Jeff Romance-Imagn Images
Last month, we were treated to an awesome story when Alex Fitzpatrick earned his PGA Tour card after teaming up with his brother Matt to win the Zurich Classic. He didn’t waste any time taking advantage of his new status, as he landed a huge payday with a Top 10 finish at the Cadillac Championship in Miami.
Matt Fitzpatrick became a full-time PGA Tour player in 2020 and has done very well for himself on a circuit where he’s racked up over $40 million in tournament earnings. His younger brother Alex spent the past few years hoping to follow in his footsteps while grinding on the DP World Tour, and in April, he got the chance to play with the big boys when his sibling tapped him as his partner at the Zurich Classic.
That marked the eleventh time the younger Fitzpatrick competed in a PGA Tour event and the fourth time he and Matt had paired up in the team competition in New Orleans. They’d never finished higher than a tie for 11th, but they bounced back from missing the cut in 2025 to win it with the help of Matt’s clutch shot from the bunker on the final hole of the tournament.
The victory meant Alex secured his PGA Tour card through the end of the 2028 season, and he more than proved he can hang while making bank in his first solo outing since earning that upgrade.
Alex Fitzpatrick made over $500,000 in his first tournament after earning his PGA Tour card
Prior to the Zurich Classic, the younger Fitzpatrick had earned around $290,000 in the PGA Tour events he’d competed in. He supplemented those winnings with the more than $3.2 milion he accumulated on the DP World Tour, which is certainly nothing to scoff at but relatively paltry compared to his brother.
The duo each took home $1,372,750 after splitting the grand prize at the Zurich Classic, and while Alex had been planning to head overseas for the Turkish Airlines Open, he ditched those plans after his newfound status allowed him to take part in the Cadillac Championship and tackle the “Blue Monster” at Trump National Doral Miami.
That turned out to be a wise decision, as the most he could have earned in Turkey was the $467,500 check for first place. He was more than able to hold his own in a tournament where Cameron Young finished on top, as he was one of five golfers who finished in a tie for ninth and took home a cool $505,000 as a result.
It seemed like there was a solid chance Fitzpatrick would have eventually earned his PGA Tour card in a more traditional manner if he and Matt hadn’t gotten things done, and he has wasted no time proving he belongs while making some serious dough in the process.