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Deadspin | Cam Schlittler, Yankees push to keep cruising vs. Rangers   Apr 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images   Cam Schlittler’s second season in the majors is going well.   Jacob deGrom’s second full season following his recovery from elbow surgery also is off to a strong start.  Schlittler and deGrom hope to turn in strong outings when the former leads the New York Yankees into the middle contest of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.  The Yankees are 9-1 in their past 10 games and own an American League-best 3.18 ERA.   New York opened the series vs. Texas by getting six scoreless innings from Max Fried and three home runs in a 4-2 victory on Monday.  Schlittler (3-1, 1.77 ERA) did not face Texas last season, when he went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA while striking out 84 batters in 73 innings over 14 starts. The right-hander has allowed two runs or less in four of his six starts this season and got a career-high 12 outs on the ground Thursday in Boston.  “He’s just getting really, really good out there. That’s an ace-like performance,” manager Aaron Boone said of Schlitter, who allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in eight innings of a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox.  The Rangers, who are coming off their sixth loss in nine games, are 5-0 in deGrom’s starts this season. The right-hander (2-0, 2.13 ERA) has allowed three runs in his past four starts after a shaky season debut in Baltimore on March 31.  On Thursday, deGrom notched a season-high 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. He allowed a run on five hits.   “I thought that was the best he’s thrown all year,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “He was 98 miles an hour pretty consistently, dotting almost every fastball, 70-plus percent strikes. He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes; the slider was working off the fastball. It was exactly what we were hoping for. It was a really, really strong outing.”  The Yankees have seen plenty of deGrom from his time with the Mets, who did not retain him after the 2022 season. He is 2-4 with a 3.14 ERA in eight career starts against the Yankees and held them to two runs on three hits in seven innings of a no-decision last May 21.  The two-time Cy Young Award winner has held Aaron Judge to one hit in seven at-bats, and Cody Bellinger is 5-for-19 against him.  Judge has eight of his 11 homers in the past 15 games and reached base four times while collecting three hits on Monday. Ben Rice has six of his 10 homers in his past 11 games, and the duo hit consecutive homers as the Yankees went deep three times for the seventh time this season.  “Benny’s off to an amazing start and Judge ho-hum, 11 homers already,” Boone said Monday. “Really maybe his best game of at-bats tonight. It’s a pretty good combo there.”  Texas is coming off being held to two runs or less for the eighth time. Six of those instances have been at home, where the Rangers are batting .216.  Corey Seager is hitting only .183 over his past 22 games after striking out three times Monday.  “You can tell he’s grinding through some stuff for sure, but it feels like he’s just about to get hot,” Schumaker said about Seager, who is hitting .212.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Cam #Schlittler #Yankees #push #cruising #Rangers

