Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick defeated American Scottie Scheffler on the first extra hole today to win the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It was the former U.S. Open champion’s fourth win on the PGA Tour and his second RBC Heritage win.
Scheffler Came from Behind to Tie
Scottie Scheffler had made a gallant comeback the last ten holes, from four strokes behind, to tie Fitzpatrick, with whom he was paired with today. Fitzpatrick had a one stroke lead over Scheffler as they came to the last, picturesque, par four 18th hole with the Hobe Sound lighthouse well behind the green. With the wind howling, both players mishit their long second shots to the right of the green, yet safely away from the water hazard close to the green’s left side.
Scheffler then played a brilliant pitch shot to one-foot from the hole for a tap-in par four. Fitzpatrick, using his customary cross-handed grip for his short game, duffed his pitch shot miserably, leaving himself a 22-foot putt for par which he missed left to force a sudden-death playoff.
A One-Hole, Sudden-Death Playoff
On the first extra hole, the 18th again, both players drove well, leaving themselves mid-iron second shots to the green. The wind was blowing strongly off the Sound from the left, with the pin tucked front left, just over the front sand bunker. Fitzpatrick hit first, striking a magnificent iron shot with a low hook into the wind to ten feet from the hole.
Scheffler then hit an out-of-character, poor iron shot well short of the green. He then hit his long pitch shot to about about seven feet from the hole. Fitzpatrick then rolled his ten foot birdie putt into the cup for the win.
The Two Best on Tour Now
This tournament placed Scheffler and Fitzpatrick as #1 and #2, respectively, in this year’s FedEx Cup standings. In the televised interview soon after, Matt’s wife appeared who is about to have their first child. And Scottie paid tribute to Matt for winning.
You may recall from reading my blog that Scottie Scheffler is the most prominent member of the PGA Tour Bible Study, which Yours Truly cofounded and led so many years ago I don’t want to count them!
[Kermit Zarley’s new golf book, his first and probably his only golf book ever, entitled Christ on the PGA Tour (1965-1982), is available at amazon.com.]
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