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 “whirlwind” of emotions. He’s also, incredibly, fighting for the lead and the $3.6 million winner’s prize at Trump Doral.
Alex Fitzpatrick on contending at Cadillac Championship: ‘I’m just trying to enjoy it’
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 Tour’s 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 week’s Cadillac Championship.
In his Friday evening press conference, Fitzpatrick spoke about the “whirlwind” experience that has changed his life in a matter of days.
“The 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 it’s going to be a whirlwind and no matter what happens it will be a success,” Fitzpatrick said. “I can’t believe how many people have come up to me and congratulated me and players and caddies and staff, it’s been incredible. So yeah they really made me feel welcome, and that was really nice.”
He also shared some intimate details from last week’s emotional victory with his brother.
“Winning with my brother kind of far exceeded any expectations I ever had. I can’t quite describe the feeling I had tapping in and looking over at my brother on 18. It’s impossible to try and translate 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 winning by myself. I’m sure that would have been an amazing feeling.”
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.
He’s 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 “exciting” and that it “means a lot” to him.
“It means a lot. I think the nice thing is it feels like I’m doing the right things with my golf game. I’m working towards 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 how I would have liked, but it’s 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, we’ll see what happens this weekend.”
But he also said his recent success won’t make him play “freer” on the golf course because his expectations are still high.
“I would say no. I still have, there’s still loads 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 there’s always that that you want to try and perform every week. For me everything’s a bonus at this stage, which does help, but I’m still a golfer at the end of the day and I’m sure I’ll hit bad shots and I’ll still get annoyed. But, yeah, when you take a step back, I’m 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, so…” he said on Friday.
He closed the thought by declaring that ultimately it “doesn’t matter what happens” this weekend because there are “bigger things in life than golf.”
“It is 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, doesn’t matter what happens, I’ll be okay,” Fitzpatrick said.
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