, how were you following along Matt's round Sunday?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I was on a flight from North Carolina to New Orleans, and he made me pay $16 to watch that final round and the playoff.

Yeah, it was really cool. I wish I would have been there with the rest of the family, but the outcome was still what we wanted. Yeah, he did great, and I'm super proud of him.

Q. Brother teammates here; Alex, how did Matt approach it and ask you to be his teammate for this week?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: You know, I --

MATT FITZPATRICK: Everyone was pestering me.

ALEX FITZPATRICK: That's basically what it was. His coach, my mom and dad.

ALEX FITZPATRICK: He was kind of forced into it a little bit. I can't remember what I was doing but I received a text and it was like, what are you doing on these dates, and half of me knew what it was after all the pestering. I thought we finally got through to him.

I got the text through, and it was like, what are you doing on these days, and I was like, nothing, because I knew what days they were, and he's like, do you want to play. I was like, yeah, sure, I'll check my busy schedule and make sure I can make it.

But yeah, I agreed, and now we're here.

Q. For those who aren't as familiar with you guys, how would you explain your relationship as brothers?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I would say we're pretty close. I think we're polar opposites I would say. I'm organized, he's unorganized. He's happy, I'm miserable. Yeah, that's probably a good way to put it really.

Q. Anything to add, Alex?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: No, he's spot on there really. I can't add much more.

Q. Talking more about you guys' game, where are you guys looking to pull on each other's strengths for the week?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Well, if this happened four years ago I would say the length would have been more on my side, but he seems to have gained a little bit, so I can't use that anymore.

Yeah, hopefully I kind of piggy-back off him this week, and yeah, we kind of ham-and-egg it and hopefully a good result at the end of the week.

MATT FITZPATRICK: Ham-and-egg it. Wow, you turned very American in your four years at college. No, I think the good thing about both our games, Alex is a very good iron player and he's got a great short game, and I feel like my strengths are driving and putting.

Certainly alternate-shot, that works quite nicely, and then obviously four-ball is Alex's -- I think he's very good at making a lot of birdies. If I can kind of just steady the ship, I'll just let him loose at trying to make some birdies really. Yeah, it'll be fun. I'm really excited to get the week going.

Q. Alex, another opportunity to play on the PGA TOUR; how are you approaching the week and kind of your mindset getting another opportunity up here?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I'm very thankful for the opportunity to come play here. Just trying to make it just like another week really with the same preparation and trying not to change much, although the format is obviously a lot different, and obviously playing with him is a lot different. Still just trying to play my own game, and yeah, just do as well as I can but also enjoy it at the same time.

Q. Matt, at the Masters you spoke about kind of the injury issues that you'd been dealing with. A couple missed cuts but then you T10 at the Masters, win last week. Did you recover quicker than you thought? How did that timeline go to after a couple weeks to get another win after struggling for a bit?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, at the start of the year, like I say, underappreciated how much it affected me in a lot of areas. But me and my coach, Mike, we felt like we kind of had a really good weekend before the Masters, like a really, really good week, really productive in things that we did, things that we practiced and things that we talk about. As stupid as it sounds, I felt like I almost finally understood my fault that tends to stop me from hitting the shots that I want, and I think that was a big breakthrough.

I felt like we found something to basically help that, a training aid which coincidentally is the stack, as well, not just a speed training device, it's also helping me with my swing now.

That played a really, really big impact in where my swing is going, and my trainer gave me the all clear to do that, to get back on the stack.

So a combination of those things I think just moved me along quicker and sort of put me in a good position, felt comfortable, and obviously went out there last week and felt in much higher confidence than I had been.

Q. Are you feeling pain-free when you swing, all good at this point with it?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I've probably been pain-free, to be honest, since Bay Hill. But once I'm pain-free, at that point, like I said last week, I'm kind of like at the bottom and I'm wanting to -- I need to build me self back up again to where I was already before injured. We knew that was going to take some time. I probably was pretty impatient with that and wanted it to be back faster.

Now I feel like I'm slowly getting there if not already there.

Q. Luke Donald and Eduardo Molinari here, a couple of Ryder Cup captains. You work closely with Eduardo. What was your reaction when he got a spot on the team and what do you think he can bring to the Ryder Cup?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Eduardo? Yeah, I feel like Ed can bring a lot of a lot. I think he's one of the smartest people that I've ever met, to be honest. He's got an engineering degree, and he's a professional golfer. That's pretty unheard of.

He's really, really fascinating to talk to. I love having conversations with him about all sorts to do with golf and stats, and I think that's the big thing that he's going to bring.

I think he's so forward thinking and having played the game at such a high level himself, I think that's a real positive to bring to the team.

