Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C. (7,213 yards, Par 71) will host the 58th playing of the RBC Heritage, the fourth signature event on tour this season which features a $20 million purse, no cut and a $3.5 million first place check to go along with a Wimp Sanderson look-alike jacket. Eighty two players are competing. The tournament is presently underway.

The two big stories in golf heading into this weekend are Rory’s winning a second Green Jacket in a row last Sunday at the 90th Masters, and the possibility of the LIV Tour disbanding. Rory did what he had to do to capture his second Green Jacket, the $4.5 million first place check, and his sixth major championship to catapult him into the discussion of a top 10 elite player in history. He was fortunate on the 18th tee that he only needed a bogey to win because he promptly drove it right-into the woods, but got out and chipped up on the green and two putted for bogey. Scottie Scheffler shot 65 Saturday and 68 on Sunday, but came up a half inch to the left of sinking his 20 foot birdie putt on 17 and really putting some pressure on McIlroy. But he finished at -11, and Rory, who played solid golf on Sunday, took care of business to capture the Green Jacket. Not as dramatic a finish as you’d like, but surely another classic at the hallowed grounds of Augusta National.

Now to the LIV Tour. There are reports that Saudi Arabia, dealing with the bombings from Iran, could stop funding the LIV Tour and call it quits. The Public Investment Fund that has $900+ billion in assets, which seems like it’s unbreakable, is losing interest in the tour as has been reported. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed defected back to the PGA Tour, and Bryson DeChambeau does not have a new contract with LIV Golf. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil is disputing the report, saying the Tour plans on continuing operations at full speed ahead, but there’s no word from the Public Investment Fund. It’s worth keeping an eye on. Definitely would be nice to get DeChambeau, Rahm, guys like that, back on the tour, though there should be punitive measures for them to rejoin. Koepka had to forfeit several million dollars in future earnings, but I think maybe these guys need to earn their way back on tour by playing more events than are required. They did turn their backs on the PGA Tour, so there should be consequences for that. This will be an interesting story to follow the next couple of days.

But back to the PGA Tour and the RBC Heritage which features a terrific field of major winners including 4 time winner Scheffler, two Masters, a PGA Championship and an Open Championship, defending champion Justin Thomas, a two time PGA Championship winner and a 16 time tour winner who looks to be regaining his form. Two time major winner in 2024 Xander Schauffele (PGA Championship and Open Championship), 2022 U.S. Open winner and 2023 RBC Heritage champion Matt Fitzpatrick, and this year’s Players Championship champion Cam Young, who looked like he had a serious shot of winning the Masters last Sunday, but fell back due to putting miscues. Rory is not in the field this week, which makes sense. Any player would take a week off after winning the Masters. This is the fourth of eight Signature events this season with the $20 million purses and $3.6 million first place checks and no cuts for five of them, and $4 Million for the player sponsored events with a cut. Jacob Bridgeman won Tiger Woods event, the Genesis Invitational, and Akshay Bhatia won the Arnie. Jack’s event, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, which will be played at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, will take place June 4th-7th. The other three Signature events are the Cadillac Classic at Trump National Doral in Miami, April 30th-May 3rd; the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, May 7-10; and the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, June 25th-28th.

The rest of the majors this season are, in order: The PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, PA., 15 miles from downtown Philly, May 14-17. It’ll be the 108th edition of the PGA Championship. The 126th U.S. Open will be played at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, a classic, in Southhampton, New York, June 18th-21st, Father’s Day weekend. And the 154th Open Championship will be played at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport England, July 16-19. So a lot of electricity in golf is forthcoming.

Harbour Town Golf Links’ greens are some of the smallest on tour and will be stimping at 12 1/2. The greens are Bermuda and the rough will be at approximately 1 1/2 inches. No.18 is the classic lighthouse hole with a lighthouse behind the green. Eighteen is a 478 yard, par 4, with a wide landing area for the player’s tee shot, but trouble on the left with marsh and water if the competitor overcooks it. The second shot is tough to a narrow, small green. There have been dramatic moments on the 18th including JT’s 22 foot birdie conversion on the first playoff hole in 2025 to prevail over Andrew Novak. Here are odds for the tournament.

Scheffler, 4/1, Schauffele, 14/1, Fitzpatrick, 16/1, Cam Young, 17/1, Russell Henley, 17/1, Tommy Fleetwood, 18/1, Ludvig Aberg, 20/1, Collin Morikawa, 22/1, Patrick Cantlay, 24/1, Si Woo Kim, 28/1, Jordan Spieth, 29/1, Bob McIntyre (he and Sergio Garcia were sure asking to be suspended for a year from Augusta after their behavior last weekend on the course. They should be suspended from next year’s Masters in my opinion) 29/1, Harris English, 30/1, Vik Hovland, 34/1, Sam Burns (had a shot at the Masters, just couldn’t finish over the weekend), 35/1, Jack Knapp, 37/1.

Weather looks outstanding. Mid 80’s, sunny, though we could use some rain here and a lot of other places in the south sometime soon. But for this weekend, there will be stellar golf conditions. Wind will be a factor at 10-20 MPH each day.

Broadcast Schedule

Today-Friday: 1-5 P.M. CT/2-6 ET Golf Channel.

Saturday-Sunday: 12-2 P.M. CT/1-3 ET, GC; 2-5 P.M. CT/3-6 ET, CBS, Paramount+.

Winner

I liked what I saw from this recently turned 37 year old at the Masters. He went 66, 68 on Saturday and Sunday and finished tied for third at 10 under par. He finished tied 8th at the RBC in 2025. I’ll take the man who turned 37 this past Sunday at Augusta National, April 12th, who is a native of Macon, Georgia, by way of the University of Georgia, to take home the Tartan Jacket and the $3.6 million first place check.

Russell Henley

Darkhorse

I’ll go with the 34 year old eight-time tour winner on tour from Long Beach, Cali, by way of UCLA. The Bruins captured the women’s college basketball national championship, and have the No.1 ranked team in college baseball right now. Cantlay can “augment” (as Bill Gates Bates and I like to say) that success with a Tartan Jacket.

Patrick Cantlay