Fitzpatrick's Wild Birdie And Superb 63 Puts Him In Heritage Lead

Former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick deed a superb, bogey-free 63 to declare a one-shot lead complete Viktor Hovland aft a punishing 2nd information astatine nan RBC Heritage successful South Carolina.

On a time of sweltering power and unpredictable wind, nan Englishman moved to 14 nether par pinch an impeccable information helped by a changeable of luck astatine nan par-three 14th.

After pulling his tee changeable towards nan trees, Fitzpatrick's shot struck a cart path, ricocheted backmost connected to nan green, and was only prevented from trickling into nan h2o by a well-positioned sprinkler head.

He capitalised fully, holing nan consequent 30-foot putt for an improbable birdie.

"Yeah, it was lucky, there's nary 2 ways astir it," Fitzpatrick said. "Sometimes you request that successful a week, truthful it's bully to get, and past moreover nicer to return advantage of it."

The 2023 champion followed up pinch 2 further birdies successful his last 3 holes to surge up of nan field.

Norway's Hovland remains his closest challenger aft a stunning birdie astatine nan 17th kept him successful nan hunt.

"I wouldn't opportunity I striped it today, but astatine slightest I benignant of kept nan shot successful beforehand of me, and that's what you're trying to do connected this play course," Hovland said.

World number 1 Scottie Scheffler, playing alongside Fitzpatrick, produced a characteristically disciplined 67. Despite hitting each fairway, nan American struggled to person respective birdie opportunities and sits 7 shots adrift.

Jordan Spieth was among those to suffer successful nan tricky conditions, carding 3 double bogeys successful a frustrating 72, while Akshay Bhatia deed 11 birdies successful a information of 63 to climb backmost to -6.