Matt Fitzpatrick makes feelings clear on hostile American crowd after RBC Heritage win

Jack Otway
Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:33:33 +0000

Matt Fitzpatrick secured his second PGA Tour triumph in just four weeks after defeating world number one Scottie Scheffler in a dramatic play-off at the RBC Heritage.

The Sheffield golfer clinched victory by sinking a 12-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole, propelling himself to a career-best third position in the global rankings.

It marks a stunning turnaround for the 31-year-old, who was languishing at 85th in the world as recently as last May.

The Englishman's latest success came despite facing vocal support for his American opponent throughout the final round at Harbour Town.

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Fitzpatrick dismissed concerns about the hostile reception but delivered a pointed reminder to the partisan American crowd about Europe's Ryder Cup triumph at Bethpage last October.

"Americans are incredibly patriotic. I guess the only issue is they just have shorter memories because we won in October," he remarked.

The Ryder Cup winner, who appeared to cup his ear towards spectators after sealing victory, welcomed the charged atmosphere rather than criticising it.

CLUTCH 🏆

Matt Fitzpatrick takes home his second win in three starts @RBC_Heritage. pic.twitter.com/I7tM9uRJnh
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 19, 2026

"You want golf to have an atmosphere in my opinion. I grew up watching football," he said, adding that triumphing in such conditions felt like "winning away against your biggest rival."

Fitzpatrick began the final day with a comfortable three-stroke advantage over his playing partner Scheffler, who had finished second at the Masters just a week earlier.

However, the American chipped away at that cushion throughout the round, eventually reducing the gap to a single shot heading to the 18th.

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Fitzpatrick then mishit his chip shot on the final green, resulting in a bogey that left both players tied on 18-under par. The Englishman carded a 70 compared to Scheffler's 67.

In the play-off, Fitzpatrick struck a superb four-iron approach to set up the winning birdie putt.

Fitzpatrick's victory places him in distinguished company among English golfers, joining Justin Rose, Sir Nick Faldo and Luke Donald as the only players from his country to claim multiple PGA Tour titles within a single season.

Rose achieved the feat twice during his career.

The transformation in Fitzpatrick's fortunes has been remarkable, rising from outside the world's top 80 less than a year ago to challenging for the sport's highest honours.

Despite his recent dominance, the Sheffield native insists there is more to come.

"I feel like I can still improve. There's areas that I want to get better at. I feel like I'm playing very well right now," he said.

He'll now continue to look ahead to next month's PGA Championship.