SHANE LOWRY 22/1 - PP 8PL
KEVIN KISNER 45/1 - CORAL 8PL
KEVIN STREELMAN 80/1 - PP 8PL
RUSSELL KNOX 80/1 - PP 8PL
WEBB SIMPSON 30/1 - WH 8PL
COREY CONNERS 28/1 - WH 8PL
DYLAN FRITTELLI 100/1 - PP 8PL
ALL BETS PLACED £5 EACH WAY. TOTAL OUTLAY £70
THE RBC HERITAGE
The RBC Heritage, known for much of its history as the Heritage Classic or simply the Heritage, is a PGA Tour event in South Carolina, first played 53 years ago in 1969. It is currently played in mid-April, the week after The Masters in Augusta, Georgia.
The venue for its entire existence has been the Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island. The Harbour Town course, which frequently appears on several “Best Courses” lists, was designed by famed golf course architect Pete Dye, with assistance from Jack Nicklaus. In 1972, the first two rounds were played on both the Harbour Town Golf Links and the Ocean course at Sea Pines, with the final two rounds at Harbour Town.
Originally played in late November, it moved to mid-September in 1973, March in 1974, and April in 1983. The inaugural champion in 1969 was forty-year-old Arnold Palmer, his first win in over a year.
Course co-designer Nicklaus won in 1975, two weeks before his fifth Masters win. Davis Love III leads with five victories in the event, Hale Irwin and Stewart Cink have three, while seven others have won twice.
From 1987 through 2010, it was sponsored either by MCI (under both the “MCI” and “WorldCom” names) or its eventual purchaser, Verizon. The tournament operated without a title sponsor in 2011, and the Royal Bank of Canada has been the title sponsor of The Heritage since 2012. It is currently organized by The Heritage Classic Foundation.
HARBOUR TOWN GOLF LINKS
Harbour Town Golf Links was designed by Pete Dye in 1967 with the help of professional golfer Jack Nicklaus. Dye also designed another course in the Sea Pines Resort, Heron Point, which he redesigned in 2007. The course is open all year, even during over seeding in October and the aerating of the greens in June, July, and August.
So pointers around here accuracy is key. Distance not a factor here. Look also for 175-200 yards in approach. Pete Dye specialist a big plus. Greens are running around 11.5 compared to 14 from last week at Augusta. So a poor putter could also surprise here this week.
GRASS TYPES
The holes at Harbour Town Golf Links consist of seven different types of grass. Five of the grass types, four of which are Bermudas, are able to withstand the heat during the warm summer months of Hilton Head Island. The other two grass types are annually over seeded in October in order to keep the course green during the cold months. The rye grass that is planted in October is only temporary and will eventually die out when the weather warms up, and the Bermuda grass is no longer dormant. The fairways and rough consist of 419 Bermuda grass.
The tee boxes are made up of Celebration Bermuda as well as TifSports Bermuda. The fairways, rough, and tee boxes are over seeded with rye grass in October. Several tee boxes are composed of Empire Zoysia which does not become dormant (brown) in the winter. These Zoysia tee boxes do not need to be over seeded. Harbour Town Golf Link’s greens consist of TifEagle Bermuda which is over seeded with Poa Trivialis in October. The course superintendent, Jonathan Wright, is in charge of maintaining the different types of grass.
PAST RESULTS
2021 Stewart Cink 265 −19 4 strokes
2020 Webb Simpson 262 −22 1 stroke
2019 Pan Cheng-tsung 272 −12 1 stroke
2018 Satoshi Kodaira 272 −12 Playoff Kim Si-woo
2017 Wesley Bryan 271 −13 1 stroke
2016 Branden Grace 275 −9 2 strokes
2015 Jim Furyk 266 −18 Playoff Kevin Kisner
2014 Matt Kuchar 273 −11 1 stroke
2013 Graeme McDowell 275 −9 Playoff Webb Simpson
2012 Carl Pettersson 270 −14 5 strokes
OUR PICKS
SHANE LOWRY 22/1
Well after that Masters his odds will be destroyed here this week and for good reason. His last three appearances here have been third 2019 missed cut 2020 then last year another top ten.
I am gutted we didn’t throw him in again last week for the Masters he was on our list but went with Fitzpatrick in the end over him.
So this course will be all about the numbers and as we have said from 175-200 yards will be key to the whole field this week due to the layup areas as everyone will be playing most of the par fours from the same zone. He ranks sixth on the PGA Tour from 175-200 yards approach and then 200+ first.
He is a short game wizard and will need that around here for sure. He putted well last week on very fast greens so should have no issue here with them playing around 11.5.
A must on any betting slip this week.
RUSSELL KNOX 80/1
Russell is the perfect fit for Harbour Town. The team were surprised to hear that his last three attempts here were all missed cuts which is so strange to believe. This should be good for us and our odds this week.
I feel he is coming into this week with much better form than the previous three years and should now perform well here. You do not have to go back that far to see just how he does like this place I mean from 2014 he went ninth, 18th 2nd 11th 40th then the missed cuts.
He is ranked first for greens in regulation, top twenty for driving accuracy this season, inside the top thirty for approach from 150-200 yards on the PGA as well.
Could be adding his third PGA Tour title here this week watch this space.
KEVIN KISNER 45/1
Kisner is back in my picks again this week. Always a banker for the team.
He came so close for us at the WGC Dell match play only to be beaten in the final at 50/1 but still returned us a good profit. That bloody Scottie has cost us a few times this season already as with a few other punters.
Like we said we followed his golf at the Players this year and he looked so at home.
The team have had him hooked up on trackman on the range this morning and these driving figures really do back up his recent results. We clocked thirty drives and his disperse rate was within a 20 yard ratio which is mighty impressive and probably be one of the best accuracy drivers of the ball this week on the stats if he keeps that up.
He made the cut at the Masters but for me fast greens are not his best surface this again here will be a much better chance with slower greens he could be rolling them in fro everywhere.
KEVIN STREELMAN 80/1
This is my special pick for the week. I have followed Kevin for most of his career and can only remember backing him a few times over the past few years. I backed him at the US Open last year at 150/1 and he just missed out on getting us a place return.
I just love the way he is hitting form coming back to a place he just knows so well. He has gone 22nd at the Players 7th at the Valspar and then another top twenty at the Valero.
His previous around here is not too shabby either. Since 2011 he has gone 36-17-3-53-55-7-6-MC-33.
This is a strong each way claim here and I feel we could be sitting pretty at these odds.
