Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer birdied two of their final three holes to recover the lead from Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick midway through the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Friday at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La.
The English brothers put up the round of the day as a foursomes pair, a 7-under-par 65, to move to 15-under 129. They held the lead late in the day before first-round leaders Smalley and Springer, who started on the back nine, made up for bogeys at Nos. 4 and 6 with birdies at Nos. 7 and 8.
They climbed to 16 under after posting a 70. Tied with the Fitzpatricks at 15 under were Billy Horschel/Tom Hoge (68) and Davis Thompson/Austin Eckroat (70).
Seventy-four teams entered the unique event, where teams of two play four-ball (best ball) in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and fourth rounds. Alternate shot is considered the more difficult of the two formats.
The Fitzpatricks’ big move came at the turn. They eagled their ninth hole of the day, the par-5 18th, when Matt Fitzpatrick hit a high pitch shot that rolled on a perfect line into the cup. The duo birdied their next two holes to make it a 4-under, three-hole stretch.
After their lone bogey of the day at the par-3 third, they added the final two of their six birdies at Nos. 5 and 7.
The Fitzpatricks have played the event together since 2023 but missed the cut last year.
The top 33 teams and ties will make the 36-hole cut, which was projected to be 10 under par as play wound down late Friday. Brooks Koepka and Irishman Shane Lowry, who teamed up for the first time this year, were likely to miss the cut by a single shot after rounds of 66 and 69.
