Matt Fitzpatrick earns Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler comparisons after RBC Heritage playoff victory
Matt Fitzpatrick has been compared to Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler after winning the RBC Heritage on Sunday. Fitzpatrick defeated world number one Scheffler in a playoff at Hilton Head when most would have expected him to lose.
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images Matt Fitzpatrick has been compared to Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler after winning the RBC Heritage on Sunday. Fitzpatrick defeated world number one Scheffler in a playoff at Hilton Head when most would have expected him to lose. His victory has since raised questions about his ranking among the world’s top golfers, alongside McIlroy and Scheffler.
Golf expert Rex Hoggard has even suggested Fitzpatrick is now the very best player outside of the aforementioned top two. Rex Hoggard calls Matt Fitzpatrick third-best golfer in the world Fitzpatrick has arguably been the best player on the PGA Tour in 2026, winning at the RBC Heritage and the Valspar Championship. He also only narrowly missed out on another victory at the Players Championship, losing in a playoff to Cameron Young.
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images While he is already a major champion (2022 US Open), it feels as though Fitzpatrick has taken his game to another level . The Englishman’s performances have catapulted his name into debates with the world’s best golfers, such as McIlroy and Scheffler. Hoggard now believes Fitzpatrick is the clear-cut third-best player on the planet and can go toe-to-toe with the top two.
“All of a sudden, we talk about this really cool rivalry between Rory and Scottie Scheffler . I don’t know that Fitz is that far out of it,” he said. “I think, if you put him under the right golf course, under the right conditions… Look at what he did at The Players Championship.