Preview
Course Info
Designer: Dye/Nicklaus
Used Since: 1969
Fairways: Narrow
Rough: Bermuda (0.75 inch)
Greens: TifEagle Bermuda (12.5 stimp)
Water Hazards: On 7 holes
Par 5's: 2nd, 5th and 15th
Premium on: Accurate approach play
Significant Info
This event has been given designated status which means the field is significantly stronger than previous years.
This event was played in June in 2020. Treat those results with caution as the course was softer.
RBC Heritage Weather
Thursday
Cloudy - Max 11mph winds forecast
Friday
Potential thunderstorm - Max 10mph winds forecast
Saturday
Cloudy - Max 8mph winds forecast
Sunday
Potential Thunderstorms - Max 10mph winds forecast
RBC Heritage Trends
Winning Score
We saw low scores in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, we saw a tournament record of -22 with the event played under easier conditions. In 2021, Stewart Cink won with a score of -19. However, normal service resumed last year with Jordan Spieth winning with a score of -13. Jim Furyk won with a score of -18 in 2015 but other than that, winning scores at Harbour Town from 2010 to 2019 were between 9 and 14 under par.
Course Form
Only two players in the last 15 years have won on their debut in this event. Of the 13 players who had competed here prior to winning in the past 15 years, only one did so without having previously recorded a top-25 finish. That was Graeme McDowell, who obviously has significant pedigree on narrow, wind exposed courses.
We should treat Graeme as the exception to the rule as previous experience here counts for a lot. To emphasise that point, Luke Donald recorded an incredible SEVEN top-3 finishes in NINE years between 2009 and 2017, while Davis Love III is a FIVE time winner here.
Recent Form
Only two of the last seven champions had posted a top 60 finish in their last start prior to winning here. Recent form isn't essential.
World Ranking
The world ranking of the past six champions has been 20-115-9-111-46-73-14. Winners are generally inside the top 125.
Nationality
Between 2000 and 2011, American golfers dominated, winning nine of the twelve tournaments. However, since 2012 only six Americans have prevailed.
Correlating Courses
There are trends with another Pete Dye designed course, TPC Sawgrass. Home of The Players Championship, Sawgrass also demands accuracy off the tee and challenges players visually, as Dye likes to do.
Certain players have excellent records at both venues. A few notables include:
Davis Love III is a multiple winner of both tournaments
Jim Furyk has won the Heritage twice and been runner up twice at Sawgrass
Matt Kuchar has won at both venues
Webb Simpson has won both
Si Woo Kim has won The Players Championship and has a runner up finish at Hilton Head.
RBC Heritage Stats Analysis
SG: Off The Tee
The last six winners have ranked 5-20-54-79-10-107
Driving Distance
The last seven winners have ranked 3-7-46-87-98-89-59. In general, distance is unimportant.
Driving Accuracy
The last seven winners have ranked 50-104-54-99-11-85-83. Accuracy off the tee isn't essential either.
SG: Approach
The last six winners have ranked 13-2-8-23-10-3. Approach play is key.
SG: Around The Green
The last six winners have ranked 7-5-60-11-96-18.
SG: Putting
The last seven winners have ranked 93-25-4-5-22-14-11. Although Spieth putted terribly last year, a hot putter is usually essential.
RBC Heritage In Play Tips
Tough Holes
The 3rd and 4th holes have ranked inside the top four hardest holes in each of the past two years. The par 3 14th hole is also traditionally a hole ranked amongst the three hardest on the course.
Birdie Holes
The par 5's (2nd, 5th and 15th) play as the easiest holes. The easiest hole outside of those is the short par 4 9th.
Closing Stretch
Given the last couple of holes are exposed to the water, the severity of the wind often determines how difficult these holes play. The 18th hole played as the hardest hole on the course in 2019 but was only 6th hardest last year. The par 3 17th plays over par more often than not.
Fast or Slow Start
Winners in 2021 and 2020, Stewart Cink and Webb Simpson, were never outside the top 3 after each round. However, it is possible to get off to a slow start here and still win. In 2019 C.T. Pan opened with a level par 71 and found himself 6 shots behind first round leader Shane Lowry. Last year, Jordan Spieth was also six behind the leader after the opening round.
In 2018, Satoshi Kodaira was a full 9 strokes behind the first round lead after he opened with a 2 over par 73. Similarly, in 2017, Wesley Bryan was in 35th position after round one. In fact, in the last twelve runnings of the Heritage the winner has started with a score in the 70s five times.
Round 3 leaders have a very poor record here in recent years and there have been some stunning wins from players off the pace. Eight of the last ten winners have come from at least two shots back and in seven of those years the winner came from three shots back.
Even more impressively, in 2018 and 2011 Kodaira and Brand Snedeker came from six shots back, while in 2004 Stewart Cink overturned a NINE shot deficit.
2023 RBC Heritage Tips
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In-play
2023 RBC Heritage In-Play Blog
16 April 2023, 11:15am (UK time)
Player | Total |
Fitzpatrick |
-14 |
Cantlay |
-13 |
Spieth |
-12 |
Five Players Tied |
-11 |
2023 RBC Heritage Round 3 Summary
Matt Fitzpatrick shot the best round of the day with a 63 which included a hole out from the fairway on the 3rd hole. Patrick Cantlay managed to get himself one shot off the lead. Both players holed a lot of putts, ranking inside the top five for SG: Putting.
