So much for Alex Fitzpatrick only playing in the biggest tournaments on the PGA Tour because of his older brother. The Yorkshireman has a one-shot lead here at the Truist Championship. Securing the $3.6m (£2.6m) prize pot, and a berth at next year’s Masters, is now within touching distance.
Alex has already proved the doubters wrong. Two weeks ago, the 27-year-old partnered with Matt, the major-winning world No 4, at the PGA Tour’s pairs’ championship, and they won in dramatic and emotional style.
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No doubt, the elder brother played his part – a brilliant bunker shot from Matt on the 18th essentially secured the victory – but the younger sibling was the star down the stretch. That victory at the Zurich Classic earned Alex, who until then was a member of the DP World Tour, his card on the US circuit. And the abuse arrived in a torrent.
But how Alex has answered it. First by finishing in the top 10 at last week’s Cadillac Championship, the event at Trump Doral in which 10 of the world’s top 15 played, and now, again, with an extraordinary performance here at Quail Hollow in another $20m (£16m) signature event.
After a third-round seven-under-par 64, which, given his strong finish to win the Indian Open last month, is probably the round of his professional career so far, he is ahead of Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan. Perhaps his biggest danger is Cameron Young, the world No 3, who is another shot back in third.
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas, the former world No 1, are three shots off the lead on a course which is spewing up birdies, at the same time as threatening bogeys and worse, the front-runner is vulnerable. Yet it is notable that Fitzpatrick has looked this comfortable on this stage after being in risk of losing his DP World Tour card last year.
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Fitzpatrick has a simple explanation why he appears so acclimatised. “Having my brother around has been super helpful,” Alex said. “He’s done everything that I want to do in the game, whether that’s Ryder Cup and winning majors. That has given me a really good sense of what it takes and what the atmosphere is like. And meeting some of the players before I even came out here was I think super helpful in settling in. That definitely played a factor today.”
One of those big names was Rory McIlroy, who fell back to one-under with a 75, that included four successive bogeys. The world No 2 is on the same mark as Matt Fitzpatrick, whose 69 was commendable but hardly troubled the family group chat.
Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald will be interested in the progression of Fitzpatrick as he looks ahead to next year’s match in Ireland.
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Donald will also be aware of the talent of Spain’s José Ballester. The 22-year-old shot a 12-under 60 at LIV Virginia on Saturday in front of the US President Donald Trump at his course in Washington DC to move into third alongside Bryson DeChambeau. They are on 13-under, but eight shots behind leader Lucas Herbert with Sergio García the closest pursuer, three back on 18-under.
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