Matt Fitzpatrick Defeats Scottie Scheffler in Playoff to Win 2026 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town
Matt Fitzpatrick delivered one of the signature moments of the 2026 PGA Tour season on Sunday, silencing a thunderous pro-American crowd at Harbour Town Golf Links to claim his second RBC Heritage title in a playoff against world number one Scottie Scheffler.
Fitzpatrick entered the final round at Hilton Head Island with a three-shot lead and came out aggressive, birdying two of the opening three holes. He held that commanding cushion for most of the afternoon before Scheffler mounted a dramatic late charge, forcing extra holes in the most tension-filled final round of the young PGA Tour season.
Scheffler, trailing by three shots with four holes to play, forced the RBC Heritage playoff with a pair of late birdies, posting a 4-under 67. Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, bogeyed the 72nd hole after a poor chip from the right side of the green and a missed 20-foot par putt, his only blemish of the day, setting the stage for a sudden-death finish.
On the playoff hole, Fitzpatrick stepped up and hit a 4-iron into a stiff breeze, landing the ball 13 feet from the pin just over the bunker. Scheffler then produced his worst swing of the entire day, a 6-iron he pushed so badly it came up 37 yards short of the hole. He hit a superb pitch to 8 feet, but never needed to putt after Fitzpatrick drained the birdie to clinch the RBC Heritage 2026 title.
A large gallery was allowed onto the fairway short of the 18th green during the playoff, and the crowd filled Calibogue Sound with relentless chants of "U-S-A!" directed at Fitzpatrick. Rather than be rattled, the English golfer delivered under maximum pressure, offering only a subtle touch of his finger to his right ear as a composed response to the hostile atmosphere.
Fitzpatrick spoke candidly about the crowd after the round, showing nothing but admiration. "I didn't get out of line in terms of no one was shouting on backswings, which was great," he said. "I'm all for it. I love the people, they're supporting Scottie. You want golf to have an atmosphere. Having them chanting at you every week is a great feeling."
Scheffler, who came from seven shots back through 36 holes and finished 64-67 over the weekend, was generous in defeat. "On Sunday it's a shot here or there that makes a difference," he said. "Anytime Fitzy needed something to happen, he made something happen. He definitely earned the win."
The RBC Heritage 2026 leaderboard saw Si Woo Kim finish alone in third, while Collin Morikawa, Harris English, and Ludvig Aberg shared fourth place. Fitzpatrick earned $3.6 million from the $20 million purse, while Scheffler collected $2.16 million as runner-up and Kim took home $1.36 million for his third-place finish.
The victory at Harbour Town Golf Links is Fitzpatrick's fourth on the PGA Tour and 13th worldwide, lifting him to a career-high world ranking of third. It also marks his second win in the last month, following his Valspar Championship victory in March, announcing him as one of the hottest players on Tour heading into the summer stretch.
Fitzpatrick previously won the RBC Heritage in 2023, also in a playoff. With Sunday's win pushing his career earnings past $35 million, the Sheffield-born golfer now owns one of the most memorable recent records at Harbour Town, having beaten two different American fan favorites in back-to-back playoff editions of the tournament.
