'Sometimes I wake up and pinch myself' - Alex Fitzpatrick's stunning transformation to PGA TOUR winner

Mathieu Wood

Wanting something is one thing; going out and getting it is quite another. In the case of Alex Fitzpatrick this year, he has turned ambitions into reality in stunning fashion.

There may still be a little less than half of the year to play out but whatever happens from here, 2026 will be one he remembers as transformative in his career.

Across a month-long span, Fitzpatrick accelerated his career trajectory as he backed up his first DP World Tour title with a breakthrough triumph on the PGA TOUR.

Despite the speed of his emergence in the game's upper echelons, the Englishman has taken it in his stride and appears at ease in the spotlight competing week-to-week against the biggest names.

And yet, it's easy to forget, less than a year ago he was struggling for form and battling to retain his playing rights on the DP World Tour.

Having been outside the world's top 200 in January, even he acknowledges it's startling just how far he has come in a short period of time.

"There's part of me that realises and then sometimes I wake up and I pinch myself," he tells the DP World Tour.

"I'm like, holy s*** I'm actually out here now. I'm competing [against the best].

"I think at the end of the year, that will be the time when it really settles in.

"This is where I want to be, this is where I want to play the rest of my golf and I will continue to pinch myself at all times, that's for sure."

While the pace of his rise may be remarkable, the fact it has happened is no surprise.

After a successful amateur career that saw him reach number four in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, twice represent Great Britain & Ireland at the Walker Cup and enjoy collegiate success at Wake Forest University, Fitzpatrick turned professional in June 2022 at the Irish Open.

Two weeks prior, he had watched with pride as his brother Matt became a Major Champion with victory in the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, where Alex had caddied for his elder sibling as he won the U.S. Amateur nine years earlier.

It is perhaps apt then, that the duo - so supportive of one another - have been able to share in each other's success this year.

After European Ryder Cup star Matt won the Valspar Championship stateside, a week later Alex claimed his first DP World Tour title at the Hero Indian Open - a victory that saw the Sheffield-born pair make history as the first brothers to win on the PGA TOUR and the DP World Tour in back-to-back weeks.

Less than a month later, Matt beat World Number One Scottie Scheffler in a play-off to become a two-time winner of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage. But there was more to come.

The very next week, the Fitzpatricks teamed up to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans as Alex adopted a new identity: PGA TOUR winner.

Since then, Alex - four years Matt's junior - has made nine appearances worldwide, registering four top tens, each of them at a Signature Event.

Debuts at the US PGA Championship and U.S. Open have also been made, while he reached a new career-high of 62nd in the Official World Golf Ranking last month.

So often the term whirlwind is used in a sporting sense, but for Alex it is no exaggeration.

As such it is no surprise he took the decision to "put the clubs away" after The Open and enjoy a holiday to New York with his girlfriend.

"I don't necessarily think it was a physical thing that I needed a break from, more just mentally," says World Number 68 Fitzpatrick.

"So much has changed for me in such a great way and [I've been] just trying to kind of deal with that.

"From moving countries to playing over here [in the States], there was a lot that went on, but it was super nice.

"I love playing golf, but sometimes you just need a break and I think that was kind of one of those times."

Ahead of his return to action this week on the PGA TOUR at the Wyndham Championship, Fitzpatrick feels recharged and has renewed motivation.

With just one week left of the regular season stateside, the 27-year-old is already assured of making it to the start of the three-leg FedExCup Playoffs later this month.

Not only that, he finds himself 19th in the FedExCup Rankings and on track to make his debut at the Tour Championship, where the top 30 money leaders tee it up.

"What was so nice about this two-week break was it's given me a chance to enjoy myself, relax and switch off," he adds.

"Coming to the Wyndham here this week is actually a bit of a home event for me because I went to university literally 20 minutes from here.

"It just makes me really excited to be back here and playing golf again.

"If you’d have told me four months ago that I'd be challenging for a spot at the Tour Championship in Atlanta, I’d have told you you're full of s***.

"But here we are and I'm just super excited for the opportunity and just want to keep playing good golf and working hard."

If you’d have told me four months ago that I'd be challenging for a spot at the Tour Championship in Atlanta, I’d have told you you're full of s***.

Behind every successful sportsman or sportswomen is a team, dedicated to facilitating their development.

Like so many others, Alex, and Matt, owe a debt of gratitude to their parents, Russell and Sue for providing the initial platform to hone their craft.

From there it is left to the expertise of specialised coaches, and the Fitzpatricks have benefited from the tutelage of the best.

