Matt Fitzpatrick, who was born in South Carolina and grew up on Hilton Head Island with his family, has always dreamed about winning the Harbour Town Golf Links.
Fitzpatrick, who had his parents watching him, joined the list winners of the tartan jacket worn by champions on Sunday. He used a 9 iron from 186 yards to inches to win the RBC Heritage, his second win on PGA Tour, beating Jordan Spieth.
“I’m thinking I can retire now.” Fitzpatrick stated that this is the race I’ve wanted to win for a long time. Fitzpatrick said, “This is the one I’ve always wanted to win.” My friends and family will confirm this. “This place is a very special place to me and I am so happy that I won it.”
Fitzpatrick shot a 3-under-68 in the final round for a total of 17-under-267 over 72 holes. The Englishman also reached a new career high of eighth place in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Fitzpatrick (28), who wore a headcover of Hilton Head Island’s iconic candy-cane stripe lighthouse on his golf driver this week, tied Spieth for the lead at 15 with a birdie and improved to 17 under with another circle in the card at 16.
Spieth stated that Spieth had “snuck into the game and played some incredible golf”.
Fitzpatrick was 54-hole leader after shooting an 8-under 63 in the third round, his lowest score on the PGA Tour. This included a hole out eagle shot at the third. He made a birdie on Sunday and then clenched the fist after he drilled a 36-foot putt to keep the lead at the third hole.
Colt Knost, CBS’s Colt Knost, chimed in: “That hole may be bigger than it looks.”
Spieth was trying to defend his title for the very first time. He had four birdies on his first six holes, erasing a two stroke overnight deficit.
Spieth took the lead at No. 7 on a day that was mostly sunny, but also windy. The wind blew from the southwest. Fitzpatrick was unable to climb out of the greenside bunker on the left. This was his first bogey after 30 holes, and it proved to be the last one of the day.
Spieth was mainly competing with Patrick Cantlay for the tartan coat, and not Fitzpatrick. This was a repeat of the playoff last year, when Spieth won the title after birdieing the first extra-hole.
Spieth’s back nine was not without its challenges. He finished in 66. He was a master escape artist. He drove into the water on the left side 10 th, took a penality, dropped, and then drilled his third to 8 feet, saving par.
Cantlay caught Spieth at Nos. Spieth’s lead was cut to two strokes when he stiffened his approach at No. Spieth took a two stroke lead after Cantlay’s 3-putt bogey at 13. Cantlay’s chip barely stayed dry when it landed between the wooden bulkhead and railroad tie of the green at the par-3 hole 14 . Both players made bogeys. Cantlay’s second consecutive bogey left him one shot short of a playoff and in third place.
Xander Schauffele, who shot 66 to finish fourth in the world rankings, made a late surge with three birdies on his final four golf holes. World No. World No.
BRUTAL. @JordanSpieth needed this putt in order to win.
Spieth will be playing on @RBC_Heritage. pic.twitter.com/tAD8FVQhNk
— PGA TOUR April 16, 2023
Spieth dropped his putter in disbelief and grabbed both his hands and his head to show his disappointment on the first playoff hole.
Spieth stated, “I believe that if I make the same putt ten times, it will go in eight times.” It should be left, at the end of the putt. “It just wasn’t meant for it.”
Spieth missed his chance to win the second hole of the playoff when he hit a tee shot at the par-3 hole 17 . Fitzpatrick, who had been given a new lease of life, was able to hit a 9 iron that was just as good as his shot at The Country Club at the U.S. Open in June. Fitzpatrick, with his caddie Billy Foster at Harbour Town’s final green, couldn’t stop reflecting on the significance of this week.
Fitzpatrick told Billy that it couldn’t be better. Walking down here and looking around is a course that I had dreamed about playing as a young man…Yeah this one means more than any other.
Fitzpatrick won $3.6 million of the $20 million purse for the designated event.
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By: Adam Schupak
Title: 2023 RBC Heritage: Matt Fitzpatrick outlasts Jordan Spieth at the site of his childhood vacation spot
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/04/16/2023-rbc-heritage-matt-fitzpatrick-outlasts-jordan-spieth-at-the-site-of-his-childhood-vacation-spot/
Published Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2023 23:04:27 +0000
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