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Alex Fitzpatrick is making a strong debut in his PGA Tour career at the 2026 Cadillac Championship, competing for the lead and a $3.6 million prize. His journey began with a win at the Zurich Classic alongside his brother Matt.
Alex Fitzpatrick is in contention in his debut as a PGA Tour pro at the 2026 Cadillac Championship.Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
The way Alex Fitzpatrick earned his PGA Tour card, by winning the Zurich Classic with his brother Matt, seemed like a dream. If it was, no one better wake him up, because that dream has continued this week at the 2026 Cadillac Championship.
Playing in the first event of his new PGA Tour career, Fitzpatrick is fighting a âwhirlwindâ of emotions. Heâs also, incredibly, fighting for the lead and the $3.6 million winnerâs prize at Trump Doral.
Beginning the year on the DP World Tour, Fitzpatrick put together his career highlight with a win at the Hero Indian Open in late March. Then last week, he teamed with his older brother Matt to win the PGA Tourâs 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
With the victory, he earned a PGA Tour card for two years and spots in the remaining Signature Events. So after enjoying his win, he quickly flew to Florida for this weekâs Cadillac Championship.
In his Friday evening press conference, Fitzpatrick spoke about the âwhirlwindâ experience that has changed his life in a matter of days.
âThe text messages and stuff has slowed down, but the overwhelming feeling⊠and happiness is yet to go away. So I think for me this year itâs going to be a whirlwind and no matter what happens it will be a success,â Fitzpatrick said. âI canât believe how many people have come up to me and congratulated me and players and caddies and staff, itâs been incredible. So yeah they really made me feel welcome, and that was really nice.â
Alex Fitzpatrick is currently contending for the lead in the 2026 Cadillac Championship.
Alex Fitzpatrick earned his PGA Tour card by winning the Zurich Classic with his brother Matt.
The winner of the 2026 Cadillac Championship will receive a prize of $3.6 million.
Alex Fitzpatrick is experiencing a 'whirlwind' of emotions as he competes in his PGA Tour debut.
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Alex Fitzpatrick speaks with reporters during 2026 Cadillac Championship press conference.
He also shared some intimate details from last weekâs emotional victory with his brother.
âWinning with my brother kind of far exceeded any expectations I ever had. I canât quite describe the feeling I had tapping in and looking over at my brother on 18. Itâs impossible to try and translate into words. But, yeah, Iâm sure the rest of this year youâll see me with a smile on my face no matter what,â Fitzpatrick said.
He also admitted, âI donât know how it would have felt winning by myself. Iâm sure that would have been an amazing feeling.â
Incredibly, he might get that chance this weekend. After a modest 72 in the opening round, Fitzpatrick fired a six-under 66 on Friday to charge up the leaderboard into a tie for sixth.
Heâs still seven shots behind leader Cameron Young. But there are very few players between him and the lead, and anything can happen over the final 36 holes at the Blue Monster.
Fitzpatrick confessed that finding himself in contention at his first Signature Event, where the purse is $20 million, is âexcitingâ and that it âmeans a lotâ to him.
âIt means a lot. I think the nice thing is it feels like Iâm doing the right things with my golf game. Iâm working towards the right things. Yeah, itâs exciting. I feel like my game has been good for a while now. I think for a few months it didnât really translate on the golf course how I would have liked, but itâs really taken a turn the past two months. I feel in control of my ball, which is nice. So hopefully I keep hitting fairways and hitting greens and yeah, weâll see what happens this weekend.â
Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick embrace tightly on a golf course, one holding a golf club. The background is blurred with greenery and a structure visibleâMatt Fitzpatrick celebrates on the PGA Tour.
But he also said his recent success wonât make him play âfreerâ on the golf course because his expectations are still high.
âI would say no. I still have, thereâs still loads of expectations that I put on myself. It was unbelievable to win, but then you come out here and youâre expected to compete and you expect to play well and thereâs always that that you want to try and perform every week. For me everythingâs a bonus at this stage, which does help, but Iâm still a golfer at the end of the day and Iâm sure Iâll hit bad shots and Iâll still get annoyed. But, yeah, when you take a step back, Iâm sure that after this week or any week it will be, you know, I probably might have played a little freer than I would normally. But, yeah, still a golfer, soâŠâ he said on Friday.
He closed the thought by declaring that ultimately it âdoesnât matter what happensâ this weekend because there are âbigger things in life than golf.â
âIt is important, but itâs also not important. I think thereâs bigger things in life than golf, and as much as it was amazing to win this week, Iâm just trying to enjoy it. Thatâs the big thing for me. If I can go out there and enjoy myself, doesnât matter what happens, Iâll be okay,â Fitzpatrick said.
The post Alex Fitzpatrickâs âwhirlwindâ continues with dream start to PGA Tour career appeared first on Golf.