Deadspin | Cam Schlittler, Yankees push to keep cruising vs. Rangers
Deadspin | Cam Schlittler, Yankees push to keep cruising vs. Rangers   Apr 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images   Cam Schlittler’s second season in the majors is going well.   Jacob deGrom’s second full season following his recovery from elbow surgery also is off to a strong start.  Schlittler and deGrom hope to turn in strong outings when the former leads the New York Yankees into the middle contest of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.  The Yankees are 9-1 in their past 10 games and own an American League-best 3.18 ERA.   New York opened the series vs. Texas by getting six scoreless innings from Max Fried and three home runs in a 4-2 victory on Monday.  Schlittler (3-1, 1.77 ERA) did not face Texas last season, when he went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA while striking out 84 batters in 73 innings over 14 starts. The right-hander has allowed two runs or less in four of his six starts this season and got a career-high 12 outs on the ground Thursday in Boston.  “He’s just getting really, really good out there. That’s an ace-like performance,” manager Aaron Boone said of Schlitter, who allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in eight innings of a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox.  The Rangers, who are coming off their sixth loss in nine games, are 5-0 in deGrom’s starts this season. The right-hander (2-0, 2.13 ERA) has allowed three runs in his past four starts after a shaky season debut in Baltimore on March 31.  On Thursday, deGrom notched a season-high 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. He allowed a run on five hits.   “I thought that was the best he’s thrown all year,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “He was 98 miles an hour pretty consistently, dotting almost every fastball, 70-plus percent strikes. He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes; the slider was working off the fastball. It was exactly what we were hoping for. It was a really, really strong outing.”  The Yankees have seen plenty of deGrom from his time with the Mets, who did not retain him after the 2022 season. He is 2-4 with a 3.14 ERA in eight career starts against the Yankees and held them to two runs on three hits in seven innings of a no-decision last May 21.  The two-time Cy Young Award winner has held Aaron Judge to one hit in seven at-bats, and Cody Bellinger is 5-for-19 against him.  Judge has eight of his 11 homers in the past 15 games and reached base four times while collecting three hits on Monday. Ben Rice has six of his 10 homers in his past 11 games, and the duo hit consecutive homers as the Yankees went deep three times for the seventh time this season.  “Benny’s off to an amazing start and Judge ho-hum, 11 homers already,” Boone said Monday. “Really maybe his best game of at-bats tonight. It’s a pretty good combo there.”  Texas is coming off being held to two runs or less for the eighth time. Six of those instances have been at home, where the Rangers are batting .216.  Corey Seager is hitting only .183 over his past 22 games after striking out three times Monday.  “You can tell he’s grinding through some stuff for sure, but it feels like he’s just about to get hot,” Schumaker said about Seager, who is hitting .212.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Cam #Schlittler #Yankees #push #cruising #RangersApr 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Cam Schlittler’s second season in the majors is going well.

Jacob deGrom’s second full season following his recovery from elbow surgery also is off to a strong start.

Schlittler and deGrom hope to turn in strong outings when the former leads the New York Yankees into the middle contest of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.

The Yankees are 9-1 in their past 10 games and own an American League-best 3.18 ERA.

New York opened the series vs. Texas by getting six scoreless innings from Max Fried and three home runs in a 4-2 victory on Monday.

Schlittler (3-1, 1.77 ERA) did not face Texas last season, when he went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA while striking out 84 batters in 73 innings over 14 starts. The right-hander has allowed two runs or less in four of his six starts this season and got a career-high 12 outs on the ground Thursday in Boston.

“He’s just getting really, really good out there. That’s an ace-like performance,” manager Aaron Boone said of Schlitter, who allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in eight innings of a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox.

The Rangers, who are coming off their sixth loss in nine games, are 5-0 in deGrom’s starts this season. The right-hander (2-0, 2.13 ERA) has allowed three runs in his past four starts after a shaky season debut in Baltimore on March 31.


On Thursday, deGrom notched a season-high 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. He allowed a run on five hits.

“I thought that was the best he’s thrown all year,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “He was 98 miles an hour pretty consistently, dotting almost every fastball, 70-plus percent strikes. He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes; the slider was working off the fastball. It was exactly what we were hoping for. It was a really, really strong outing.”

The Yankees have seen plenty of deGrom from his time with the Mets, who did not retain him after the 2022 season. He is 2-4 with a 3.14 ERA in eight career starts against the Yankees and held them to two runs on three hits in seven innings of a no-decision last May 21.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner has held Aaron Judge to one hit in seven at-bats, and Cody Bellinger is 5-for-19 against him.

Judge has eight of his 11 homers in the past 15 games and reached base four times while collecting three hits on Monday. Ben Rice has six of his 10 homers in his past 11 games, and the duo hit consecutive homers as the Yankees went deep three times for the seventh time this season.

“Benny’s off to an amazing start and Judge ho-hum, 11 homers already,” Boone said Monday. “Really maybe his best game of at-bats tonight. It’s a pretty good combo there.”

Texas is coming off being held to two runs or less for the eighth time. Six of those instances have been at home, where the Rangers are batting .216.

Corey Seager is hitting only .183 over his past 22 games after striking out three times Monday.

“You can tell he’s grinding through some stuff for sure, but it feels like he’s just about to get hot,” Schumaker said about Seager, who is hitting .212.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Cam #Schlittler #Yankees #push #cruising #Rangers

Apr 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Cam Schlittler’s second season in the majors is going well.

Jacob deGrom’s second full season following his recovery from elbow surgery also is off to a strong start.

