Alex Fitzpatrick’s ‘hit’ continues with dream PGA Tour start

How Alex Fitzpatrick Earned His PGA Tour Card winning the Zurich Classic with his brother Mattit seemed like a dream. If he was, no one would rather wake him up, because that dream has continued this week in 2026 Cadillac Championship.

Playing in the first event of his young PGA Tour career, Fitzpatrick is battling a “whirlwind” of emotions. He is also, remarkably, fighting for the lead and the $3.6 million winner’s prize in the Trump Doral.

Alex Fitzpatrick on competing in the Cadillac Championship: “I’m just trying to enjoy it”

Starting the year on the DP World Tour, Fitzpatrick put together a career high with a win at the Hero Indian Open in late March. Then last week, he joined his older brother Matt to win the PGA Tour’s 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

With the win, he earned a PGA Tour card for two years and spots in the remaining signature events. So after savoring his victory, he quickly flew to Florida for this week’s Cadillac Championship.

At his press conference Friday night, Fitzpatrick spoke about the “whirlwind” experience that has changed his life in a matter of days.

“The messages and things have slowed down, but the overwhelming feeling … and the happiness still hasn’t gone away. So I think for me this year is going to be a whirlwind and no matter what happens, it’s going to be a success,” Fitzpatrick said. “I can’t believe how many people have come up to me and congratulated me, the players, the teams and the staff, it’s been incredible. So yeah, they’ve really made me feel welcome, and that’s been really nice.”

He also shared some intimate details from last week’s emotional win with his brother.

“Winning with my brother has far exceeded any expectations I’ve ever had. I can’t fully describe the feeling I had hitting and watching my brother on 18. It’s impossible to try and put it into words. But, yeah, I’m sure the rest of this year you’ll see me with a smile on my face no matter what,” Fitzpatrick said.

He also admitted, “I don’t know how it would have felt to win myself. I’m sure it would have been an amazing feeling.”

Incredibly, he may get that chance this weekend. After a modest 72 in the opening round, Fitzpatrick shot a six-under 66 on Friday. to raise the leaderboard in a tie for sixth.

He is still seven shots behind leader Cameron Young. But there are very few players between him and the leader, and anything can happen over the final 36 holes on the blue monster.

Fitzpatrick confessed that finding himself competing in his first Signature event, where the purse is $20 million, is “exciting” and that it “means a lot” to him.

“That means a lot. I think the nice thing is that I feel like I’m doing the right things with my golf game. I’m working toward the right things. Yeah, it’s exciting. I feel like my game has been good for a while now. I think for a few months it didn’t really translate on the golf course like I would have liked, but it’s really nice from the last check. I keep hitting fairways and hitting greens and yeah, we’ll see what happens this weekend.”

But he also said his recent success won’t make him play “cheaper” on the golf course because his expectations are still high.

“I would say no. I still have, there’s still a lot of expectations that I put on myself. It was unbelievable to win, but then you come out here and you’re expected to compete and you expect to play well and you always want to try and perform every week. For me everything is a bonus at this stage, which helps me, but I’m still a bad player and I’m still a golfer. I’m still going to be upset, but, yeah, when you take a step back, I’m sure after this week or every week it’s going to be, you know, maybe I may have played a little bit looser than usual, so…” he said Friday.

He concluded by stating that in the end “it doesn’t matter what happens” this weekend because there are “bigger things in life than golf”.

“It’s important, but it’s also not important. I think there’s bigger things in life than golf, and as much as it was amazing to win this week, I’m just trying to enjoy it. That’s the big thing for me. If I can go out there and enjoy myself, no matter what happens, I’ll be fine,” Fitzpatrick said.