HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — At Harbour Town Golf Links, the focus on Saturday was not if Scottie Scheffler would emerge as a formidable contender, but rather when he would assert his presence.
Starting the day at 7-under par following rounds of 68 and 67, Scheffler found himself chasing the leading Matt Fitzpatrick, who held a commanding seven-shot advantage. Early momentum was evident as Scheffler quickly made five birdies within his first six holes, closing the gap to just two strokes. A strong front nine saw him shoot a 31, momentarily tying for the lead.
As the day progressed, Scheffler encountered some resistance on the back nine but managed to finish strong, sinking birdies on two of his last three holes for a total of 64, placing him at 14-under overall, three behind Fitzpatrick heading to the final round.
"Good to be back in the tournament," said Scheffler. "I was a little bit behind the 8-ball going into today but had a nice round to put myself back in position. I knew I didn't have to do anything crazy in order to get back in contention. I just had to have a really nice round. Was able to get off to a really good start and had a good finish."
Scheffler's noted skill has often been his approach to the game, but this season has seen him fall to 81st in strokes gained in that category. Nonetheless, he utilized his scrambling ability effectively to maintain his rhythm and made every putt within 14 feet on the front nine.
Having previously won the RBC Heritage in 2024 with a remarkable score of 19-under, Scheffler affirmed the importance of experience in tough conditions. "I think having experience on a golf course always helps. This is a golf course where as you get later in the day, it typically will get more challenging just because the golf course continues to firm up. You continue to get more wind, and I think closing out on this golf course can be challenging," he explained.
In the spotlight now will be the final pairing of Scheffler and Fitzpatrick, a repeat champion at Harbour Town. Sepp Straka, Si Woo Kim, and Brian Harman trail just behind at 13-under, creating a competitive backdrop for Sunday.
"Fitzy is a guy that I think – I admire him because he works really hard. He's a guy that I see always doing stuff in order to play well. He's a guy that gets really into his stats. He's going to check every single box that he can in order to get out here and play well. He's always improved over the course of his career and made changes to enhance his performance," Scheffler noted.
The tension is palpable as Scheffler arrives with momentum from a second-place finish at The Masters last week, where he fell just one stroke short against Rory McIlroy. That experience may well serve as motivation in his quest for his first win of the year.
As players engage with the course, Straka shared insights on the conditions, stating, "I think early on the greens were pretty firm before the rain came through. Then for our wave it played pretty easy, especially the back nine...You've got to hit the fairways out here, and I feel a lot better off the tee today. It definitely made it a lot easier today."
With Scheffler's impressive charge on Moving Day and the stage set for a highly anticipated showdown with Fitzpatrick, fans are eager to see how the final round unfolds.
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*Originally published on [Golf News](https://golfnews.global/article/scheffler-fires-64-to-set-up-final-round-clash-with-fitzpatrick-at-rbc-heritage). Visit for full coverage.*
