Fitzpatrick capitalizes on ‘fortunate’ shot to card 63, leading by 1 stroke at RBC Heritage

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Matt Fitzpatrick enjoyed one fortunate break and showcased exceptional golf with an 8-under 63, securing a one-shot advantage over Viktor Hovland on a sweltering day filled with high scores at the RBC Heritage.

Fitzpatrick was performing well when his tee shot on the par-3 14th veered sharply left, heading towards sand and trees, but it struck what seemed to be the edge of a cart path, redirecting the ball down a slope onto the green and towards the water.

The ball was slowed just enough by a sprinkler to remain dry, allowing him to sink a 30-footer for an unexpected birdie. Fitzpatrick added two more birdies in the next three holes, finishing the round without a bogey.

“Yeah, it was lucky, there’s no two ways about it,” Fitzpatrick remarked. “Sometimes you need that in a week, so it’s nice to get, and then even nicer to take advantage of it.”

Hovland faced greater challenges in the afternoon as the wind intensified, and it doesn’t take much around the tree-lined Harbour Town for players to become uncertain or catch an unfavorable gust.

Hovland selected the correct club on the exposed par-3 17th, landing it 12 feet from the hole for his eighth birdie of the day, finishing with a commendable 65. This included a birdie on the par-5 fifth, where he was still 205 yards away for his third shot and ultimately made a 30-footer.

“I wouldn’t say I striped it today, but at least I kind of kept the ball in front of me, and that’s what you’re trying to do on this golf course,” Hovland stated.

Fitzpatrick, who triumphed at the RBC Heritage in a playoff against Jordan Spieth in 2023, stood at 14-under 128.

Harris English encountered a challenging gust on the 11th hole, transitioning from attempting to save par to managing a double bogey from a plugged lie in the sand. He recovered to shoot a 68, placing him three shots behind.

Scottie Scheffler, who played alongside Fitzpatrick, hit all 14 fairways for only the fourth time in his career—two of those instances were on the wide fairways of Kapalua—and had numerous birdie opportunities from around 18 feet. He recorded a bogey-free 67, leaving him seven shots back.

Fitzpatrick and Scheffler both struck the ball so well that it appeared they were engaged in a casual Tuesday money game, with birdie opportunities on every hole and exchanging birdies early on before the wind picked up.

On the par-4 eighth, Scheffler reached the left corner of the green, causing the ball to hop to 7 feet. Fitzpatrick followed on the same line, ending up 6 inches closer, prompting Scheffler to glance back at him and smile.

However, it was Fitzpatrick who pulled ahead with three consecutive birdies on the front nine and another three straight on the back. His longest putt for par on the final hole was just 4 feet.

He attributed his performance to a continuation of solid iron play that began when he finished one shot behind Cameron Young at The Players Championship, followed by a victory the subsequent week at Innisbrook in the Valspar Championship.

Patrick Cantlay, who made significant progress last week with consecutive bogey-free rounds at the Masters after starting with a 77, shot a 64, placing him four shots behind, alongside Sepp Straka (67) and Ludvig Åberg, who was closing in on Fitzpatrick until three bogeys on the back nine resulted in a 71.

Robert MacIntyre was also in contention, three shots back, until the wind calmed enough to prevent his ball from reaching the 17th green, leading to two shots to escape a bunker for a double bogey. This setback negated much of his earlier good play, and a bogey on the 18th left him with a 68, six behind.

The day saw 20 double bogeys from the 82-player field across 11 holes at Harbour Town. Spieth recorded three of them, finishing with a 73.

Akshay Bhatia made 11 birdies to counterbalance his double bogey, resulting in a round of 63.

“Man, it got tricky there on the back nine, as it can here at Hilton Head,” English commented. “Gusty winds. You don’t really know what direction it’s coming from.”

Fitzpatrick has a connection to Hilton Head Island beyond his victory three years ago. His family used to vacation there. He suspects his father searched for “tennis,” “golf,” and “nice weather,” leading them to the area. He recalls attending the tournament and even receiving a golf ball signed by Boo Weekley. Now, he finds himself as a major champion aiming for another plaid jacket as the winner.