"I'm the Miserable One": Matt Fitzpatrick Opens Up About Personality Differences With Brother Alex Fitzpatrick

May 8, 2026, 11:15 AM CUT

Credits: Imago Matthew Fitzpatrick ENG on the 18th fairway during Round 4 of the DP World Championship, WM, Weltmeisterschaft Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth course, United Arab Emirates. 16/11/2025 Picture: Golffile Thos Caffrey All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Thos Caffrey Copyright: xThosxCaffreyx *EDI*, QATAR MASTERS 2026- SECOND ROUND Alex Fitzpatrick of England lines up on the 2nd green during second round of the Qatar Masters 2026 golf tournament at the Doha Golf Club on February 06, 2026. DOHA Qatar Copyright: xNOUSHADx

Matt Fitzpatrick has five wins on the PGA Tour, while his younger brother Alex Fitzpatrick has one. The brother duo from England also won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans together as a team. But the difference between them is not really about trophies.

Matt addressed the question directly on Tuesday, May 5, at a pre-tournament press conference ahead of the 2026 Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was asked how he and his younger brother Alex differ, and the world No. 4 didn't hold back.

"We are very different,” Matt said. “He's the happy, bubbly one. I'm the miserable one. Which kind of still stands, I guess."

Matt said Alex is the kind of player who arrives at the course, starts playing, and adjusts as he goes. But Matt prefers to go about in an organized way and plans his practice day hour by hour.

"From what I've seen on the outside in the past few years, it's kind of like turn up and go," Matt said of his brother. "As opposed, I know where I'm going to be for every hour basically of the practice day."

Alex didn't push back on any of it. When asked about similarities, he kept it simple.

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Matthew Fitzpatrick ENG on the 18th fairway during the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Yas Links Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 08/11/2025 Picture: Fran Caffrey Golffile All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Fran Caffrey Copyright: xFranxCaffreyx *EDI*

"I would hope that we're just two normal people from Sheffield, England, two hard-working lads," Alex said.

That work ethic has paid off for both. The Fitzpatrick brothers teamed up for a 7-under 65 in April in alternate-shot action. It left them just one stroke behind tournament leaders Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

The brothers’ bond is shaped by mutual respect and years of competing alongside each other. Rather than trying to direct Alex’s path, Matt sees himself as a supportive voice offering advice when needed.

Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick’s Bond on the Golf Course

The Zurich win fast-tracked Alex onto the PGA Tour with a 3-year exemption (through the 2028 PGA Tour season) and entry into $20 million signature events. But not everyone was convinced Alex belonged.

Some questioned whether a player without a PGA Tour membership deserved a 3 year exemption. Alex had been plotting his summer on the DP World Tour before the Zurich win changed everything.

He won the Hero Indian Open on the DP World Tour earlier this year and was working toward one of the 10 PGA Tour cards for 2027 through his Race to Dubai standing.

Then Matt hit a great bunker shot on the 72nd hole at New Orleans, which set up a simple tap-in birdie for Alex. Because of that, Alex’s path to the PGA Tour opened up quickly.

Matt told reporters he feels an obligation to help his brother settle in and plans to play practice rounds with him going forward.

Share your thoughts on the Fitzpatrick brothers' bond.

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar