Matt Fitzpatrick slips into playoff, beats Scottie Scheffler at RBC Heritage

Matt Fitzpatrick clinched victory at the RBC Heritage after sinking a 13-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole, edging out world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on Sunday in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Fitzpatrick, who dropped a bogey on the 18th to give Scheffler a chance, bounced back in style to secure his second win of the year, adding to a runner-up finish at The Players Championship.

The English golfer now boasts four career tour victories, including two titles at this event (also in 2023), and has recorded four top-10 finishes in nine tournaments this season.

Scheffler recorded 67 and Fitzpatrick had 70 in the final round. They each posted 18-under 266s at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Scheffler, who played alongside Fitzpatrick in the final grouping, made up three strokes across the last four holes to force the playoff.

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Fitzpatrick posted birdies on two of the first three holes — sinking putts from 10 and 17 feet — and then dialed up pars nearly the rest of the way.

South Korea’s Si Woo Kim’s birdie on No. 15 closed the gap to two strokes. Then Scheffler’s birdie on the 15th also drew him within two shots of Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick saved par on No. 16 after his tee shot was in the rough before Scheffler sank a birdie putt to make it a one-stroke margin.

On the 18th, Matt Fitzpatrick’s tee shot found a fairway bunker. He recovered well, but his chip onto the green left him with a 23-foot putt, leading to his first bogey in 29 holes.

The tournament went into a playoff—marking the fourth time in the last five years this has happened.

Tom Kim (68) finished third at 16-under, while Collin Morikawa (67), Harris English (69), and Ludvig Åberg (70) shared fourth place at 13-under. Åberg’s costly double bogey on the 16th hole proved decisive.

Bud Cauley (70) placed seventh at 12-under. Meanwhile, Michael Kim delivered a bogey-free 62—the lowest round of the day—to finish at 8-under and tied for 25th.

Defending champion Justin Thomas recorded a 66 on Sunday, his only sub-70 round of the tournament, ending at 3-over and tied for 77th place.

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