Matt Fitzpatrick’s superb round of 63 puts him in Heritage lead

Former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick shot a superb, bogey-free 63 to take a one-stroke lead over Viktor Hovland after a tough second round at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina.

On a day of sweltering heat and unpredictable wind, the Englishman improved to 14 under par with a flawless round that luckily included the par-three 14th.

After pulling his shirt toward the trees, Fitzpatrick’s ball hit a cart path, bounced back onto the field and was only prevented from dripping into the water by a well-positioned sprinkler head.

He went all capital, drilling the next 30-foot putt for an improbable birdie.

“Yeah, it was luck, there’s no two ways about it,” Fitzpatrick said. “Sometimes you need it in a week, so it’s nice to get it, and then it’s even nicer to take advantage of it.”

The 2023 champion moved ahead of the field by making two more birdies in his last three holes.

Norway’s Hovland remains his closest challenger after a stunning birdie on 17th kept him in the hunt.

“I wouldn’t say I drew the line today, but at least I kind of kept the ball in front of me and that’s what you try to do on this golf course,” Hovland said.

Playing alongside Fitzpatrick, world number one Scottie Scheffler produced a characteristically disciplined 67 points. Despite hitting every fairway, the American struggled to convert several birdie opportunities and fell seven shots behind.

Jordan Spieth was among those who suffered in the difficult conditions, carding three double bogeys in a frustrating 72, while Akshay Bhatia hit 11 birdies in a round of 63 to move to 6-under-par.