Schlittler and deGrom hope to turn in strong outings when the former leads the New York Yankees into the middle contest of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.

The Yankees are 9-1 in their past 10 games and own an American League-best 3.18 ERA.

New York opened the series vs. Texas by getting six scoreless innings from Max Fried and three home runs in a 4-2 victory on Monday.

Schlittler (3-1, 1.77 ERA) did not face Texas last season, when he went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA while striking out 84 batters in 73 innings over 14 starts. The right-hander has allowed two runs or less in four of his six starts this season and got a career-high 12 outs on the ground Thursday in Boston.

“He’s just getting really, really good out there. That’s an ace-like performance,” manager Aaron Boone said of Schlitter, who allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in eight innings of a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox.

The Rangers, who are coming off their sixth loss in nine games, are 5-0 in deGrom’s starts this season. The right-hander (2-0, 2.13 ERA) has allowed three runs in his past four starts after a shaky season debut in Baltimore on March 31.

On Thursday, deGrom notched a season-high 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. He allowed a run on five hits.

“I thought that was the best he’s thrown all year,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “He was 98 miles an hour pretty consistently, dotting almost every fastball, 70-plus percent strikes. He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes; the slider was working off the fastball. It was exactly what we were hoping for. It was a really, really strong outing.”

The Yankees have seen plenty of deGrom from his time with the Mets, who did not retain him after the 2022 season. He is 2-4 with a 3.14 ERA in eight career starts against the Yankees and held them to two runs on three hits in seven innings of a no-decision last May 21.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner has held Aaron Judge to one hit in seven at-bats, and Cody Bellinger is 5-for-19 against him.

Judge has eight of his 11 homers in the past 15 games and reached base four times while collecting three hits on Monday. Ben Rice has six of his 10 homers in his past 11 games, and the duo hit consecutive homers as the Yankees went deep three times for the seventh time this season.

“Benny’s off to an amazing start and Judge ho-hum, 11 homers already,” Boone said Monday. “Really maybe his best game of at-bats tonight. It’s a pretty good combo there.”

Texas is coming off being held to two runs or less for the eighth time. Six of those instances have been at home, where the Rangers are batting .216.

Corey Seager is hitting only .183 over his past 22 games after striking out three times Monday.

“You can tell he’s grinding through some stuff for sure, but it feels like he’s just about to get hot,” Schumaker said about Seager, who is hitting .212.

–Field Level Media

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Premier League 2025-26: Manchester City’s postponed fixture against Crystal Palace to be played on May 13 <div id="content-body-70917402" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Manchester City faces three games in a seven-day stretch that will be crucial in its bid for a domestic treble of trophies.</p><p>The Premier League announced on Tuesday that City’s postponed game against Crystal Palace has been moved to May 13.</p><p>Pep Guardiola’s team plays the FA Cup final against Chelsea three days later at Wembley Stadium, then visits Bournemouth on May 19.</p><p><b>ALSO READ: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/epl/john-stones-to-leave-manchester-city-at-end-of-season-premier-league-stats-goals-performance-news/article70916663.ece" target="_self">John Stones to leave Manchester City at end of season</a></b></p><p>It is a potentially exhausting run of games at the end of the season for City, which has already won the English League Cup and is locked in a title race with Arsenal.</p><p>Arsenal is three points ahead but has played one game more.</p><p>The game against Palace was originally due to be played the weekend of the League Cup final last month. The Bournemouth game was also moved after City beat Southampton on Saturday to advance to the FA Cup final.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 28, 2026</p></div> #Premier #League #Manchester #Citys #postponed #fixture #Crystal #Palace #played

