Matt Fitzpatrick beat Scottie Scheffler with a birdie on the first playoff hole Sunday to win the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, turning a one-shot edge at the 18th hole in regulation into his second victory in the last month.
Fitzpatrick, 31, began the final round with a three-shot lead and opened with birdies on holes 1 and 3 before parring the next 14. Scheffler answered late, birdieing 15 and 16 to cut into the margin, then tied it when both players missed the green with their approach shots on the 18th hole in regulation. Scheffler got up and down, while Fitzpatrick could not, forcing the playoff.
On the extra hole, Fitzpatrick stuck a 4-iron to 13 feet. Scheffler again missed the green with his approach, and Fitzpatrick rolled in the birdie putt to finish it. The crowd had spent the final round heavily cheering for Scheffler and chanting “USA!” but Fitzpatrick said the atmosphere never crossed the line.
“It didn’t get out of line in terms of no one was shouting on backswings or anything like that, which was great. I’m all for it,” he said. “They’re supporting Scottie; that’s great. You want golf to have an atmosphere in my opinion.” Fitzpatrick said he has seen plenty of similar scenes before, from four Ryder Cups to a 2023 playoff at the RBC Heritage against Jordan Spieth.
He said the noise was simply part of the job. “I grew up watching football. I’m paid so much money to be out there in front of those crowds, having them chanting at you every week, it’s great feeling,” Fitzpatrick said. “However, there’s no better feeling than coming out on top against that — there isn’t a better feeling.” He added: “To describe it in my terms, it’s kind of winning away against your biggest rival.”
The victory moved Fitzpatrick to No. 3 in the world behind Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. It also left Scheffler as runner-up in back-to-back weeks after his second-place finish to McIlroy at the Masters. Fitzpatrick had also been second at the Players Championship last month before winning the Valspar, a run that now makes him one of the most consistent players in the game. Scheffler’s stretch, by contrast, has ended with another near miss at the end of another Sunday.
