One of the most important reminders of the pandemic has been never to take anything for granted. However, those headed from the Masters to the RBC Heritage once again can count on a 150-mile decompression corridor that ends on U.S. Route 278 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. If there isn’t a slower heartbeat upon arrival, they’re doing it wrong. Almost half the field of the Masters (42 of 88 as of Monday afternoon) are committed to the annual stop at Harbour Town Golf Links. A similarly strong field seized on the opportunity on what was just the second tournament of the Return to Golf last summer. For a brief recap of the records established, the new wrinkle this week’s field will experience and more, continue reading beneath the projected contenders. RELATED: The First Look | Inside the Field POWER RANKINGS: RBC HERITAGE Recent World Golf Championship winners Billy Horschel (Match Play) and Collin Morikawa (Workday) will be included in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider with Sungjae Im, Kevin Kisner, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood and other notables. If you ever wondered what the strongest field in tournament history could do to Harbour Town, the scheduling adjustments triggered by the pandemic presented the case in 2020. The Official World Golf Ranking determined the 2020 RBC Heritage to have a strength-of-field rating of 647. It was the eighth-highest of all tournaments worldwide last year, but even though there were far fewer events conducted, consider that the last three editions of the RBC Heritage were valued at 280 (2017), 342 (2018) and 430 (2019). The field averaged an all-time low of 69.137 on the par 36-35—71. Since data was first maintained in earnest in 1983, the previous record was 70.490 in 2015. Not surprisingly, Webb Simpson’s winning pace of 22-under 262 also established a tournament record. He offset five bogeys with an eagle and 25 birdies. The 36-hole cut of low 65 and ties landed at 4-under 138. To accommodate playing time for as many as possible, last year’s tournament reserved space for 144 golfers, but it went final at 151 because of the unprecedented commitment of eligible qualifiers for the invitational. This year’s edition has reverted to its customary space of 132, but at the time this went to publish, the field was 135 strong. So, alternates will not be called unless it drops below 132. Whether it was the depth of the field or its first-ever June date that yielded record scoring, that question might be answered in the return to its normal April slot. Unnecessary in June, the TifEagle bermuda greens are overseeded as usual for the April staging. They’re only 3,700 square feet on average and they could run up to 12-and-a-half feet on the Stimpmeter. The only rough, also overseeded bermuda, tops at just three-quarters of an inch. Because of slow growth due to a harsher winter, the bomb-and-gouge crowd could crash the party perennially reserved for shot-makers, but at just 7,121 yards and always averaging among the shortest in distance of all drives, the Davids in the field have as terrific a chance as any to slingshot around the Goliaths. The entirety of the walk represents and increase of 22 yards on the par-3 17th hole. Thanks to a larger tee box, it now can stretch to 196 yards. The elements almost always play a supporting role in the outcome, and this week should be no different. Moderate winds out of the west on Thursday and Sunday will sandwich equally fresh breezes off the coast to the east on Friday and Saturday, but course experience hasn’t mattered as much in recent years as it did in the more distant past, anyway. Controlled low ball flights is preferred and putting takes a backseat to precision on approach. Rain could fall on the weekend, but scoring should be balanced until then. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Watch * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.