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UTT 2026 auction: Szocs becomes costliest pick, joins Dempo Goa Challengers for Ultimate Table Tennis season 7 <div id="content-body-70917403" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Big names commanded bigger bids as franchises zeroed in on proven performers and emerging Indian talent at the Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 player auction on Tuesday, with Bernadette Szocs topping the charts.</p><p>Szocs, snapped up by Dempo Goa Challengers for 40 lakh tokens, headlined a list of marquee acquisitions that underlined the premium on experience. Close behind was Diya Chitale, who became the highest-valued Indian for the second successive year, joining PBG Pune Jaguars for 37.4 lakh tokens. Her mixed doubles partner, Manush Shah, wasn’t far behind, picked up by U Mumba TT for 37.2 lakh.</p><p>If Pune and U Mumba invested in Indian mainstays, UP Prometheans, the league debutant, went big on balance, pairing Manav Thakkar (36 lakh) with two-time league MVP Yangzi Liu (32 lakh) to assemble arguably the most formidable core on paper.</p><p><b>ALSO READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/table-tennis/ittf-president-petra-sorloth-interview-exclusive-world-table-tennis-day-la-2028-olympics/article70912127.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ITTF President Sorling: Extremely happy to see table tennis grow in India</a></b></p><p>The auction also reflected a growing appetite for youth. Fifteen-year-old Divyanshi Bhowmick was picked by Dabang Delhi and became the youngest-ever signing, while Syndrela Das added to Goa’s blend of promise and pedigree.</p><p>UTT auctions are based on tokens as notional value, with players signing contracts with the league promoters for an undisclosed amount. The seventh edition will be played in Panaji, Goa, from July 9 to 26.</p><div class="fact-box"><h5 class="main-title"> The squads: </h5><p> Ahmedabad APL Pipers: Adrien Rassenfosse (2000000), Sanil Shetty (320000), Payas Jain (1680000), Sofia Polcanova (2720000), Manika Batra (2700000), Kavya Bhatt (320000). </p><p> Dabang Delhi T.T.C.: Youssef Abdelaziz (1200000), Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (2700000), Raegan Albuquerque (300000), Maria Xiao (2720000), Divyanshi Bhowmick (1040000), Sutirtha Mukherjee (800000). </p><p> Dempo Goa Challengers: Alvaro Robles (2280000), Divyansh Srivastava (300000), Abhinandh P. B. (300000), Bernadette Szocs (4000000), Syndrela Das (1700000), Ananya Chande (300000). </p><p> Kolkata ThunderBlades: Eduard Ionescu (2420000), Ankur Bhattacharjee (945000), Jeet Chandra (700000), Zeng Jian (2000000), Taneesha Kotecha (300000), Ayhika Mukherjee (2020000). </p><p> PBG Pune Jaguars: Omar Assar (2000000), Snehit SFR (1200000), Mudit Dani (300000), Prithika Pavade (2480000), Diya Chitale (3740000), Sayanika Maji (300000). </p><p> U Mumba TT: Lilian Bardet (2140000), Akash Pal (945000), Manush Shah (3720000), Anna Hursey (2220000), Nithyashree Mani (300000), Anusha Kutumbale (300000). UP Prometheans: Ricardo Walther (1200000), Sudhanshu Grover (320000), Manav Thakkar (3600000), Yangzi Liu (3200000), Sayali Wani (900000), Swastika Ghosh (700000). </p></div><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 28, 2026</p></div> #UTT #auction #Szocs #costliest #pick #joins #Dempo #Goa #Challengers #Ultimate #Table #Tennis #season

East Bengal remained in the hunt for the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025026 title with a 3-0 win against Odisha FC at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Tuesday.

Bipin Singh gave the Red and Gold Brigade the lead early in the first half, while Youssef Ezzejjari grabbed a second-half brace to lift his goal tally to nine this season – the most in the league.

The win took EBFC to fourth in the standings with 18 points from nine games, two behind leader and archrival Mohun Bagan Super Giant which has played the same number of matches.

More to follow

Published on Apr 28, 2026

#ISL #East #Bengal #eases #Odisha #remain #title #race">ISL 2025-26: East Bengal eases past Odisha FC to remain in title race  East Bengal remained in the hunt for the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025026 title with a 3-0 win against Odisha FC at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Tuesday.Bipin Singh gave the Red and Gold Brigade the lead early in the first half, while Youssef Ezzejjari grabbed a second-half brace to lift his goal tally to nine this season – the most in the league.The win took EBFC to fourth in the standings with 18 points from nine games, two behind leader and archrival Mohun Bagan Super Giant which has played the same number of matches.More to followPublished on Apr 28, 2026  #ISL #East #Bengal #eases #Odisha #remain #title #race

Winning on the PGA Tour changes a player’s life. Just ask Alex Fitzpatrick.

