Signature Scroll: Matt Fitzpatrick’s remarkable turnaround, Jordan Spieth’s struggles

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Hard to beat a bluebird day at Harbor Town. Let’s discuss in regards to the good and unhealthy from Friday…

An odd sense of deja vu hit me Friday afternoon listening to Matt Fitzpatrick’s post-round presser. A 12 months (and in the future) in the past, I stood in entrance of him on the similar spot behind Harbor Town’s 18th gap and peppered him with questions on what was going incorrect along with his recreation.

At that time, Fitzpatrick had carded only one top-10 end within the earlier calendar 12 months, falling effectively out of favor as he dropped exterior the highest 75 within the Official World Golf Ranking. He referred to as his recreation “rubbish” and “the worst I’ve ever played.” Asked about Ryder Cup hopes, he mentioned he had none.

Fitzpatrick would not get into specifics then, however we’d later be taught that he returned to longtime coach Mark Blackburn initially of that week. And his first-round 66, his greatest spherical in additional than three months – which introduced him to the flash space to talk with reporters – was the primary signal of an immense turnaround.

The random return of that reminiscence on Friday gave me a good higher appreciation for the flip Fitzpatrick has made within the final 12 months. He would end in a tie for eighth on the PGA Championship just a few weeks later, the beginning of a torrid summer time that included seven high 10s in a nine-event span. He made Europe’s Ryder Cup staff and held a profitable document for the primary time within the occasion. That type remained to start out this 12 months, practically profitable THE PLAYERS Championship after which smashing by means of the end line the following week with a victory on the Valspar Championship.

His 36 holes at this 12 months’s RBC Heritage could be essentially the most spectacular golf we have seen from him but this 12 months, a near-flawless 65-63 to take a one-shot lead on the midway level.

At No. 7 within the OWGR, Fitzpatrick might surpass his highest-ever rank (fifth) with a win this week. Which led me to this query: Is this the perfect Fitzpatrick has ever been? From a ball-striking perspective, it is unequivocal. He ranks second in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and sixth in SG: Approach. He’s gaining practically 1.6 strokes per spherical, which could not imply a lot to these of you who do not comply with the stats intently, however it’s the perfect mark of his profession by a large margin.

That suggests extra high outcomes are on the horizon, maybe as quickly as this week. The one-time main champion doubtless has his eyes on extra. Good information for him, and as I wrote in yesterday’s publication, Royal Birkdale and Shinnecock Hills, the venues for the final two majors of the 12 months, prioritize very comparable statistical profiles to what you want round Harbor Town. Fitzpatrick has already gained right here earlier than, and he could make it two by Sunday afternoon. A second main may not be far off both.

• 📺 Need to make amends for second-round motion?
  

  Here are the full highlights …

• Yesterday I used to be reticent to say that Viktor Hovland could be again. He’s one step nearer – and one shot behind Matt Fitzpatrick – after a 65 in Round 2.
• 🎥 On the heels of the pilot episode of “Chasing Sunday” at THE PLAYERS final month, a collection of shorter “Chasing Sunday: Unheard” episodes is being launched over the following few weeks. Here’s the first edition, centered around Si Woo Kim.

Harbor Town is gettable from the precise locations. Ask Fitzpatrick, who hit 10 fairways and shot 8 underneath. Or Scottie Scheffler, who hit all 14 fairways and shot 4 underneath, regardless of not doing a lot else effectively.

But once you’re within the incorrect locations? It generally is a brutal day. Jordan Spieth’s second spherical wasn’t fairly brutal, however it was fairly hectic – a product of hitting solely six fairways (together with three straight to complete). Through two rounds, he is hit solely 12, the thirdest within the subject. His tee shot on the primary went effectively proper, crusing out of bounds and resulting in a fast double bogey. His ball on the second gap went left, the start of a crippling two-way miss. I’ve missed proper on the third and left on the fifth and sixth holes. He hit the eighth fairway, then proceeded to tug his strategy into the water and card one other double bogey.

It was that sort of day for Spieth, who nonetheless hasn’t made a bogey this week. He’s simply made 4 doubles and is 1-under par total. A winner right here in 2022, Spieth was within the high 5 in driving that week. This week, he is final within the subject by means of 36 holes.

• 1️⃣1️⃣ Akshay Bhatia made 11 birdies on Friday, tied for essentially the most in a spherical at Harbor Town. It’s essentially the most birdies anybody has made whereas additionally making a double bogey (h/t buddy of the publication Rick Gehman), a part of the rationale why Bhatia “only” shot 8-under 63.
• 💯 Scottie Scheffler hit all 14 fairways on the RBC Heritage, a notable accomplishment given the tight corridors. Loose iron play stored it from being an impressive spherical, however he nonetheless shot 4 underneath. He’s seven strokes again of Fitzpatrick coming into the weekend.
• 🤬 Jake Knapp had an uncharacteristically brutal day on the greens. He made no putts exterior 5 toes, dropping greater than 5 strokes on the greens, by far the worst within the subject. How bizarre is that? Knapp ranks second in placing on TOUR this 12 months.
• 🇺🇸 Some much-needed stable golf out of Keegan Bradley thus far, with back-to-back rounds of 67. He additionally shot 66 within the remaining spherical of the Masters. It’s the primary time this 12 months he is strung collectively three straight sub-70 rounds.