Alex Fitzpatrick has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the pinnacle of golf in just a few months.
Just a few months ago, Fitzpatrick was playing on the DP World Tour searching for his first win. And then in the space of a few weeks, the Englishman won in India, then won on the PGA Tour alongside his brother, and was in contention for a Signature Event win at Quail Hollow.
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It has been an incredible series of events for Fitzpatrick, who has proved he’s one of the elite talents in the sport, not just the brother of one of the best players in the world, Matt Fitzpatrick.
If these performances continue, Luke Donald will be forced to take a closer look at him for his European Ryder Cup team. And Fitzpatrick admitted he’s already got Adare Manor on his mind.
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Alex Fitzpatrick says playing at the Ryder Cup with Matt Fitzpatrick feels ‘more real’
Two months ago, Alex Fitzpatrick was on no one’s radar for a spot at the 2027 Ryder Cup. But after his recent performances, he’s looking more and more likely to make the team in over a year’s time.
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He was asked on Dan on Golf if he’s been thinking about playing at the Ryder Cup alongside his brother, and he replied, “Yeah, definitely. Definitely. I would say it got a little more real over the past four weeks.
“I guess the thing with the Ryder Cup is you’ve got to qualify, you’ve got to earn your spot. And I can’t even remember when the Ryder Cup rankings start again. I think it might be September or October in Europe.
“But yeah, that would be absolutely amazing, especially in a hometown, like a home crowd, like Adare Manor in Ireland. I couldn’t think of anything better. So I’ll be working as hard as I can towards that. And I’d love nothing more than to play one with him.”
The Fitzpatrick brothers have already won a team event on the PGA Tour, so they’ve proven that they can work together in a Ryder Cup format. All they have to do now is sustain their performances.
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The last brothers to play together at the Ryder Cup
Europe already has twin brothers in the mix for a spot at Adare Manor in the Hojgaard twins, but while both Rasmus and Nicolai have played for Donald, they weren’t picked to play in the same event.
If both Fitzpatricks were to make the team in 2027, they would become the first brothers to play on a Ryder Cup team together since Francesco and Edoardo Molinari.
The Molinari brothers made history at Celtic Manor in 2010, becoming the first brothers to make the same Ryder Cup team in 47 years.
Captain Colin Montgomerie paired them up for two matches. They lost a foursomes match to Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan, but bounced back to halve their fourball match against Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar.
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During the early days of the event, the Whitcombe brothers were a staple of the Great Britain team. In 1929 and 1931, Charles and Ernest Whitcombe both made the team, becoming the first brothers to play in the same Ryder Cup.
And the 1935 event set a record that still stands today. Three brothers, Charles, Ernest, and Reg Whitcombe, all played on the same team. Charles and Ernest paired up in the foursomes, securing a 1-up victory over Americans Olin Dutra and Ky Laffoon.
Bernard and Geoffrey Hunt both suited up for Great Britain at the 1963 Ryder Cup at East Lake. While Bernard was a Ryder Cup veteran, playing in eight events, 1963 was Geoffrey’s sole appearance, allowing them to share the team room.
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