Long a resident of brother Matt’s shadow, Alex has grinded away in Europe trying to put together a playing career of his own. He had no wins to show for it until he clinched the Hero Indian Open last month.

On Sunday, Fitzpatrick was playing in a PGA Tour event, as he does every year now, alongside his major champion brother at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. They won by a single shot – more on how in a minute – and despite it being a team event, the younger Fitzpatrick received all the perks of a PGA Tour win:

That’s … a lot for winning one tournament that you didn’t even win on your own.

The PGA Tour’s critics, most of them decked out in LIV Golf team-branded hats and Twitter avatars, pounced on the apparent hypocrisy. PGA Tour defenders love to call LIV’s closed system anti-meritocratic, only to let a star player’s brother walk in and give him what amounts to a job contract for the next two-plus years.

For once, the LIV bots make a good point.

It was, by my count, Alex Fitzpatrick’s 11th start in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event all-time, including things like the Open Championship and the Scottish Open. He and his brother tied for 11th at the Zurich in 2024, but otherwise his game never hinted that he had the potential of a PGA Tour-level player.

To be clear, winning on the PGA Tour is hard. It’s just harder some weeks than others. Matt Fitzpatrick, the former U.S. Open champion and No. 3 player in the world rankings, was far and away the best player in a weak field at TPC Louisiana. He and his little brother fought off the likes of (checks notes) Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura, Ben Martin and Trace Crowe and Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer.

In the first and third rounds, which used a four-ball (best ball) format, Matt Fitzpatrick did the heavy lifting, accounting for six of their nine birdies on Thursday and six birdies plus an eagle on their outlandishly low 15-under 57 Saturday.

On the final hole during alternate shot Sunday, the Fitzpatricks needed to birdie a par-5 to break a tie and win in regulation. Alex hit their second shot from the fairway to a greenside bunker. Matt stepped in and produced a perfect third shot, his ball stopping less than 2 feet from the cup, allowing Alex to tap in for the life-altering win.

It’s a moment that will make for a tearjerking episode of “Full Swing” next season, but the PGA Tour shouldn’t confuse that with it being good for the sport.

The solution that seems obvious to me is to demote or outright scrap the Zurich from future schedules, something I wrote just last week. But if this gimmicky tournament is bound to remain a part of the PGA Tour, and its team format isn’t going anywhere, the next-best thing would be to split these winner’s perks in half. After all, the two winners are only doing half the work.

The tour already acknowledges this by awarding 400 FedEx Cup points to the Zurich winners instead of the standard 500. So when the next Alex Fitzpatrick comes along, let him on tour, but make it for the rest of the current season, or maybe 12 calendar months. Put him in the next major, sure – guys still need a motive to come to this event – but maybe it’s a bit over the top to include all other signature events.

Otherwise, you’re over-rewarding guys who have one nice week, or are lucky enough to be friends – or brothers – with one of the five best players in the world.

