HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Matt Fitzpatrick acquired off to a sluggish begin and had Scottie Scheffler again on Saturday, however held two photographs from exterior the inexperienced on the again 9 for a 3-under 68 and a three-shot lead at RBC Heritage.
World No. 1 Scheffler, who gained at Harbor City two years in the past, entered the third spherical with a seven-stroke lead and jumped into rivalry with 5 birdies by means of six holes.
With the wind at his again, he hit a 9-iron to 10 ft from 196 for the ultimate birdie, posting a 7-under 64 and briefly tied for the lead with Fitzpatrick.
It simply does not final lengthy. Fitzpatrick sank a 25-foot birdie putt from exterior the inexperienced on the par-3 14th. He pulled his second shot on the par-5 fifteenth to the correct of the inexperienced and chipped in for an eagle to revive the margin to a few strokes.
Fitzpatrick, the 2023 RBC Heritage winner, completed with three pars to succeed in 17-under 196.
He began one other heat, breezy day with a one-stroke lead over Viktor Hovland (73) by 4 strokes. Fitzpatrick will enter the ultimate spherical with 4 gamers inside 4 strokes of the world No. 1 rating.
“It is good to be again within the match,” Scheffler stated. “I fell behind a bit of bit as we speak with the eight ball, however I used to be capable of get again into place with a superb spherical.”
The identical goes for Brian Herman, who bounced again from a sluggish begin for the second consecutive week. The previous British Open champion opened with a 71 and set a career-high rating of 63 at Harbor City, leaving him 4 factors behind Kim Si-woo (66) and Sepp Straka (67).
Even earlier than Fitzpatrick teed off, Scheffler was on the transfer with two birdies within the 6-foot vary, two birdies from greenside bunkers on the par-5 and a 15-foot birdie putt on the sixth.
“I felt like I used to be already in rivalry there,” Scheffler stated, contemplating the ultimate group hadn’t even began.
Fitzpatrick went lengthy on the primary gap and lengthy left on the third, unable to avoid wasting par both. He made one other bogey on the par-3 seventh, however by then all of the contenders had returned to the match.
Scheffler, Herman and Kim every had at the very least a break up lead at one level. Herman ended the spherical by holding a bunker shot on the par-3 seventeenth gap.
“I simply tried to maintain my foot on the pedal. I believe it may take a low quantity to win,” Herman stated.
However issues began to vary when Fitzpatrick ripped his driver on the 315-yard ninth, sending the ball wanting the bunker and onto the inexperienced about 75 ft away for a two-putt birdie. Three holes later, he hit a 10-foot birdie putt to get issues going.
Scheffler and Fitzpatrick performed the primary two rounds collectively, with the Englishman main after 36 holes with a seven-stroke distinction between them.
Scheffler, who completed runner-up on the Masters, thought he wanted his finest spherical to at the very least have an opportunity. He additionally wanted a bit of assist. His 64 was the very best rating of the 14 gamers earlier than him, and all however three of these gamers had a rating no higher than a 68.
“Fitzpatrick went into the sport as we speak and shot a 64. That is going to be very tough for me,” Scheffler stated. “I want a bit of little bit of assist, however I am unable to management what these guys are going to do. If somebody exhibits as much as this golf course and shoots 28 beneath, they’ll simply get beat.
“So heading into as we speak, I used to be simply going to do my finest and see what’s left of me.”