Power Rankings: RBC Heritage
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Mitsubishi Electric Classic | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
Stewart Cink | +450 |
Steven Alker | +500 |
Miguel Angel Jimenez | +1200 |
Stephen Ames | +1200 |
Alex Cejka | +1400 |
David Toms | +1400 |
Y E Yang | +1800 |
Brian Gay | +2500 |
Kevin Sutherland | +2500 |
Paul Broadhurst | +2500 |
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2nd Round 2-Balls – Merritt-Streb / Sloan-Teater | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Troy Merritt / Robert Streb | -115 |
Roger Sloan / Josh Teater | -105 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – S.H. Kim-Bae / Smalley-Schmid | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Alex Smalley / Matti Schmid | -145 |
S.H. Kim / Sangmoon Bae | +120 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Tarren-Skinns / Rai-Lipsky | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Aaron Rai / David Lipsky | -145 |
Callum Tarren / David Skinns | +120 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Hall-Piercy / Hossler-Ryder | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Beau Hossler / Sam Ryder | -145 |
Harry Hall / Scott Piercy | +120 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Pereda-Cook / Tosti-Potter | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Alejandro Tosti / Ted Potter Jr | -155 |
Raul Pereda / Austin Cook | +130 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Eckroat-Gotterup / Mitchell-Dahmen | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Keith Mitchell / Joel Dahmen | -115 |
Austin Eckroat / Chris Gotterup | -105 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Molinari-Donald / Wallace-Olesen | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Matt Wallace / Thorbjorn Olesen | -135 |
Francesco Molinari / Luke Donald | +115 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Morikawa-Kitayama – McIIroy-Lowry | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Rory McIlroy / Shane Lowry | -145 |
Collin Morikawa / Kurt Kitayama | +120 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Johnson-Palmer / Cole-Cochran | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Zach Johnson / Ryan Palmer | -220 |
Eric Cole / Russ Cochran | +180 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Horschel-Alexander / Taylor-Hadwin | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Nick Taylor / Adam Hadwin | -150 |
Billy Horschel / Tyson Alexander | +125 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Malnati-Knox / Lee-M. Kim | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
K.H. Lee / Michael Kim | -130 |
Peter Malnati / Russell Knox | +110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Fitzpatrick-Fitzpatrick / Hojgaard-Hojgaard | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Matt Fitzpatrick / Alex Fitzpatrick | -110 |
Nicolai Hojgaard / Rasmus Hojgaard | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Lashley-Campos / Young-Martin | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Nate Lashley / Rafael Campos | -120 |
Carson Young / Ben Martin | +100 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Woodland-Hodges / Reavie-Snedeker | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Gary Woodland / Lee Hodges | -140 |
Chez Reavie / Brandt Snedeker | +115 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Gutschewski-Byrd / D. Wu-Lower | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Dylan Wu / Justin Lower | -190 |
Scott Gutschewski / Jonathan Byrd | +155 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Streelman-Laird / B. Taylor-O’Hair | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Ben Taylor / Sean O’Hair | -110 |
Kevin Streelman / Martin Laird | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Shelton-Furr / Crowe-Higgs | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Robby Shelton / Wilson Furr | -110 |
Trace Crowe / Harry Higgs | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Norrman-Campillo / Sigg-Hadley | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Greyson Sigg / Chesson Hadley | -110 |
Vincent Norrman / Jorge Campillo | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Xiong-McCormick / Springer-Whitney | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Hayden Springer / Tom Whitney | -110 |
Norman Xiong / Ryan McCormick | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Pi. Coody-Pa. Coody / Silverman-Dougherty | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Ben Silverman / Kevin Dougherty | -110 |
Parker Coody / Pierceson Coody | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Chappell-Dufner / Thompson-Novak | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Davis Thompson / Andrew Novak | -195 |
Kevin Chappell / Jason Dufner | +160 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Whaley-Long / Kraft-Tway | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Kelly Kraft / Kevin Tway | -110 |
Vince Whaley / Adam Long | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Higgo-Fox / Yu-Pan | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Garrick Higgo / Ryan Fox | -110 |
Kevin Yu / C.T. Pan | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Vegas-Burgoon / Stevens-Barjon | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Jhonattan Vegas / Bronson Burgoon | -110 |
