Sunday at Harbour Town: Where Fitzpatrick and Scheffler Chase Plaid
There are Sundays in golf, and then there are Sundays at Harbour Town. The kind where Spanish moss hangs still in the morning humidity, where the lighthouse looms like a lighthouse should—patient, indifferent, eternal—and where the best players in the world navigate a Pete Dye masterpiece that rewards precision over power, nerve over swagger.
This is one of those Sundays.
The Stage Is Set
Matt Fitzpatrick will step to the first tee at 1:50 p.m. ET carrying a three-shot advantage into the final round of the 2026 RBC Heritage. Behind him, literally and figuratively, walks Scottie Scheffler—the world No. 1, the man who has been playing better golf than anyone on the planet for what feels like geological time.
But Harbour Town has never cared much for rankings. This is a place that humbles bombers and rewards those who can shape the ball around live oaks, who can putt on grain-heavy greens without losing their minds, who understand that sometimes the smartest shot is the one that leaves you 40 feet away with an uphill look at birdie.
Fitzpatrick understands this place. He won here in 2023, donning the tartan jacket that has become one of golf's most coveted prizes. His family vacationed at Harbour Town when he was younger—long before the U.S. Open trophy, before the Valspar win four weeks ago, before the near-miss at the Players Championship. "It's a course that I love," Fitzpatrick said Saturday, and you could hear the genuine affection in his voice.
Scheffler's Quiet Pursuit
Three shots is nothing to Scottie Scheffler. Three shots is a birdie and a wobble. Three shots is one perfect iron and one three-putt. Scheffler knows Harbour Town intimately—he won the RBC in 2024, the year after Fitzpatrick's triumph, continuing the tradition of ball-strikers claiming this tournament as their own.
"It's a special and unique place," Scheffler said earlier in the week, and he wasn't being diplomatic. Harbour Town is unique—a layout where the 18th hole runs along Calibogue Sound, where the par-3 17th demands a precise tee shot to a tiny green, where every drive matters because the fairways are lined with trouble that doesn't forgive.
The final pairing will command attention, but the supporting cast offers intrigue of its own. Sungjae Im and Sahith Theegala tee off at 9:55 a.m. ET, both capable of posting a number that could apply pressure. Jordan Spieth plays alongside Maverick McNealy at 10:15 a.m.—and Spieth at Harbour Town has historically been appointment viewing.
Morning Wave Worth Watching
The early starters shouldn't be dismissed entirely. Justin Thomas pairs with Billy Horschel at 7:04 a.m. ET, two players searching for form who might find freedom in the knowledge that expectations have temporarily lowered. Tommy Fleetwood and J.T. Poston go off at 8:16 a.m.—Fleetwood's silky swing is made for courses like this, and Poston has quietly built a reputation as a Southeast specialist.
How to Watch
Golf Channel picks up coverage from 1-3 p.m. ET, with CBS taking over for the final stretch at 3 p.m. For those who want to catch the morning narrative as it develops, PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ begins streaming at 7 a.m. ET, offering featured group and featured hole coverage throughout the day.
The Takeaway
Harbour Town on a Sunday afternoon is one of golf's great stages—intimate, demanding, and gorgeous in a way that few courses manage. Matt Fitzpatrick has three shots and the comfort of familiarity. Scottie Scheffler has the game and the pedigree to erase any deficit. Somewhere between the first tee and the lighthouse, we'll discover who wants that plaid jacket more.
Pack your patience. This one could go to the wire.