Alex Fitzpatrick came devastatingly close to securing his maiden PGA Tour victory, ultimately finishing fourth at the Truist Championship. He entered the final round with a one-shot lead over Kristoffer Reitan, but the Norwegian surged ahead to claim the title.
Reitan carded a 15-under 269 to win his first PGA Tour event, finishing two strokes clear of Rickie Fowler and Nicolai Hojgaard. Fitzpatrick ended at 12-under, one shot further back, after only recently earning his PGA Tour card alongside his brother Matt Fitzpatrick at last month’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Matt, a major champion, shared what he told Alex before the final round. Speaking to Golf on CBS after his own round but before Alex teed off, Matt said, “It’s a great experience for him. Being in those last groups at Zurich, with me there, eased him into that scenario. Now he’s on his own, and the key is to enjoy it as much as possible. He’s playing well and in a great spot. I told him last night, ‘It doesn’t matter what happens, it’s going to be a great week regardless.’ If you stick to that and have patience, you never know what happens.”
Though Alex fell short, he can hold his head high after another impressive showing. He has quickly made his mark on the PGA Tour, posting one win and three top-10 finishes in just three starts.
Reitan’s breakthrough came after a T14 finish at the Cadillac Championship and a T2 at the Zurich Classic. He earned $3.6 million from the $20 million purse. Fitzpatrick took home $960,000 from the Signature Event at Quail Hollow, while Matt Fitzpatrick collected $45,187.50 for finishing T52.