Sam Stevens / Paul Barjon | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Montgomery-Griffin / Detry-McIntyre | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Thomas Detry / Robert MacIntyre | -130 |
Taylor Montgomery / Ben Griffin | +110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Yuan-Dou / Ghim-C. Kim | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Doug Ghim / Chan Kim | -166 |
Carl Yuan / Zecheng Dou | +135 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Theegala-Zalatoris / Cantlay-Schauffele | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Patrick Cantlay / Xander Schauffele | -130 |
Sahith Theegala / Will Zalatoris | +110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Ramey-Trainer / Brehm-Hubbard | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Chad Ramey / Martin Trainer | -110 |
Ryan Brehm / Mark Hubbard | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Hardy-Riley / Garnett-Straka | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Brice Garnett / Sepp Straka | -120 |
Nick Hardy / Davis Riley | +100 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Spaun-Buckley / T. Moore-NeSmith | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Taylor Moore / Matt NeSmith | -145 |
J.J. Spaun / Hayden Buckley | +120 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Kisner-Brown / Hoge-McNealy | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Tom Hoge / Maverick McNealy | -280 |
Kevin Kisner / Scott Brown | +230 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Echavarria-Greyserman / Champ-Daffue | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Cameron Champ / MJ Daffue | -110 |
Nico Echavarria / Max Greyserman | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Kuchar-Stricker / Conners-Pendrith | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Corey Conners / Taylor Pendrith | -180 |
Matt Kuchar / Steve Stricker | +150 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – List-Norlander – Hoffman-Watney | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Luke List / Henrik Norlander | -160 |
Charley Hoffman / Nick Watney | +130 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Berger-Perez / Putnam-Highsmith | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Andrew Putnam / Joe Highsmith | -110 |
Daniel Berger / Victor Perez | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Kohles-Kizzire / Blair-Fishburn | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Ben Kohles / Patton Kizzire | -130 |
Zac Blair / Patrick Fishburn | +110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Phillips-Bridgeman / Barnes-Endycott | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Chandler Phillips / Jacob Bridgeman | -140 |
Erik Barnes / Harrison Endycott | +120 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – B. Wu-Nicholas / Suh-Hoey | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Justin Suh / Rico Hoey | -145 |
Brandon Wu / James Nicholas | +120 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Stanger-Dumont de Chassart / Lawrence-Potgieter | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Jimmy Stanger / Adrien Dumont de Chassart | -110 |
Thriston Lawrence / Aldrich Potgieter | -110 |
2nd Round 2-Balls – Meissner-Smotherman / Hale-Haley | |
Type: 2nd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Mac Meissner / Austin Smotherman | -185 |
Blaine Hale Jr / Paul Haley II | +150 |
Scottie Scheffler Specials | |
Type: Scottie Scheffler Specials – Status: OPEN | |
Win Any Remaining Signature Event | -200 |
PGA Championship (Top 10 Finish) & US Open (Top 10 Finish) | +115 |
PGA Championship (Top 10 Finish) & The Open (Top 10 Finish) | +125 |
US Open (Top 10 Finish) & The Open (Top 10 Finish) | +135 |
All Remaining Signature Events – Top 10 Finish | +200 |
PGA Championship (Top 5 Finish) & The Open (Top 5 Finish) | +200 |
US Open (Top 5 Finish) & The Open (Top 5 Finish) | +210 |
PGA Championship (Top 10 Finish) & US Open (Top 10 Finish) & The Open (Top 10 Finish) | +240 |
PGA Championship (Top 5 Finish) & US Open (Top 5 Finish) | +280 |
Win 2 Remaining Signature Events | +450 |
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PGA Championship 2024 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | +350 |
Jon Rahm | +1200 |
Rory McIlroy | +1200 |
Ludvig Aberg | +1600 |
Brooks Koepka | +2000 |
Xander Schauffele | +2000 |
Bryson DeChambeau | +2500 |
Collin Morikawa | +2500 |
Max Homa | +2500 |
Patrick Cantlay | +2500 |
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US Open 2024 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | +350 |
Jon Rahm | +1200 |
Rory McIlroy | +1200 |
Ludvig Aberg | +1600 |
Collin Morikawa | +2000 |
Viktor Hovland | +2000 |
Brooks Koepka | +2500 |
Cameron Smith | +2500 |
Patrick Cantlay | +2500 |
Xander Schauffele | +2500 |
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The Open Championship 2024 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | +500 |
Jon Rahm | +1000 |
Rory McIlroy | +1000 |
Viktor Hovland | +1100 |
Brooks Koepka | +2000 |
Cameron Smith | +2000 |
Cameron Young | +2000 |
Collin Morikawa | +2000 |
Ludvig Aberg | +2000 |
Jordan Spieth | +2500 |
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Requests | |
Type: Requests – Status: OPEN | |
The Open Championship – Alex Noren – Top 20 Finish | +200 |
Solheim Cup 2024 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
USA | -140 |
Europe | +135 |
Tie | +1200 |
Ryder Cup 2025 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
USA | -135 |
Europe | +135 |
Tie | +1000 |