Matt Fitzpatrick clinched his second PGA Tour triumph of the year after a dramatic finish that saw him outlast world number one Scottie Scheffler in a sudden‑death playoff at the RBC Heritage. The Englishman entered the final round at Harbour Town Golf Links with a three‑stroke cushion, but a shaky closing stretch threatened to erase his advantage. By the time the leaders reached the 18th hole, Fitzpatrick had slipped to a tie with Scheffler, forcing a playoff that would decide the tournament. At the start of the day, Fitzpatrick was in a commanding position, having built a three‑shot lead after posting two birdies in his first three holes.
He appeared to be cruising, maintaining a three‑stroke margin with four holes left to play. However, Scheffler responded with a pair of birdies, narrowing the gap.
Fitzpatrick then stumbled on the final par‑four, recording a bogey that dropped him back to 18 under par and ended a run of 14 consecutive pars that had kept him atop the leaderboard. The two competitors headed back to the 18th for the first extra hole, marking the fourth playoff at the Signature Event in five years. Fitzpatrick’s approach landed just 12 feet from the pin, and he calmly rolled the ball into the cup for a birdie, sealing his second RBC Heritage title in four years. "I felt like I got off to a great start," Fitzpatrick reflected.
"I knew Scottie would make a few birdies on the final stretch, so I had to hang in there a little bit." The victory propelled Fitzpatrick to a career‑high world ranking of No. 3, making him only the fourth English player ever to capture more than one PGA Tour win in a single season. He joins the elite company of Sir Nick Faldo, Justin Rose (who achieved the feat twice), and Luke Donald. During the final round, Fitzpatrick extended his early lead with a 10‑foot birdie on the first hole but missed an opportunity on the subsequent par‑five, allowing Scheffler to close to within three strokes after a close‑range birdie.
A 15‑foot birdie on the third hole restored a four‑shot buffer for Fitzpatrick. Both players missed chances to widen the gap on the fourth hole, and Scheffler later missed a six‑foot putt on the fifth. The front nine unfolded with both men trading pars. Scheffler posted a flawless front nine, finishing with a six‑foot birdie on the ninth to reach 16 under.
Neither player hit the green in regulation on the 10th, but both salvaged pars from short distances. Fitzpatrick saved par on the 11th with a 15‑foot putt, while Scheffler made a courageous 10‑foot save on the 14th to keep the contest tight. Behind the leaders, Si Woo Kim, playing ahead, briefly reduced the margin to two strokes after sinking a 12‑foot birdie on the 15th. Scheffler then executed a superb up‑and‑down from the bunker on the same hole, tying Kim for second place.
On the 16th, Scheffler birdied from 10 feet, moving back to solo second and within a shot of Fitzpatrick, who was forced to settle for a two‑putt bogey after a poor chip from the back of the final green. In the playoff, Fitzpatrick found the green in regulation on the first extra hole, while Scheffler missed the green and faced a challenging par putt.
Fitzpatrick’s birdie putt dropped, giving him the win. Scheffler’s runner‑up finish marked his second consecutive second‑place finish, following a narrow loss to Rory McIlroy at The Masters just a week earlier.
Kim finished third, two strokes behind, after a final‑round 68. "This was one of those weeks where anytime Fitzy needed something to happen, he made something happen," Scheffler said. "He definitely earned the win, and he just played great golf." Ludvig Åberg rounded out the top four at 13 under, sharing the spot with Collin Morikawa and Harris English.
Bud Cauley claimed seventh, with Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland (who closed with a hole‑out eagle), Patrick Cantlay and Kurt Kitayama completing the top ten. Keegan Bradley and Xander Schauffele both finished at 10 under, while Viktor Hovland, briefly tied for second early on the final day, posted a disappointing five‑over 76 to end tied‑42nd alongside fellow Ryder Cup teammates Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka and Robert MacIntyre. The PGA Tour now moves to Louisiana for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a two‑man team event at TPC Louisiana. Fitzpatrick will team up with his brother Alex, while defending champions Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin look to retain their title.
Fans can follow the Zurich Classic live on Sky Sports, with early coverage beginning Thursday at 1 p.m. and full coverage from 8 p.m. The tournament promises more exciting golf action as the tour heads into its next chapter.