Notable Round 3 RBC Heritage Quotes
"Yeah, I loved it. Aside from Augusta it's my favorite golf course. It really is. I love coming here to play it. I've not had the best results around here. I've had a couple good runs and a couple poor ones, but I really enjoy the design, enjoy the test, and I think it's a great golf course." Matt Fitzpatrick
" I feel like I finally putted better today. I putted decent in the second round, but today I maybe made a few that I didn't expect to make, especially that one on 16, so it's nice to see some putts go in." Patrick Cantlay
" The way the course softened up the last two days made today kind of right in that in between, and I thought without rain it could actually be a firm and tricky and tough Sunday." Jordan Spieth
2023 RBC Heritage Round 4 Weather
Partly cloudy. Wind 7-12mph.
How do we expect the market favourites to perform?
Fitzpatrick is now 5/2 favourite and in the driver seat. Things went very well for him yesterday and he is clearly very familiar with the course having spent holidays out here as a child. He will find it hard to back up the performance he produced on the greens yesterday and has a strong chasing pack tucked in behind him.
The same could be said of Patrick Cantlay, who is is also available at 11/4. Cantlay holed more than his fair share and may find it hard to back up today. He has an excellent record in this event (three top three finishes), but has never managed to get over the line. In truth, it's hard to separate the two and we couldn't confidently choose one as a winner.
Jordan Spieth is one shot further back and is looking to defend his title. He has been talking about staying aggressive all week and he is real danger to the leaders. We wouldn't put anyone off the 6/1 available if keen for a bet on one of the favourites.
Where is the value?
Round 3 leaders have a very poor record here in recent years and there have been some stunning wins from players off the pace. Eight of the last ten winners have come from at least two shots back and in seven of those years the winner came from three shots back. This is far from a two horse race.
Round 4 Bets
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15 April 2023, 11:45am (UK time)
Player | Total |
Walker |
-12 |
Schauffele |
-9 |
Scheffler |
-9 |
Rose |
-9 |
Five Players Tied |
-8 |
2023 RBC Heritage Round 2 Summary
Jimmy Walker rolled back the years to shoot a second consecutive round of 65 and open up a three shot gap at the top of the leaderboard.
Notable Round 2 RBC Heritage Quotes
"I've never felt like I've ever been afraid to go win a golf tournament. I've won golf tournaments in all sorts of fashions, big events. Played in the biggest stages. So nothing -- there's nothing I haven't done. Nothing this weekend is any different than anything I've ever done honestly. Just go do it again because it's fun if you win." Jimmy Walker
"This golf course keeps you honest. You can't be mentally checked out. I'm learning this golf course a little bit more than a lot of the other guys, but it's underappreciated. I'm loving it, to be honest with you. It's such a great test of golf and suits all different types of players, I think." Justin Rose
2023 RBC Heritage Round 3 Weather
Partly cloudy. Wind 5-10mph.
How do we expect the market favourites to perform?
As expected, Scottie Scheffler made a significant move in round two and he is now the 7/2 favourite. His post-round press conference referenced the fact he's still learning the course and we expect him to remain in contention over the weekend. He's the worthy favourite.
Xander Schauffele is 7/1 second favourite. The Olympic champion leads the field in SG: Approach over the opening two rounds and is second for SG: Tee to Green. He's never bettered 34th in this event in three starts but looks sure to better that this week. He too is difficult to write off.
Schauffele's good friend, Patrick Cantlay, is also available at 7/1. He has an excellent record in this event (three top three finishes) and leads the SG: Tee to Green stats. There is no doubt that this is a hard event to call at this stage.
Where is the value?
Two of the last five winners of this event have led at halfway and Jimmy Walker backers will hope that he makes it three in the last six. This event is still wide open though with 16 players at seven under par or better. Five each way places are still available with Bet365 and it may be worth looking to back some of those players further back at bigger prices.
Round 3 Bets
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14 April 2023, 9:45am (UK time)
Player | Total |
Hovland |
-7 |
Harman |
-6 |
Walker (through 16) |
-6 |
Rai (through 15) |
-6 |
Six Players Tied |
-5 |
2023 RBC Heritage Round 1 Summary
Viktor Hovland holds the lead after a morning 64 but Jimmy Walker and Aaron Rai both have the opportunity to match him as they sit one shot behind with birdie chances on their last couple of holes. Pre-event favourites Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa could only manage an over par 72 whilst Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay got off to a solid start.
Notable Round 1 RBC Heritage Quotes
"That was really good. Hit some really nice shots starting the day but didn't make the putts. It was a little frustrating, but stayed patient and just kept on hitting great shots. Then the putter started heating up, and it felt very stress-free from there on in." Victor Hovland
"But out here, a lot of guys I played with were hitting 3-woods or 2-irons off the tee, and I hit my driver anyway. So they're having 8-irons in, which are scoring clubs, and I'm having gap wedges and sand wedges in. If I can keep that up and drive it that way, I think I can hang around." Joel Dahmen
2023 RBC Heritage Round 2 Weather
We should see some rain in the morning before clearing up this afternoon. Winds should be calm in the morning, picking up to 7mph in the afternoon.
How do we expect the market favourites to perform?
Hovland is 9/2 favourite which looks a tad short following fast finishes by Sungjae Im and Scottie Scheffler. Considering how poor he was in the final round of the Masters when in contention, it's not a price we could entertain at this stage.
Scheffler is next in the betting at 9/1 and did well to get himself back up the leaderboard after two bogeys in his first three holes. He has a morning start and we would expect him to catch Hovland or even pass him by the time the leader has teed off.
Sungjae Im looks a real danger at two shots back with a morning start and 11/1 is a really tempting price. For anyone looking for a bet on one of the favourites, we like his odds the best.
Where is the value?
Winners in 2021 and 2020, Stewart Cink and Webb Simpson, were never outside the top 3 after each round, but we have seen some big round one comebacks over the years, including last year when Spieth was six shots back on Thursday. With Hovland leading though, we don't want to look too far down the leaderboard this year.
Round 2 Bets
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