#Alex #Fitzpatricks #Zurich #Win #Raises #Questions #PGA #Tour #Rewards #Deadspin.com">Alex Fitzpatrick’s Zurich Win Raises Questions About PGA Tour Rewards | Deadspin.com   Winning on the PGA Tour changes a player’s life. Just ask Alex Fitzpatrick.Long a resident of brother Matt’s shadow, Alex has grinded away in Europe trying to put together a playing career of his own. He had no wins to show for it until he clinched the Hero Indian Open last month.On Sunday, Fitzpatrick was playing in a PGA Tour event, as he does every year now, alongside his major champion brother at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. They won by a single shot – more on how in a minute – and despite it being a team event, the younger Fitzpatrick received all the perks of a PGA Tour win:A full PGA Tour card through 2028;A berth into the PGA Championship, his second-ever major;A berth into The Players championship for the first time next year;And berths into the rest of the signature events of 2026.That’s … a lot for winning one tournament that you didn’t even win on your own.The PGA Tour’s critics, most of them decked out in LIV Golf team-branded hats and Twitter avatars, pounced on the apparent hypocrisy. PGA Tour defenders love to call LIV’s closed system anti-meritocratic, only to let a star player’s brother walk in and give him what amounts to a job contract for the next two-plus years.For once, the LIV bots make a good point.It was, by my count, Alex Fitzpatrick’s 11th start in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event all-time, including things like the Open Championship and the Scottish Open. He and his brother tied for 11th at the Zurich in 2024, but otherwise his game never hinted that he had the potential of a PGA Tour-level player.To be clear, winning on the PGA Tour is hard. It’s just harder some weeks than others. Matt Fitzpatrick, the former U.S. Open champion and No. 3 player in the world rankings, was far and away the best player in a weak field at TPC Louisiana. He and his little brother fought off the likes of (checks notes) Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura, Ben Martin and Trace Crowe and Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer.In the first and third rounds, which used a four-ball (best ball) format, Matt Fitzpatrick did the heavy lifting, accounting for six of their nine birdies on Thursday and six birdies plus an eagle on their outlandishly low 15-under 57 Saturday.On the final hole during alternate shot Sunday, the Fitzpatricks needed to birdie a par-5 to break a tie and win in regulation. Alex hit their second shot from the fairway to a greenside bunker. Matt stepped in and produced a perfect third shot, his ball stopping less than 2 feet from the cup, allowing Alex to tap in for the life-altering win.It’s a moment that will make for a tearjerking episode of “Full Swing” next season, but the PGA Tour shouldn’t confuse that with it being good for the sport.The solution that seems obvious to me is to demote or outright scrap the Zurich from future schedules, something I wrote just last week. But if this gimmicky tournament is bound to remain a part of the PGA Tour, and its team format isn’t going anywhere, the next-best thing would be to split these winner’s perks in half. After all, the two winners are only doing half the work.The tour already acknowledges this by awarding 400 FedEx Cup points to the Zurich winners instead of the standard 500. So when the next Alex Fitzpatrick comes along, let him on tour, but make it for the rest of the current season, or maybe 12 calendar months. Put him in the next major, sure – guys still need a motive to come to this event – but maybe it’s a bit over the top to include all other signature events.Otherwise, you’re over-rewarding guys who have one nice week, or are lucky enough to be friends – or brothers – with one of the five best players in the world.   #Alex #Fitzpatricks #Zurich #Win #Raises #Questions #PGA #Tour #Rewards #Deadspin.com

That’s … a lot for winning one tournament that you didn’t even win on your own.

The PGA Tour’s critics, most of them decked out in LIV Golf team-branded hats and Twitter avatars, pounced on the apparent hypocrisy. PGA Tour defenders love to call LIV’s closed system anti-meritocratic, only to let a star player’s brother walk in and give him what amounts to a job contract for the next two-plus years.

For once, the LIV bots make a good point.

It was, by my count, Alex Fitzpatrick’s 11th start in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event all-time, including things like the Open Championship and the Scottish Open. He and his brother tied for 11th at the Zurich in 2024, but otherwise his game never hinted that he had the potential of a PGA Tour-level player.

To be clear, winning on the PGA Tour is hard. It’s just harder some weeks than others. Matt Fitzpatrick, the former U.S. Open champion and No. 3 player in the world rankings, was far and away the best player in a weak field at TPC Louisiana. He and his little brother fought off the likes of (checks notes) Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura, Ben Martin and Trace Crowe and Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer.

In the first and third rounds, which used a four-ball (best ball) format, Matt Fitzpatrick did the heavy lifting, accounting for six of their nine birdies on Thursday and six birdies plus an eagle on their outlandishly low 15-under 57 Saturday.

On the final hole during alternate shot Sunday, the Fitzpatricks needed to birdie a par-5 to break a tie and win in regulation. Alex hit their second shot from the fairway to a greenside bunker. Matt stepped in and produced a perfect third shot, his ball stopping less than 2 feet from the cup, allowing Alex to tap in for the life-altering win.

It’s a moment that will make for a tearjerking episode of “Full Swing” next season, but the PGA Tour shouldn’t confuse that with it being good for the sport.

The solution that seems obvious to me is to demote or outright scrap the Zurich from future schedules, something I wrote just last week. But if this gimmicky tournament is bound to remain a part of the PGA Tour, and its team format isn’t going anywhere, the next-best thing would be to split these winner’s perks in half. After all, the two winners are only doing half the work.