Q. Matt, pretty unique timing on the schedule to come off a win and then get to tee it up with your brother this week. Given everything at stake, if you have that dream week that comes together, do you feel any added pressure knowing that it could be life changing for Alex?

MATT FITZPATRICK: No, I wouldn't say so. I don't necessarily feel like there's any additional pressure because of it. I think for me, I want him to enjoy it. I think it's a great experience for him. It's a great experience for us, for my parents. I already knew I was going to have two great weeks at Augusta and Harbour Town, two of my favorite weeks of the year, and then obviously this as an additional just makes it even better.

I'm just excited to get going. I know the golf that you can play is high level, and I think if I can keep my form going and we can gel well, you never know what might happen.

Q. Alex, for you, too, was it kind of a sibling rivalry growing up on the golf course? Have you teamed up much? Can you think of occasions where the Fitzpatrick brothers went out and dominated as a duo, or is this going to be a different week where you're partnering up?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: No, I don't think growing up we really ever played against each other or kind of with each other really. The age gap is four years, and that kind of was a little too much for the tournaments that we both played in.

But yeah, it's going to be a fun week. It's obviously the first time playing with him in anything really in the partnership world. Yeah, just going out and have as much fun as I can, and like he said, it's a great experience no matter what happens. Yeah, just going to go out and enjoy it and see what happens.

MATT FITZPATRICK: We did play in a knockout once back at our home club and he was a lot younger than me and I was young, as well, and I had to chip it to about four tees further down so he could carry this big ravine. That was alternate shot.

Q. Alex, I wanted to ask you, I've heard Matt be asked several times about his episode in the Netflix series. I wanted to ask about the family's reception. What's it like having a big star in the household now?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: As in him being the big star? We try and keep him grounded. My dad thinks he's the big star of the household normally. Him and his iPad are the two stars of the house.

No, we keep him as grounded as we can. We're all super proud of what he's done and what he's achieved. Yeah, it's just how it is. We just keep him grounded.

Q. I'm just curious what attracted you to this event coming off those two big weeks you said leading up to this.

MATT FITZPATRICK: Just to play with my brother. I think winning the U.S. Open obviously you get a few extra perks, people kind of want to help you out and want you to come play the tournament, and obviously this was an opportunity to play with my brother, and you don't know how many of those you're going to get. For me, obviously I'm going to have to admit it now in front of everyone, but yeah, it was a no-brainer for me. It was always one I was looking to try and play.

Q. Can you speak to for the general fan sometimes they wonder about fatigue on the PGA TOUR. Can you speak to that as a player? It's more than just walking 18, right? The travel, all the things that add up to what you put into deciding what events you play.

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, totally. It's all about like the flow of the schedule. I won't really play four in a row anymore because of that, the travel, depending on where they are, the media commitments, sponsor commitments. All these things you take into consideration when you're picking your schedule.

I think for me, each year I feel like I'm getting better at it, and I've been out here for like nine years now. It's difficult, and you make some bad decisions and you make some good decisions. It's just how it goes.

I don't think anyone has kind of perfected picking the schedule because golf courses change, your game changes, life changes, so it's not quite as easy as it seems.

Q. Lastly, how much family, friends -- what's your entourage going to be like this week?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Just mom and dad, I think.

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Small, I think.

MATT FITZPATRICK: Literally just mom and dad.

Q. Have you guys been to New Orleans before, and what are you looking forward to as far as food?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I've never been to New Orleans, and I'll be honest, it's terrible, I don't really know much about the food here.

ALEX FITZPATRICK: No, neither have I. Matt only spent three months in college, so I've probably got a little bit more information about New Orleans than he did. Yeah, I heard obviously the seafood is amazing, and yeah, I think at some point we're going to try and get out and experience some of that.

But yeah, this is the first time for both of us, so we're both excited.

Q. This year marks 10 years since Alex caddied for you in the Amateur. Now you guys are teammates here. Can you reflect on the last 10 years and kind of reflect on being teammates now and just your journey and where you guys are now versus then?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it's crazy really to think that it's 10 years this year. Obviously a lot has changed in that time. Obviously my golf has improved considerably since then.

But I think in terms of Alex, I have to give him a ton of credit. Obviously this is a first for me, but normally the younger brother or brother of a player, it's not always easy for them to have success or play well or be up there or make it, whereas Alex came out last year and finished top 25 in the majority of his European Tour starts, got a Challenge Tour card. He's played well already this year in the Challenge Tour events that he's played.

I'm really proud of where his game is at and how much he's improved. I do believe that he's got a lot of talent, and hopefully soon he'll start showing that.

THE MODERATOR: Alex, Matt, thanks for taking the time to join us, and good luck this week.