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Matt Fitzpatrick’s bogey-free 63, aided by a slice of luck, secured a narrow lead at the halfway stage of the RBC Heritage.

RBC Heritage leader Matt Fitzpatrick produced a bogey-free 63 to move to 14 under par and take a one-shot advantage after a demanding second round in South Carolina.

Playing in sweltering heat and shifting winds, the former US Open champion delivered one of the cleanest rounds of the day. His momentum turned at the par-three 14th, where a pulled tee shot struck a cart path, rebounded onto the green and was stopped short of the water by a sprinkler head, before he converted a 30-foot birdie putt.

Fitzpatrick later acknowledged the role of fortune but emphasised the importance of capitalising on such moments during a tournament. He added two further birdies across his final three holes to edge clear of the field.

Viktor Hovland remains firmly in contention at 13 under after producing a late birdie on the 17th. He indicated his round was built on control rather than precision, keeping the ball in play on a course that has tested much of the field.

A group of chasers sit within reach. Harris English is third at 10 under, while Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg and Patrick Cantlay share fourth at nine under.

World number one Scottie Scheffler returned a steady 67, hitting every fairway but failing to convert enough birdie chances, leaving him seven shots behind the leader.

Further down the leaderboard, Jordan Spieth struggled in the conditions, recording three double bogeys in a round of 72 to fall to one under. In contrast, Akshay Bhatia surged with an aggressive display, carding 11 birdies in a 63 to climb back into contention at six under.

With two rounds remaining, the tournament remains tightly poised, though Fitzpatrick holds both the lead and the early momentum.