WiretoWire: Fitz fantastic on Hilton Head
3 Min Read
Matt Fitzpatrick’s fascination with Harbour Town Golf Links dates back to childhood, when the Englishman visited Hilton Head with his family and enjoyed the beauty of the club’s iconic lighthouse. Now he has a trophy and plaid jacket to pair with the nostalgia. Fitzpatrick carded 17 under at the RBC Heritage and defeated Jordan Spieth with a birdie on the third playoff hole, stuffing a 187-yard approach to tap-in range on the par-4 18th, after both had matched pars on the first two playoff holes (Nos. 18 and 17, respectively). Fitzpatrick began the day as the leader and carded a final-round, 3-under 68 to match Spieth at 17 under; Spieth closed in 5-under 66 in a valiant defense of his 2022 title. “Other than the majors .. there isn't a higher one on my list than to win this one, and that's the truth,” Fitzpatrick said. “My family can tell you that, and my friends can tell you the same thing.” The reigning U.S. Open champion adds a second TOUR title and moves to No. 22 on the season-long FedExCup standings, 500 points accrued. The Hilton Head enthusiast is now part of Hilton Head history.
Golf is the most individualistic of sports – except this week on the PGA TOUR, when the world’s best will pair up for a chance to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Presidents Cup teammates and close friends Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele return to defend their title from 2022, while plenty of the world’s best will try to take the title this year. Max Homa and fellow California Golden Bear Collin Morikawa are pairing up for the first time, and last year’s runners-up Billy Horschel and Sam Burns are back in action. Fresh off his ninth-place finish at the Masters and T5 at the RBC Heritage, Sahith Theegala will tee it up alongside Justin Suh. Other notable teams include Presidents Cup stars Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim, UNLV alums Kurt Kitayama and Taylor Montgomery, and some Ryder Cup connections in Zach Johnson with captain’s assistant Steve Stricker and Luke Donald with Edoardo Molinari. All in, eight of the top 20 in the world are teeing it up at TPC Louisiana. The winners receive 400 FedExCup points each.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Junior docent from Mitchelville is standard bearer at RBC Heritage
MIC CHECK
“I put myself in the shoes of not only the spectators but the kids as well. If I was one of the kids, I would want to see the recent Masters champion play good or bad, just want to be there." - Jon Rahm on his decision to tee it up at the RBC Heritage just days after winning the Masterss
BY THE NUMBERS
343 - Monday qualifier Spencer Levin earned his first TOUR-sanctioned title in his 343rd start, winning the Korn Ferry Tour’s Veritex Bank Championship with a 20-under total at Texas Rangers GC, one stroke clear of Brett Drewitt.
80 - Number of teams teeing it up in New Orleans at the Zurich Classic.
63 - Fitzpatrick’s lowest score in 122 TOUR starts in Round 3 of the RBC Heritage.
COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10
| This week | Points |
| Jon Rahm | 2,683 |
| Scottie Scheffler | 1,907 |
| Max Homa | 1,801 |
| Keegan Bradley | 1,162 |
| Kurt Kitayama | 1,040 |
| Chris Kirk | 1,036 |
| Sam Burns | 1,036 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 1,011 |
| Rory McIlroy | 1,010 |
| Tony Finau | 996 |
The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.