Ten years after he won the Silver Medal, Matt Fitzpatrick has been giving his younger brother Alex advice this week ahead of his Open Championship debut at Royal Liverpool.
In 2013, Fitzpatrick made his first start in a Major at The Open at Muirfield after making it through Final Qualifying, and went on to win the Silver Medal, awarded to the lowest amateur.
A decade later, his younger brother Alex makes his own Major debut at Royal Liverpool alongside his now Major Champion brother, having come through the same route at West Lancs two weeks ago.
The elder Fitzpatrick, who won the U.S. Open last year, was on a golf course in New Jersey when he found out the news, and said he was 'buzzing' for his brother, who turned professional last year and plays on the Challenge Tour.
"I was so happy," said Fitzpatrick
"I was buzzing. I was playing golf, and I was just refreshing the scores constantly. It was taking a while to update. My girlfriend was just literally like, put it down. It'll load in a minute. I was just constantly refreshing, texting my mom, what's he doing, where is he hitting it. I was so happy for him.
"I think it's amazing, if you would've said to be 10 years ago when I played at Muirfield, you'd play The Open in 2023, you'd have won a major and your brother would be playing in one, I think we'd both be like, what?"
It's by no means the first time brothers have played together in a Major Championship.
In more recent history Francesco Molinari famously caddied for Edoardo in the Masters years before he won The Open at Carnoustie, and this week Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard will play together in a Major for a second time this year.
It's something that Fitzpatrick has been thinking about a lot ahead of this week.
"It's my little brother. I've almost wanted to give Francesco and Edoardo a call and ask them what it's like, what's the dynamic like between you? Is it weird?
"People ask, what would you do if you were in the final group on Sunday, and I said, well, that would be kind of my worst nightmare, to be honest.
And with plenty of Major experience under his belt, he has been offering advice to Alex, that is grounded in trying to take the stress out of the situation.
"I think my biggest thing, a couple bits of advice I've given him, he came last week to play 18, which I think was helpful, see the golf course, no stress, no rush, and then I just told him take these next few days easy, nine holes each day.
"I remember speaking to my coach, Mike, about what to do at my first Open back in 2013, and that's what he stressed, is don't tire yourself out. I think I played nine Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so I think that was kind of similar to what Alex should do.
"And then the other one is just no media, as well, just so he can concentrate, concentrate on myself and stay away from you lot."
One thing Matt is hopeful about is that Alex can carve out his own identity in professional golf.
After playing alongside each other at the Zurich Classic, the brothers made it clear they have very different personalities: Matt the more serious and organised, Alex more carefree. On the golf course, their strengths are different too: Matt's strengths are off the tee and on the green, and Alex's are approach play and short-game.
And while it's understandably likely to be tough being the younger brother of a Major Champion and multiple DP World Tour winner and trying to play the same sport, but the tide has already started to change in the type of attention he is receiving.
"I remember however many years when I first got on Tour, Alex was still at my golf club, Hallamshire, and members would come up to him all the time, how's Matt doing? Where's Matt? Not, how are you doing? How's your game?
"It was just always asking about me. Well, I completely understand how it feels now because it's the other way around. Literally the majority of the questions are, how's Alex.
"I totally get how it is, and I'm sure for him growing up it was probably very annoying. It's hard for him to kind of have his own identity and have his own game. People kind of putting him into, oh, he's got to be like his brother and stuff, when actually we are polar opposites.
"I think for him, he's just learning. It's all new to him. This is obviously his first major. It's his kind of first full season on Tour if you like. He turned pro last June or whatever it was. Yeah, I definitely empathize with him, and I think he's handling it pretty well so far.
"On paper my strengths are driving and putting, and his strengths are short game and approach play. Then off the golf course, yeah, we are just literally polar opposites. I'm like a control freak, OCD, organised, and he's not.
"It's an exciting week, and I'm just so pleased for him. I think it's great, gives him a good boost of confidence qualifying, and there's no reason why he can't do well this week. It's a golf course in 2006 that required really good accuracy off the tee and great iron play. He can definitely do that."
What about his own chances this week?
Fitzpatrick has made six starts since his first appearance at Muirfield, with a best of a tie for 20th in that time. He readily admitted to media that it's his weakest Major of the four, and after missing the cut at last week's Genesis Scottish Open, he isn't particularly confident about his own chances this week.
"I think for me, a good finish, all jokes aside, would be kind of top 30 this week. I really do.
"I've not played well in Opens in previous, and I wouldn't say I'm in the best form, either, so I've got to be realistic about where I am."
