English siblings Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick stormed into the lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Saturday, firing a tournament-record 15-under 57 in the four-ball format to move four strokes clear at TPC Louisiana.
The brothers, from Sheffield in South Yorkshire, started the third round one shot off the pace but produced a flawless round featuring 13 birdies and an eagle on the par-five seventh, with no bogeys. They finished the day at 30 under overall, four ahead of the teams of Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, and Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat.
"It was an awesome day," said Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion and world number three. "I think I can think of one bad shot that we hit, and that was me."
Alex Fitzpatrick, 27 and ranked 141st in the world, contributed heavily, providing the team's best score on seven occasions. Matt praised his younger brother: "He played brilliant golf both of the last two days. His game has really turned a corner these last few months, and I believe in him to continue that trend."
The duo finished tied 11th in the event last year and missed the cut in 2023, but are now in prime position for victory. The tournament switches back to the alternate-shot foursomes format for Sunday's final round, with the winning pair earning £1 million.
Matt, 31, already has two wins this season, including last week's RBC Heritage. Alex said of playing with his brother: "Playing alongside my brother, who happens also to be one of the best players in the world, is pretty fun. When he's playing well, it's pretty cool to watch."
Last year's winning score was 28 under, while the tournament record is 30 under, set in 2023 by Nick Hardy and Davis Riley.