Fitzpatrick Repeats Rory McIlroy Moment to Stop Scottie Scheffler Banking £2.7m
Scottie Scheffler was denied the top prize money at the RBC Heritage after losing in a dramatic play-off to Matt Fitzpatrick, who channelled Rory McIlroy's caddie for inspiration. The world number one narrowly missed out on the £2.66 million winner's purse, settling for £1.6 million instead in another near miss following his Masters defeat.
English Golfer Holds Nerve in Tense Finale
Matt Fitzpatrick enjoyed a superb week at Harbour Town, carrying a three-stroke lead into Sunday's final round. However, Scottie Scheffler mounted a fierce charge, trimming that advantage to just a single shot as they approached the 18th hole. Both players found their approach shots just short of the green, with Scheffler's pitch running along the slick surface and pulling up short, while Fitzpatrick left his effort well short, resulting in a bogey that forced a play-off.
In the play-off, Fitzpatrick was out-driven by Scheffler as they headed back down the 18th, but the Englishman stuck his approach to just 12 feet. Scheffler fluffed his approach, leaving himself with a difficult third shot that he could only get to within a few feet. Fitzpatrick then calmly holed his 12-foot putt to claim the title, much to the amusement of interviewer Amanda Balionis.
Caddie Borrows McIlroy's Famous Line
Speaking to Balionis on the 18th green, European Ryder Cup stalwart Fitzpatrick disclosed that his caddie Daniel Parratt borrowed Rory McIlroy's now-famous line from last year's Masters to help him refocus ahead of the play-off. "Yeah, you know, he actually said getting to the tee, he said, 'We'd have taken this start of the week,' and I know Rory said that the other week," Fitzpatrick explained.
"I jokingly said to Dan, I was like, 'Oh okay, here he is, Harry Diamond here.' Yeah, we had a good laugh about that. I felt like I was in a good spot, and to hit the 4-iron that I hit there was out of this world." This moment echoed McIlroy's own use of the phrase during his Masters campaign, adding a layer of psychological strategy to the high-stakes showdown.
Fitzpatrick's Second Triumph of the Year
The victory meant the 31-year-old Fitzpatrick scooped up the £2.66 million winner's purse, taking his season earnings to £6.8 million. This marks his second triumph of the year after winning the Valspar Championship in March, and he regards the RBC Heritage, which he has now claimed for a second time, just as highly as any of the sport's major championships.
"Yeah, it means the world. It means the world," he continued. "This is a tournament I wanted to win growing up, arguably more than any of the majors before I understood about the game. To win it twice means the world. To go out today and go toe-to-toe with Scottie and get over the line there on the 73rd is special."
Both of Fitzpatrick's RBC Heritage titles have been won via a play-off. He previously defeated Jordan Spieth in another tense showdown after both finished on 17-under-par in 2023, showcasing his clutch performance under pressure. The win solidifies his status as a formidable competitor on the PGA Tour, while Scheffler's consistent near-misses highlight the intense competition at the top of world golf.
