Matt Fitzpatrick got off to a slow start and had Scotty Scheffler back on Saturday, but he holed two shots from outside the green on the back nine for a 3-under 68 and a three-shot lead at RBC Heritage.
World No. 1 Scheffler, who won at Harbor Town two years ago, entered the third round with a seven-stroke lead and jumped into contention with five birdies through six holes.
With the wind at his back, he hit a 9-iron to 10 feet from No. 196 for the final birdie, posting a 7-under 64 and at one point tied for the lead with Fitzpatrick. It just doesn’t last long.
Fitzpatrick sank a 25-foot birdie putt from outside the green on the par-3 14th. He pulled his second shot on the par-5 15th to the right of the green and chipped in for an eagle to restore the margin to three strokes.
Fitzpatrick, the 2023 RBC Heritage winner, finished with three pars to reach 17-under 196.
He started another warm, breezy day with a one-stroke lead over Viktor Hovland (73) by four strokes. Fitzpatrick will enter the final round with four players within four strokes of the world No. 1 ranking.
“It’s good to be back in the tournament,” Scheffler said. “I fell behind a little bit today with the eight ball, but I was able to get back into position with a good round.”
The same goes for Brian Herman, who bounced back from a slow start for the second consecutive week. The former British champion opened with a 71 and set a career-best score of 63 at Harbor Town, leaving him four points behind Kim Si-woo (66) and Sepp Straka (67).
Even before Fitzpatrick teed off, Scheffler was on the move with two birdies in the 6-foot range, two birdies from greenside bunkers on the par-5 and a 15-foot birdie putt on the sixth.
“I felt like I was already in contention there,” Scheffler said, considering the final group hadn’t even started.
Fitzpatrick went long on the first hole and long left on the third, unable to save par either. He made another bogey on the par-3 seventh, but by then all the contenders had returned to the tournament.
Scheffler, Herman and Kim each split the lead at least at one point. Herman ended the round by holding a bunker shot on the par-3 17th hole.
“I just tried to keep my foot on the pedal. I think it’s going to take a low number to win,” Herman said.
But the tide began to turn when Fitzpatrick ripped his driver on the 315-yard ninth, and the ball landed in front of a bunker and bounced onto the green about 75 feet away, leading to a two-putt birdie. Three holes later, he hit a 10-foot birdie putt to get things going.
Scheffler and Fitzpatrick played the first two rounds together, with the Englishman leading after 36 holes with a seven-stroke difference between them.
Scheffler, who finished runner-up at the Masters, thought he needed his best round to at least have a chance. He also needed a little help. His 64 was the highest score of the 14 players before him, and all but three of those players had a score no better than a 68.
“Fitzpatrick went into the game today and shot a 64. That’s going to be very difficult for me,” Scheffler said. “I need a little bit of help, but I can’t control what these guys are going to do. If someone shows up to this golf course and shoots 28 under, they can just get beat.
“So heading into today, I was just going to do my best and see what’s left of me.”
Watch RBC Heritage live on Sky Sports Golf. Coverage of the PGA Tour Signature Event begins at 12:00 PM each day of the tournament. Get and stream Sky Sports without a contract.
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