Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala are currently Tied-15th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans after shooting 2-under in alternate shots. They moved down two places from Tied-13th to Tied-15th, standing at 12-under. Another pair with Indian interest, Sudarshan Yellamaraju and Ryan Gerard, climbed to T-26 from T-42 by shooting 3-under, reaching 10-under.
Brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick played a remarkable 7-under 65 in alternate-shot play, narrowing the gap to leaders Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer by just one stroke after two rounds. Matt Fitzpatrick, a two-time PGA Tour winner this season, praised their near-perfect performance. The Fitzpatricks, playing together for the fourth consecutive year in New Orleans, have been in excellent form recently. Matt has secured two victories since March, while Alex claimed his first DP World Tour title at the Hero Indian Open last month.
Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who equaled the tournament record with a 58 in Four-ball play in the first round, maintained their lead at 16-under 128 after a 70 in the second round. The third round is set to begin with nine teams closely trailing the leaders by just two shots.
Matt Fitzpatrick, currently ranked third globally following his recent playoff victory against world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in the RBC Heritage, showcased his skills with a chip-in birdie on the par-5 18th hole. Alex contributed significantly by sinking four out of six birdie putts, with the longest putt exceeding 17 feet. He acknowledged his older brother’s expertise, known for his meticulous green-reading routine, including a unique ground-level view.
Despite combining for five birdies, Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka missed the cut by a single stroke due to bogeys on two par 3s: Nos. 3 and 17. The tournament format will switch to better ball in the third round before reverting to alternate shots on Sunday. Americans Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat also secured a tie for second place after a second-round 70. Defending Zurich Classic champions Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak narrowly made the cut at 134.
