Matt Fitzpatrick Takes 36-Hole Lead at FedEx Open de France

Matt Fitzpatrick shot a 5-birdie, 1-eagle 64 on Friday to reach 13 under and take a one-stroke lead over Jeff Gunther after 36 holes of the DP World Tour's FedEx Open de France at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France.

Why did Fitzpatrick change his driver setup back?

Fitzpatrick had already won the Valspar Championship, the RBC Heritage and, alongside brother Alex, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans before making a slight change to his driver setup midway through the season. He said he ran into issues with his form and reverted this week to the setup he used during that early-season stretch. "Just feel a bit more comfortable with that," he said of the switch.

What happened on the 18th hole?

Fitzpatrick dropped a long birdie putt on No. 16 before a scare on the closing hole, when his foot slipped as he swung into his approach. He still made contact and found the green, saving par to close out a 7-under day. The par save kept his card clean and preserved the lead he built earlier in the round.

Fitzpatrick, one of the PGA Tour's most consistent players through the first half of 2026, takes his one-shot lead into the weekend at Le Golf National.