Former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick hit a superb, bogey-free 63 to claim a one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland after a punishing second round at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina.
On a day of sweltering heat and unpredictable wind, the Englishman moved to 14 under par with an impeccable round helped by a stroke of fortune at the par-three 14th.
After pulling his tee shot towards the trees, Fitzpatrick’s ball struck a cart path, ricocheted back on to the green, and was only prevented from trickling into the water by a well-positioned sprinkler head.
He capitalised fully, holing the subsequent 30-foot putt for an improbable birdie.
“Yeah, it was lucky, there’s no two ways about it,” Fitzpatrick said. “Sometimes you need that in a week, so it’s nice to get, and then even nicer to take advantage of it.”
The 2023 champion followed up with two further birdies in his final three holes to surge ahead of the field.
Norway’s Hovland remains his closest challenger after a stunning birdie at the 17th kept him in the hunt.
“I wouldn’t say I striped it today, but at least I kind of kept the ball in front of me, and that’s what you’re trying to do on this golf course,” Hovland said.
World number one Scottie Scheffler, playing alongside Fitzpatrick, produced a characteristically disciplined 67. Despite hitting every fairway, the American struggled to convert several birdie opportunities and sits seven shots adrift.
Jordan Spieth was among those to suffer in the tricky conditions, carding three double bogeys in a frustrating 72, while Akshay Bhatia hit 11 birdies in a round of 63 to climb back to -6.