Up until late last year, Alex was working with US-based Mark Blackburn but due to him playing on the DP World Tour their contact time was limited.

However, circumstances would mean that Alex and Matt would take the unusual decision to switch coaches.

So, Alex linked up with renowned English coach Mike Walker, best known for overseeing Lee Westwood, Danny Willett and Matt among others.

It's a move that Alex credits as intrumental behind his success.

"I feel like I've always had the self-belief that I can compete when I play my best golf," he explains.

"But the biggest thing for me that changed was having just more contact time with my coaches.

"For the longest time I could remember, I've not really had anyone that's been with me a lot. It's been a case of seeing people on and off, I might see my coach once every two months or three months. I didn't feel like that was enough time to allow me to really improve the way I wanted to.

"I was very lucky with the circumstances in which Mike Walker could spend more time with me and he's been such an amazing person to my team.

"I would definitely think he's the reason as to why my success has happened this year."

In terms of the mechanics of his game, Fitzpatrick credits improvement with his driver as pivotal.

"It's funny, growing up, my driver was not one of my strong suits," he says.

"I always felt like I had a lot of speed, but the ability to hit straight was something that I didn't quite have.

"In all fairness, my old coach, Mark Blackburn, I didn't really see much of him, but he helped me so much in terms of how to move the club in the correct manner.

"Long story short is my club was kind of coming over the top, and it was very cutty, and Mark helped me kind of figure it out and get it to a stage where the club was coming from more behind me, and that was a big thing for me to improve.

"When Mike came on board, there was just more structure in place.

"The swing became shorter, more compact, just not allowing my left arm to come out as much.

"It's been such a help and such a bonus to play such good golf. A massive thanks to Mike for that, definitely."

In an inherintly individual sport, trust between player and coach is vital.

Having trained alongside his brother under Pete Cowen as a teenager, Alex has known of Walker - a student of Cowen and subsequently a close associate at the same golf academy - for a long time.

"Mike, for me, was someone I've grown up with and known so well and someone I trust," he says. "So, it just kind of worked out perfectly."

He adds: "I can't explain how thankful I am to have these people in my life. I'm very fortunate to have the people I surround myself with."

In recent years, several players have spoken of the challenges that come with making the transition from playing on the DP World Tour to the PGA TOUR.

Among those are Robert MacIntyre and recent Major Champion Ryan Fox, with both citing being away from the 'family feel' of the DP World Tour as lonely and a tough adjustment.

So, how has Alex come to make light of a commonly held viewpoint?

"I think for me, I did my four years at university here which is a massive help," he says.

"Kind of seeing and understanding how America works and being out here really helped me to start with, but I also just love it out here.

"There's a lot of guys back home that they would rather be at home in England or Ireland or wherever it may be, just in Europe, just because they feel like they're most comfortable when they're back home with their friends and family, but I love it so much over here that this is where I feel comfortable, and especially with my golf, I feel most comfortable."

And what of the impact Matt has had in that transition?

"In all honesty, I wouldn't say he's helped me at all in terms of transition, just because I always felt so comfortable here [in USA]," he explains.

"There wasn't any holding of hands or guiding me to do a certain thing or be a certain way out here.

"But I would say the one thing that has been really helpful is just traveling with him.

"We've stayed together a couple of times and obviously he's been out here for so long now.

"Like if I ever have questions, I know that I can ask him. But just having him around, I think has been helpful."

Alex will this week begin what he hopes is the start of a four-event run stateside that will conclude at the Tour Championship, before his attention reverts to the DP World Tour.

Nineteenth on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World, he is set to return to action on golf's global Tour at the Amgen Irish Open next month, before competing on the Rolex Series at the BMW PGA Championship.

Across the events, Fitzpatrick is set to be among a host of dual members returning to the DP World Tour after predominantly playing on the PGA TOUR.

Among others will be Kristoffer Reitan, who edged out Alex for a maiden PGA TOUR triumph at the Truist Championship earlier this season, Marco Penge and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, with the latter two topping the Road to Mallorca Rankings in 2023 and 2024 respetively.

Like with so many before him, Fitzpatrick credits the grounding he received on the HotelPlanner Tour in the early stages of joining the paid ranks and how it fuelled his hunger to further his career.

"I think when we we're all on that tour, I think the goal was not to be comfortable, right?" he says.

"I think for the most part, we all wanted to try and reach our goals as quick as we can.

"I think just having a real drive to move forward and to try and reach our potential we think we have is what is maybe a factor into how and why we managed to play on the DP World Tour and out here on the PGA TOUR now."

But enough reflection, it's time to get back to work and chase more success for one of the breakout stars of 2026.