Tranlate this title Matt Fitzpatrick wins playoffs against Scheffler in spanish

Matt Fitzpatrick delivered another playoff victory at the RBC Heritage, edging out World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

On Sunday, the 31-year-old Englishman once again found himself in a playoff against the heavy favorite, with a large and noisy crowd cheering on his opponent. The scene closely resembled the one against Jordan Spieth three years ago, including the decisive shot on the 18th.

Fitzpatrick silenced the crowd with a 4-iron from 200 feet (slightly further left than expected, but no less spectacular). The ball cleared the bunker, continued its journey past the flag, and stopped about 15 feet from the hole, leaving a winning birdie.

Matt Fitzpatrick, results

The playoff was played once again on the 18th, a par-4 hole that proved to be the most difficult on Sunday.

Scheffler, who was three shots down with four holes to play, forced a playoff with two consecutive birdies in the final minutes, finishing with an excellent 67 (-4). He also benefited from a mistake by Fitzpatrick: a sloppy chip from the rough right of the green and a 20-foot putt missed for par, his only bogey of the day (closing with 70, -1).

The crowd, which had invaded the fairway in front of the 18th, filled the air with chants of «U-S-A! U-S-A!» Back behind the ropes, they witnessed Fitzpatrick’s shot into the wind and Scheffler’s subsequent miss, sending a 6-iron over 100 feet from the hole. The Texan recovered with an excellent pitch to 8 feet, but didn’t have to putt: Fitzpatrick converted the birdie and tied the game.

“It took a lot of grit to hold on,” said the winner, who reacted with composure, touching his right ear in a salute to the crowd. Fitzpatrick knows these atmospheres well: he had already experienced them at The Players, when Cameron Young beat him. “No one yelled during the backswing, and it was beautiful. I’m all for this kind of energy: golf needs atmosphere. We get paid handsomely to play in front of these crowds. But,” he added with a smile, “there’s no better feeling than coming out on top.”

For Scheffler, this is his second consecutive runner-up finish: after recovering from a 12-shot deficit at the Masters (finishing one behind Rory McIlroy), this time he started seven shots behind after 36 holes and responded with a 64-67 over the weekend. “Both weeks I struggled entering the weekend, but I played great Saturdays and Sundays to get back in the running. Ultimately, it’s a matter of a shot here or there. Fitzy deserved the win; he played some truly great golf.”

Fitzpatrick started the final round with a three-shot lead and remained in control for much of the afternoon. Only in the final round did Si Woo Kim get closer (with a birdie on the 15th), and Scheffler closed the gap with birdies on the 15th and 16th. Both missed the green on the 18th right: Scheffler completed a perfect scrambling (8-for-8) with a chip to within a foot, while Fitzpatrick made his only serious error on the chip. Both ultimately finished 18 points behind (268). Kim, with a final 68, is alone in third, his fourth top-10 finish of the season.

This is Fitzpatrick’s second victory in recent weeks (after the Valspar Championship), his fourth career win on the PGA Tour, and his 13th overall. The win propels him to third in the world rankings, a new career high. With prize money from the last four tournaments, he has earned nearly $7.7 million.

The Englishman has a special connection to Hilton Head: as a child, his family spent their holidays there, enjoying golf, tennis, and the beach. «Winning this tournament was my dream as a kid, even before I really understood what majors were. To beat Scottie face-to-face and bring her home is something extraordinary.»