The First Look: RBC Heritage

The eyes of the golfing world move about 150 miles east from Augusta, Georgia, to Hilton Head, South Carolina, for the next Signature Event on the PGA TOUR schedule – the RBC Heritage.

It’ll be quite the change for the best in the world coming from the Masters to Harbour Town with the low-country chill and charm a welcome respite after Augusta National Golf Club was at its toughest and brawniest last week.

But the best in the game are set to gather for the next Signature Event on the TOUR’s schedule – including the undisputed world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler.

Here’s everything else you need to know as the TOUR returns to Hilton Head:

FIELD NOTES: Scottie Scheffler is, for now, set to tee it up at the RBC Heritage. He was clear to say that if his wife, Meredith, would go into labor during the Masters, he would head home to be with her, so it’s safe to assume that same rule will stand at Harbour Town. Scheffler has not shot an over-par round all season and has three victories (and one runner-up). He made his debut at Harbour Town last year and finished T11… Matt Fitzpatrick looks to become the first golfer to go back-to-back at the RBC Heritage since Boo Weekley in 2007-08. Fitzpatrick, a playoff victor last year, has two top-10 finishes this season. He has just one missed cut at Harbour Town over the last six years and he finished fourth in 2021 to go along with two more top-15 results in a three-year span (T14 in 2018 and 2020)… Jordan Spieth is hoping to continue his run of fine play at Harbour Town after a playoff loss last season and a playoff win the season prior. Spieth has five top-25 finishes at the RBC Heritage in seven starts… Justin Thomas earned a spot in the field after remaining in the top 30 (he’s No. 30) in the Official World Golf Ranking despite a missed cut at the Masters. Thomas, who finished T25 last season at Harbour Town, has two top 10s on the season… Ludvig Åberg, who is tops in the Aon Next 10, will head to Hilton Head for the first time. Åberg has had a fabulous 2024 campaign thus far with four top 10s (including two runner-up results) and is knocking on the door for a victory… Hideki Matsuyama was the only eligible player who did not commit to the RBC Heritage, while Viktor Hovland – after a missed cut at the Masters – withdrew from the field on Saturday.

SIGNATURE EVENT STORYLINES: The RBC Heritage is the fifth Signature Event of the season… Erik van Rooyen, who finished T55 at the Masters, jumped into the Aon Next 10 and secured the final spot. His made cut at the Masters moved him from No. 11 to No. 10, and now he gets to tee it up at Harbour Town – a course he’s had some fine results at in the past. He finished T21 and T10 in 2020 and 2022, respectively… Nicolai Højgaard looked like he was a lock to jump into the Aon Next 10 (especially after he held the solo lead at the Masters after a birdie at No. 10 Saturday). But he stumbled into the house with five straight bogeys and finished T16. He only moved from No. 20 to No. 17 in the Aon Next 10, falling outside the number… The Aon Swing 5 was firmed up after the Valero Texas Open, with Brice Garnett, Erik Barnes, Thomas Detry, Chandler Phillips and Alejandro Tosti earning those spots… The Wells Fargo Championship is the next Signature Event on the schedule.

COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 UPDATES: After his Masters victory, Scottie Scheffler kept a stranglehold on the top spot of the TOUR TOP 10. He now has twice as many points as Wyndham Clark at No. 2… Xander Schauffele, who finished eighth at the Masters, moved up a spot from No. 4 to No. 3… Ludvig Åberg, on the back of his incredible runner-up in his Masters debut, skipped from No. 8 to No. 4 in the standings… Will Zalatoris jumped into the TOUR TOP 10 after his Masters top 10. He zipped from No. 16 to No. 10, bumping Stephan Jaeger outside the TOUR TOP 10… Chris Kirk and Byeong Hun An remain the only two golfers to be inside the TOUR TOP 10 every week so far this season.

FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 700 FedExCup points.

COURSE: Harbour Town Golf Links, par 71, 7,213 yards. The iconic Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus design – lengthened slightly for 2024 – has hosted the RBC Heritage since the 1960s. It continues to challenge the best golfers in the world with its tight fairways, strategically placed bunkers and small, contoured putting surfaces. Once again, a premium will be placed on ball-striking. Two of the last three winners at Harbour Town were first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, while last year’s winner, Matt Fitzpatrick, was third.

72-HOLE RECORD: 262, Webb Simpson (2020)

18-HOLE RECORD: 61, David Frost (second round, 1994) and Troy Merritt (second round, 2015)

LAST TIME: For the second year in a row, a playoff was needed to decide the winner of the RBC Heritage. Jordan Spieth, who won in extra holes in 2022, was defeated in 2023 by Matt Fitzpatrick, who birdied the third playoff hole for the win. Both participants in the 2022 playoff – Spieth and Patrick Cantlay – were firmly in the mix again Sunday in 2023, with Spieth shooting a 5-under 66 in the final round. But Fitzpatrick, who shot a 3-under 68 in the finale and overcame a two-shot deficit with just five holes to play, zipped a 9-iron to within a foot on the third extra hole to top Spieth, who had two glorious chances to win (he lipped out a birdie try on the first playoff hole and his 9-foot birdie attempt on the second playoff hole ran out of gas). Cantlay finished third, a shot out of the playoff, while Xander Schauffele finished fourth and Sahith Theegala and Hayden Buckley finished tied for fifth at 14-under.

HOW TO FOLLOW: (All times ET)

Television:

• Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)
• Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)

Special programming alerts:

• 'On the Range': The RBC Heritage will feature PGA TOUR LIVE's "On the Range," with live action straight from the practice grounds at Harbour Town Golf Links. The show will include expert analysis, Golfbet previews and DraftKings betting insights, player interviews and more.
  • Wednesday: 3:30-5 p.m. on PGATOUR.COM, YouTube and Golf Channel
• PGA TOUR Originals: 'Chasing Tiger presented by Genesis' – In his decorated career, Tiger Woods has left his mark on the PGA TOUR record books. While celebrating the worthy challengers who hope to chase Tiger’s historic records, “PGA TOUR Originals: Chasing Tiger” pays tribute to how vast some of those record numbers truly are.
  • Sunday: 2-3 p.m. on CBS

PGA TOUR LIVE ON ESPN+

PGA TOUR LIVE is available exclusively on ESPN+

• Main feed: Primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course
• Marquee group: New “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group
• Featured groups: Traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups
• Featured holes: Combination of par 3s and iconic or pivotal holes

PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and free on PGATOUR.COM/liveaudio:

• Thursday-Friday: noon-6 p.m.
• Saturday-Sunday: 1-6 p.m.