HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Matt Fitzpatrick has returned to his happy place at the low-country resort where his family vacationed from England as a child. Fitzpatrick, who won the 2023 RBC Heritage, shot a bogey-free 8-under 63 on Friday at Havertown Golf Links to take the lead in the PGA Tour’s marquee event.
Fitzpatrick had three consecutive birdies in each of his nine holes, including a wild birdie on the par-3 14th.th When his 8-iron went left, it bounced off a tree and landed on the edge of the green. He made another 33-foot putt that seemed unlikely to result in a deuce.
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“Golf needs them,” he said. “It’s not always going to go your way for 72 holes. I’m glad I got a break and I’m glad I was able to take advantage of it.”
Fitzpatrick won last month’s Valspar Championship, but was disappointed with his putter at last week’s Masters, finishing T-18. This season, he ranks 94th in Strokes Gained: Putting, but after chatting with putting coach Phil Kenyon on the practice green and practicing, he found his touch and ranked third this week with an 82.
“I felt frustrated and disappointed,” Fitzpatrick said. “And I felt like I needed to really take a look at things and think about what’s going to change this week. Is it technical? Is it reading? We touched on a few things, but I feel like it gave me a little more freedom more than anything.”
April 17, 2026. Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA. Matt Fitzpatrick stares at his line on the 18th green during the second round of the RBC Heritage Golf Tournament. Required Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Fitzpatrick has been playing this week wearing a Havertown Golf Links headcover, shaped like the iconic red-and-white striped lighthouse that stands behind No. 18.th green. “The club gives him something new every year,” said Fitzpatrick’s father, Russ.
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Matt talked about his practice round with Keegan Bradley this week. Bradley wondered how the family decided to visit the southernmost tip of the island on a family vacation. Matt said his father Googled tennis, golf and good weather.
“At that time, Florida was a great place because of the wealth it had,” Fitzpatrick said.
I think I’ve been here three or four times since I was nine or 10, but I only played on the golf course twice with my dad. Russ pointed out that Matt takes lessons at Stan Smith Academy, plays more tennis than golf, and can actually play tennis. The Fitzpatrick family planned many vacations to the Palmetto State, the site of their annual tour.
“I remember getting a golf ball from Boo Weekly at the end,” Matt said of the two-time champion. “It’s a really, really good memory.”
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His parents and his wife were also here to announce that he and Matt are expecting their first child later this year. He said this week doesn’t feel like a vacation, but he’s making it look very easy as he races to 14-under 128. It was a testament to Fitzpatrick’s sublime performance that he shot a bogey-free 67 but was tied with Scottie Scheffler, who had a touchdown and an extra point difference at the halfway point. But when asked if he was happy to do so in front of the world No. 1, Fitzpatrick laughed and said: “I wasn’t thinking anything of it.”
Fitzpatrick shot 17 under when he won the playoffs in 2023, but he thinks that’s probably not enough if he wants to don the tartan jacket again. If he can accomplish that feat, he’ll have more in common with Weekley than just owning a golf ball.
Adam Shoepack is a senior writer at Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Matt Fitzpatrick leads RBC Heritage with bogey-free 63
