Fitzpatrick's victory at the RBC Heritage moved him to third in the world rankings, the highest position of his career, according to multiple reports. Scheffler earned approximately £1.6 million for finishing runner-up, according to major media sources. His caddie Ted Scott receives a percentage of Scheffler's winnings, estimated at 10% for wins and 7% for top-10 finishes, though the specific percentage for this runner-up finish has not been disclosed.
Fitzpatrick took a three-shot lead into the final round after a series of fortunate breaks and strong play. During the second round, he had a lucky break at the par-three 14th when his ball hit a cart path and ricocheted back onto the green. According to www.pgatour.com, Matt Fitzpatrick described the incident as lucky, noting that sometimes such breaks are needed in a tournament week. Research indicates his ball was slowed by a sprinkler to stay dry, and he holed a 30-foot putt for birdie, then birdied two of the next three holes to complete a bogey-free round.
Scheffler, meanwhile, displayed precision but struggled to capitalize on opportunities earlier in the tournament. He hit every fairway in the second round but sat seven shots adrift after failing to convert birdie chances. Research shows he hit all 14 fairways for only the fourth time in his career, with two of those on the wide fairways of Kapalua, and had a steady diet of birdie chances in the 18-foot range during a bogey-free 67. Despite this accuracy, he was seven shots behind after the second round.
Yeah, it was lucky, there's no two ways about it. Sometimes you need that in a week, so it's nice to get, and then even nicer to take advantage of it.
The final round featured intense exchanges between the two players. Research indicates both hit the ball well, with birdie chances on every hole, exchanging birdies early before the wind picked up. On the par-4 eighth, Scheffler hit enough of the left corner of the green that it hopped right to 7 feet, and Fitzpatrick followed on the same line and was 6 inches closer, after which Scheffler looked back at Fitzpatrick and smiled. Fitzpatrick surged ahead with a batch of three straight birdies on the front and three straight birdies on the back, according to research. The longest par putt Fitzpatrick had was 4 feet on the final hole, but he made Sunday's only bogey on the 18th hole, according to official sources. Scheffler made a birdie after a perfect approach shot on the 18th, with the crowd following behind and filling the fairway.
This forced a playoff where just the 18th hole, cleared of spectators, would be played back and forth until a winner was clear, according to official sources. It was enough to play the par 4 hole once, and Fitzpatrick made a birdie to silence the crowd who during the round had chanted in support of Scheffler. He pointed to his ear and smiled at the crowd after the successful putt. According to SVT Sport, Fitzpatrick described the playoff as quite funny because it would only continue to be played on hole 18, and he thought it would be difficult to separate them, but doing what he did was special.
Fitzpatrick brings his underdog perspective to the golf course and is a devoted Sheffield United supporter. According to Daily Express - Sport, he fired a cheeky shot at American Ryder Cup fans after his win, referencing their chants. This victory adds to his previous RBC Heritage win in a playoff over Jordan Spieth in 2023, with research noting the second round this year occurred on a blistering day of heat and big numbers.
I have someone else handle paying my caddie because I can be 'like a child' with finances.
Elsewhere in golf, Jon Rahm won the LIV Golf event in Mexico City by six strokes, earning $4 million plus a share of $3 million from the team jackpot, according to major media reports. Finishing 11th on LIV is worth $380,000. LIV Golf has burned through an estimated $5 billion (£3.7 billion) of Public Investment Fund cash since its inception in 2021, and announced it will return to Mexico City's Chapultepec Golf Club in 2027. LIV's chief executive Scott O'Neil assured players and staff that money is in place for the rest of this season but acknowledged further investment will need to be found, though the exact amount required remains unknown.
Bryson DeChambeau wants a reported $500 million to remain with LIV Golf, according to major media, but the specific terms or negotiations behind this demand have not been disclosed. At the RBC Heritage, other players also made their mark. Viktor Hovland had a tougher round in the afternoon when the wind got stronger, shooting a 65 in the second round. According to www.pgatour.com, Hovland described not striping it but keeping the ball in front of him, which is key on this course. Research indicates he got the right club on the exposed par-3 17th to 12 feet for his eighth birdie of the day and holed a 30-foot putt for birdie on the par-5 fifth hole from 205 yards out for his third shot.
Harris English got the wrong gust on the 11th hole, went from scrambling for par to figuring out how to escape with double bogey from a plugged lie in the sand, overcame that, shot a 68, and was three shots behind, according to research. The playoff details include unknowns about how many holes were actually played before Fitzpatrick's win and the exact breakdown of his $3.6 million prize money, such as base purse and bonuses. According to Daily Mirror - Main, Scottie Scheffler described having someone else handle paying his caddie because he can be 'like a child' with finances, highlighting the personal dynamics behind the financial implications of top-tier golf.