Behind 4-iron stunner, Matt Fitzpatrick tops Scottie Scheffler in RBC Heritage playoff

Matt Fitzpatrick, when asked Saturday afternoon if he believed in momentum, thought about his answer out loud.

“It’s funny, I remember having a conversation with [coach] Phil Kenyon that effectively momentum doesn’t actually exist,” he said. “It’s probably psychological, isn’t it.

“I guess that is momentum, when you’re feeling good with the putter, when you’re feeling good with the driver, with your irons, you make a birdie, you hit it close, the next hole, you’ve got the same number you hit that to, you’re feeling comfortable — that’s the momentum.”

This is too.

A six-under 65 from Fitzpatrick on Thursday at Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina. Then a 63 on Friday. Then a 68 on Saturday. All of which followed a runner-up finish five weeks ago at the Players Championship, and a victory a week later at the Valspar Championship.

And all of that preceded another win, behind one of the shots of the year.

Sunday, during the final round of the RBC Heritage, Fitzpatrick kept things going. He rode mighty mo’. He needed every drip of it, though. After eight holes, he led by four. But after 17, he led by one, after Scottie Scheffler birdied the par-5 15th and the par-4 16th. Then they were tied. On the closing hole, Fitzpatrick bogeyed after a poor greenside chip from right of the green, while Scheffler parred after a chip from just about the same location, and a playoff was required.

It lasted one hole. One shot is your highlight.

From the right side of the 18th fairway and 209 yards out, Fitzpatrick hit a 4-iron that just covered the bunker guarding the front of the green and took a few bounces before finishing 13 feet past the hole. After Scheffler couldn’t answer — he hit a woeful 6-iron that dropped a whopping 35 yards short of the green, then pitched to a foot — Fitzpatrick dropped the birdie putt, and celebrations started.

“To hit the 4-iron that I hit there,” Fitzpatrick said on CBS, “was out of this world.”

Fitzpatrick, after a final-round 70, and Scheffler, after a 67, finished 18-under for the tournament, which was two shots better than Si Woo Kim. The win for Fitzpatrick is his second at Harbour Town, which he said stands as one of his favorite courses on tour — and had been a family vacation stop when he was younger. It also gives the Englishman something anyone wants heading into the heart of golf’s major season.

More momentum.

The takeaway

Fitzpatrick beat the world No. 1 in a playoff. Enough said.

The leaderboard breakdown

– Sunday’s final round starts with Matt Fitzpatrick holding a three-shot lead. Fitzpatrick is at 17-under, Scottie Scheffler is at 14-under, and Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim and Sepp Straka are at 13-under.

– Fitzpatrick birdies the 419-yard, par-4 1st after hitting his approach shot to 10 feet, and he now leads by four. Fitzpatrick is at 18-under, Scheffler and Kurt Kitayama are at 14-under, and Harman, Kim, Straka, Harman, Rickie Fowler, Harris English, Bud Cauley and Patrick Cantlay are at 13-under.

– Scheffler birdies the 549-yard, par-5 2nd after pitching to 2 feet, and he’s three back of the lead. Fitzpatrick is at 18-under, Scheffler is at 15-under, and Kitayama, Harman and Kim are at 14-under.

– Fitzpatrick birdies the 459-yard, par-4 3rd after rolling in a 17-footer, and he now leads by four. Fitzpatrick is at 19-under, Kim and Scheffler are at 15-under, and Kitayama and Harman are at 14-under.

– Scheffler birdies the 331-yard, par-4 9th after chipping to 5 feet, and he’s three back of the lead. Fitzpatrick is at 19-under, Scheffler is at 16-under, and Kim is at 15-under.

– On the 442-yard, par-4 11th, Fitzpatrick faces trouble after hitting into the left greenside bunker, but he is able to get up and down, and his lead stays at three. Fitzpatrick is at 19-under, and Scheffler and Kim are at 16-under.

– Kim birdies the 577-yard, par-5 15th after dropping a 10-footer, and he’s two back of Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is at 19-under, Kim is at 17-under, and Scheffler is at 16-under.

– Scheffler birdies the 15th after rolling in a 4-footer, and he’s also two back of Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is at 19-under, and Scheffler and Kim are at 17-under.

– Scheffler birdies the 418-yard, par-4 16th, and he’s one back of Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is at 19-under, Scheffler is at 18-under, and Kim is at 17-under.

– On the 458-yard, par-4 18th, Fitzpatrick’s drive finds the edge of the waste area on the left side of the hole, while Scheffler hits the fairway. On the second shots, Fitzpatrick hits just over the green and to the right of it, then Scheffler hits just a touch short of that. From there, Scheffler chips to a foot and makes his par putt, while Fitzpatrick is well short on his chip and he misses a 22-footer for par, sending the two to a playoff. Fitzpatrick finishes the final round with a one-under 70 and Scheffler shoots a 67, and both finish at 18-under, while Kim finishes at 16-under.

– On the first hole of the playoff, back on the 18th, Fitzpatrick’s tee shot finds the left side of the fairway, while Scheffler’s drops in the middle. On the second shots, Fitzpatrick hits one of the better shots you’ll see, dropping a 4-iron to 13 feet, while Scheffler’s 6-iron gets caught in the wind and drops about 35 yards short of the green. From there, Scheffler pitches to 8 feet, then Fitzpatrick rolls in his birdie putt to win.