The quest for victory once again came up short for the top-ranked Scottie Scheffler. As Matt Fitzpatrick claimed his second  RBC Heritage title on April 19, Scheffler was handed the runner-up title. As he accepted his fate, he opened up about how he had put up a strong fight.

Both Scheffler and his rival, Fitzpatrick, tied with identical scores of 18-under par during the regular play. That set up a sudden-death playoff at the prestigious South Carolina course.

“I did some solid stuff," Scheffler recognized his fighting spirit despite the tight competition. "I think I had only one bogey over the weekend here, so did a lot of really good things.”

Scheffler forced a playoff after erasing a three-shot deficit over the final four holes, firing a 4-under 67 in the last round. Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick, who began the day with a three-shot lead, posted a 70 and slipped into a playoff after a costly bogey on the 18th in regulation.

This marked Scheffler’s second straight runner-up effort during the PGA Tour. At The Masters, he made a huge comeback. He was 12 shots behind before the weekend, but still finished just one shot behind Rory McIlroy.

During the RBC Heritage Playoff, trailing by one on the 18th, Scheffler missed the green with his approach in tricky, swirling winds. His chip looked on line but came up just 18 inches short of the hole.

Scottie Scheffler’s Praise for Matt Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick eventually won the playoff hole with a birdie, setting up yet another close evaluation by Scheffler on Sunday afternoon. Immediately after the game, Scheffler praised Fitzpatrick's performance throughout the playoff round.

"This was one of those weeks where anytime Fitzy needed something to happen, he made something happen," he said.

The top-ranked golfer felt his rival deserved the well-deserved victory. A mishit chip on the 72nd hole allowed Scheffler to complete a comeback from three shots down with four to play.

But Fitzpatrick did not lose his focus. He bounced back in style, hitting a clutch 4-iron that led to a winning 13-foot birdie on the first playoff hole.

It marked his second victory in five weeks and another win at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Finishing as the runner-up for two straight events, Scheffler will now enjoy a short rest before the Truist Championship begins on May 7.

Share your thoughts on Scheffler's performance at the RBC Heritage.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar