Fitzpatrick leads by three strokes at RBC Heritage as Scheffler makes a strong move.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Matt Fitzpatrick experienced a sluggish beginning that allowed Scottie Scheffler to re-enter the competition on Saturday, until he made two shots from off the green on the back nine, propelling him to a 3-under 68 and a three-shot advantage in the RBC Heritage.
Scheffler, the top-ranked player globally who claimed victory at Harbour Town two years prior, was trailing by seven shots entering the third round and made a strong push with five birdies in his first six holes.
He concluded his round by launching a 9-iron from 196 yards with the wind aiding him, landing it 10 feet from the hole for a final birdie and a 7-under 64, which briefly tied him with Fitzpatrick for the lead.
However, that tie was short-lived. Fitzpatrick sank a 25-foot birdie putt from off the green at the par-3 14th. He was to the right of the green with his second shot on the par-5 15th and chipped in for eagle, extending his lead back to three shots.
Fitzpatrick, the 2023 champion of the RBC Heritage, finished with three consecutive pars to reach a total of 17-under 196.
He began another warm, breezy day holding a one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland (73), four shots ahead of the rest of the field. Fitzpatrick heads into the final round with four players within four shots of the lead, starting with the worldβs top player.
“Good to be back in the tournament,” Scheffler remarked. “I was a little bit behind the 8-ball going into today, but had a nice round to put myself back in position.”
Brian Harman also made a comeback after a slow start for the second consecutive week. The former British Open champion began with a 71 and achieved his best score ever at Harbour Town with a 63, placing him four shots behind along with Si Woo Kim (66) and Sepp Straka (67).
Even before Fitzpatrick began his round, Scheffler was already making progress, scoring a pair of birdies from 6 feet, two more from greenside bunkers on the par 5s, and a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 6.
“It felt like I had already gotten myself into contention there,” Scheffler noted, considering that the last group had not yet started.
Fitzpatrick struggled on the first hole, going long, and then missed a par save on the third hole, also failing to save par on the par-3 seventh, which allowed a number of contenders to re-enter the tournament.
Scheffler, Harman, and Kim each held at least a share of the lead at different points. Harman concluded his round by sinking a bunker shot on the par-3 17th.
“Just tried to keep the pedal down. It’s going to take a low number to win,” Harman stated.
However, the momentum shifted for Fitzpatrick when he drove the ball on the 315-yard ninth, landing it on the front of the bunker and bouncing onto the green about 75 feet away, leading to a two-putt birdie. Three holes later, he made a 10-foot birdie putt and was on his way.
Scheffler and Fitzpatrick played together in the first two rounds, with the Englishman establishing a seven-shot lead by the 36-hole mark.
Scheffler, coming off a second-place finish at the Masters, believed he would need one of his best rounds to have a chance. He also required some assistance. His 64 was the best score among the 14 players ahead of him, with all but three of those players scoring no better than 68.
“Fitzpatrick goes out today and shoots 64, that’s going to make things really hard for me,” Scheffler commented. “You need a tiny bit of help, but I can’t control what those guys are going to do. If somebody shows up and shoots 28 under on this golf course, sometimes you just get beat.
“So going into today I was just going to do my best and see where that left me.”