The tour already acknowledges this by awarding 400 FedEx Cup points to the Zurich winners instead of the standard 500. So when the next Alex Fitzpatrick comes along, let him on tour, but make it for the rest of the current season, or maybe 12 calendar months. Put him in the next major, sure – guys still need a motive to come to this event – but maybe it’s a bit over the top to include all other signature events.

Otherwise, you’re over-rewarding guys who have one nice week, or are lucky enough to be friends – or brothers – with one of the five best players in the world.

#Alex #Fitzpatricks #Zurich #Win #Raises #Questions #PGA #Tour #Rewards #Deadspin.com">Alex Fitzpatrick’s Zurich Win Raises Questions About PGA Tour Rewards | Deadspin.com

Winning on the PGA Tour changes a player’s life. Just ask Alex Fitzpatrick.

Long a resident of brother Matt’s shadow, Alex has grinded away in Europe trying to put together a playing career of his own. He had no wins to show for it until he clinched the Hero Indian Open last month.

On Sunday, Fitzpatrick was playing in a PGA Tour event, as he does every year now, alongside his major champion brother at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. They won by a single shot – more on how in a minute – and despite it being a team event, the younger Fitzpatrick received all the perks of a PGA Tour win:

  • A full PGA Tour card through 2028;
  • A berth into the PGA Championship, his second-ever major;
  • A berth into The Players championship for the first time next year;
  • And berths into the rest of the signature events of 2026.

That’s … a lot for winning one tournament that you didn’t even win on your own.

The PGA Tour’s critics, most of them decked out in LIV Golf team-branded hats and Twitter avatars, pounced on the apparent hypocrisy. PGA Tour defenders love to call LIV’s closed system anti-meritocratic, only to let a star player’s brother walk in and give him what amounts to a job contract for the next two-plus years.

For once, the LIV bots make a good point.

It was, by my count, Alex Fitzpatrick’s 11th start in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event all-time, including things like the Open Championship and the Scottish Open. He and his brother tied for 11th at the Zurich in 2024, but otherwise his game never hinted that he had the potential of a PGA Tour-level player.

To be clear, winning on the PGA Tour is hard. It’s just harder some weeks than others. Matt Fitzpatrick, the former U.S. Open champion and No. 3 player in the world rankings, was far and away the best player in a weak field at TPC Louisiana. He and his little brother fought off the likes of (checks notes) Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura, Ben Martin and Trace Crowe and Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer.

In the first and third rounds, which used a four-ball (best ball) format, Matt Fitzpatrick did the heavy lifting, accounting for six of their nine birdies on Thursday and six birdies plus an eagle on their outlandishly low 15-under 57 Saturday.

On the final hole during alternate shot Sunday, the Fitzpatricks needed to birdie a par-5 to break a tie and win in regulation. Alex hit their second shot from the fairway to a greenside bunker. Matt stepped in and produced a perfect third shot, his ball stopping less than 2 feet from the cup, allowing Alex to tap in for the life-altering win.

It’s a moment that will make for a tearjerking episode of “Full Swing” next season, but the PGA Tour shouldn’t confuse that with it being good for the sport.

The solution that seems obvious to me is to demote or outright scrap the Zurich from future schedules, something I wrote just last week. But if this gimmicky tournament is bound to remain a part of the PGA Tour, and its team format isn’t going anywhere, the next-best thing would be to split these winner’s perks in half. After all, the two winners are only doing half the work.

The tour already acknowledges this by awarding 400 FedEx Cup points to the Zurich winners instead of the standard 500. So when the next Alex Fitzpatrick comes along, let him on tour, but make it for the rest of the current season, or maybe 12 calendar months. Put him in the next major, sure – guys still need a motive to come to this event – but maybe it’s a bit over the top to include all other signature events.

Otherwise, you’re over-rewarding guys who have one nice week, or are lucky enough to be friends – or brothers – with one of the five best players in the world.

#Alex #Fitzpatricks #Zurich #Win #Raises #Questions #PGA #Tour #Rewards #Deadspin.com

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