HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA | While Matt Fitzpatrick was busy on Harbour Town’s 18th green, posing for photographs in his new plaid jacket as champion of the RBC Heritage late Sunday afternoon, Jordan Spieth stood with a small carry bag hanging from one shoulder and a Sharpie in hand, signing autographs for a group of youngsters leaning over a metal railing near the clubhouse.
A year ago, after beating Patrick Cantlay on the first extra hole to win his own plaid jacket, Spieth stood at the same railing signing for kids who waited in the gathering darkness for his promised return once he had fulfilled his duties as the new champion.
For the longest time, Spieth seemed destined to defend a second straight title on a gorgeous spring day, only to see Fitzpatrick snatch it away on the third extra hole when he nearly holed his 9-iron approach shot, settling a duel that was beginning to feel like it could go on indefinitely.
It felt, in its own plaid-infused way, like a “Casey At The Bat” conclusion because of Spieth’s enormous popularity. From the moment he struck the ceremonial opening tee shot to the sound of a thunderous cannon blast Tuesday until Fitzpatrick finally ended the playoff, Spieth felt like the heartbeat of this Heritage, which included new Masters champion Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and just about every other PGA Tour star except for Rory McIlroy.
Much of it was because Spieth won here a year ago, but as much or more of it is because of who Spieth is.
He has an organic magnetism, enhanced with how he fidgets on greens and tends to give stream-of-consciousness commentary, though he’s tried to tone some of that down.
Watching Spieth play tournament golf anytime is like buying a ticket to an amusement park, with all of the twists and turns and its noisy soundtrack.
Watching Spieth at Harbour Town brings two brilliant eccentrics together.
Spieth plays golf with a rare blend of artistry, athleticism and emotion, the degrees of each varying from round to round, sometimes from shot to shot.
Harbour Town, meanwhile, is seemingly everything modern golf courses are not, but its charm and challenge is how it weaves between the live oaks and how the wind off the water plays hide-and-seek in the trees.
It doesn’t ask for power as much as it asks for moxie, and Spieth has a gusher of that.
But keep giving the reigning U.S. Open champion enough chances and Fitzpatrick and his 9-iron eventually will wear anyone down. That’s what happened Sunday.
Twice this year, Spieth has had good chances to win tournaments and something went wrong near the end to cost him. Though Spieth can run through putts that didn’t drop Sunday, including a 13-foot putt to win on the first extra hole that fell like a teardrop on the wrong side of the hole, he left Harbour Town disappointed but not disheartened.
“I could point to shots where I’d like to hit that over again, but today I hit most every shot the way I wanted to under pressure, which is really cool because coming off those (other) weeks, it was like I’m going to be back there again and let’s try and that one shot I didn’t have, let’s try and have it,” Spieth said.
“It just stinks because you’d like to be rewarded for it.”
“I felt every putt he hit was going to go in, but I'll be honest: I just feel like that all the time. Jordan Spieth does different things.”
Matt Fitzpatrick
Some players hit shots and others play golf, and Spieth may be the patron saint of playing golf.
It’s uncommon for the PGA Tour to send out threesomes on a Sunday, but it did here, and the allegiance of the crowd was obvious. Fitzpatrick and Cantlay received plenty of support, while Spieth moved like Elvis through the Lowcountry.
Starting the final round two strokes behind Fitzpatrick, Spieth holed a 26-foot putt from off the right fringe at the first hole to trigger what would be a front-side 32 to put him in the lead while Fitzpatrick and Cantlay struggled to generate much momentum.
A classic Spieth moment came at the par-4 10th, where he pull-hooked his tee shot into a pond where alligators often sun themselves on the bank. He played his third shot from a sharp sidehill lie near the penalty area to within 8 feet of the hole, center-cutting the putt for an unlikely par.
That’s how Spieth does things.
“I felt every putt he hit was going to go in, but I'll be honest: I just feel like that all the time,” Fitzpatrick said. “Jordan Spieth does different things.”
After he bogeyed the dangerous par-3 14th, Spieth responded with a birdie at the 15th to regain a one-stroke lead, the crowd reaction rumbling out from the trees toward the grandstands near the 16th green.
Spieth twice had putts to win in the playoff, but it was Fitzpatrick, who has been coming to Hilton Head from his native England with his family since he was 6 years old, posing for photographs alongside Calibogue Sound this time.
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Top: Jordan Spieth leans on a rare blend of artistry, athleticism and emotion.
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