Miami (AFP) – Former champion Matt Fitzpatrick fired a bogey-free eight-under-par 63 on Friday to surge to a one-stroke lead over Victor Hovland at the US PGA Tour RBC Heritage. England’s Fitzpatrick, who holidayed on Hilton Head Island as a youngster, conjured eight birdies at Harbour Town Golf Links, including runs of three in a row on each side, to build a 36-hole total of 14-under-par 128.
“Good play, good breaks, took advantage of them is probably the best way to describe it,” Fitzpatrick said. The good breaks included an unlikely birdie at the par-three 14th, where his tee shot hit a tree right of the green, skidded across the putting surface and came to rest on the fringe after threatening to roll into the water. Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, stepped up to roll in a 33-foot birdie putt.
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“Didn’t quite do what we anticipated,” he said. “Felt like the shot I hit wasn’t great but it wasn’t that bad. It’s obviously nice to get those breaks. You need those in golf. Nice to get the break and then nice to take advantage of it.” Fitzpatrick followed up with a 36-foot birdie putt at 15 to cap a trio of birdies that started with a four-footer at 13. He had kickstarted his round with birdies at the fourth, fifth and sixth holes and added birdies at nine and 17.
Fitzpatrick won his third PGA Tour title, and his first since the 2023 RBC Heritage, at the Valspar Championship last month. But he was particularly disappointed with his putting in a tie for 18th at the Masters last week and said he’d taken steps with coach Phil Kenyon to improve on the greens. “We touched on a few things and just feel like it’s given me a little bit more freedom, more than anything,” said Fitzpatrick, who ranks third this week in strokes gained putting.
Norway’s Hovland fired eight birdies with two bogeys in his six-under 66 for a 13-under total of 129. “It was definitely a bit more eventful today than yesterday,” Hovland said. “Today I was a bit more squirrelly, especially off the start, but got away with some great scores… just kind of got away with some really poor tee shots.”
It was a further three strokes back to American Harris English, who was alone in third on 132 after a three-under 68. Overnight leader Ludvig Aberg had four birdies and three bogeys in his one-under 70 that left him tied for fourth on 133. American Kurt Kitayama carded a six-under 65 to join a group of seven players on 134, and world number one Scottie Scheffler headlined a group sharing 14th on seven-under 135. Scheffler, whose weekend surge at the Masters saw him come up one stroke short of repeat winner Rory McIlroy, had four birdies without a bogey in his four-under-par 67.
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