Rory McIlroy sent Matt Fitzpatrick an expletive-laden text message after the Englishman and his brother Alex clinched the Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana on Sunday. The Fitzpatrick brothers each pocketed £1 million in prize money, becoming the first sibling duo to win a PGA Tour event together.
Historic Victory for Fitzpatrick Brothers
Alex Fitzpatrick now holds a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour following the win in New Orleans. He has plenty to thank his older brother for after Matt's stunning bunker shot on the 18th hole, which required a birdie to seal the victory. Matt's remarkable effort left Alex with a straightforward putt, and he made no mistake from close range.
In an all-access video shared by the PGA Tour, the Fitzpatrick brothers are caught on camera discussing a text message Matt received from McIlroy.
McIlroy's Message
Alex asked his brother: "Is your phone blowing up as well as mine?" Matt replied: "It's Rory. 'What a f****** bunker shot!'"
"I just watched it," Alex said after viewing the replay. "It's one of the most disgusting bunker shots ever." The younger Fitzpatrick added: "I just can't get over that bunker shot. It was going sideways towards the hole."
Historic Achievement
The Sheffield siblings made history as the first brothers to claim the team title, but Matt also became the first golfer in over two years to win back-to-back events on the PGA Tour and the first Englishman to win three times in the same American season.
His outstanding 35-yard bunker shot at the par-five final hole left his younger brother needing just a tap-in to post 31 under and steer clear of a three-way play-off. The duo had started the day four strokes clear, but a bogey on the 14th had eaten into that advantage after Matt drove behind a tree and Alex's recovery cannoned off another, resulting in a double bogey on the 12th.
Matt, fresh from winning last week's RBC Heritage, was struggling despite being the more seasoned of the two. When Alex struck his tee shot to 14 feet at the tricky par-three 17th, his brother mis-hit the birdie attempt. Norwegians Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura, along with American duo Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, were already in the clubhouse on 30 under – but Matt made amends down the last with a brilliant sand save to set up that pivotal, career-defining birdie for his brother.
Reaction from Matt
"It was a struggle. I was doing absolutely zero to help him apart from the putt I made on 15. I wasn't providing much support but he (Alex) was fantastic on the back nine," said world number three Matt following the victory.
Alex, currently sitting 141st in the world rankings, has until 5pm local time (8pm BST) on Monday to formally register with the PGA Tour to secure his place in the $20 million Cadillac Championship kicking off on Thursday at US president Donald Trump's Doral resort in Florida.
Alex said: "It won't sink in - I've got a flight booked for Turkey tonight (as he was scheduled to compete in the Turkish Airlines Open on the DP World Tour). It's amazing to be here with him (Matt), mum and dad. It's as good as it gets."
