While Adam Scott heads home with his Green Jacket to celebrate his amazing Masters Tournament victory the rest of the players on tour head 200 kilometres south to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.
This week’s tournament is the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links where the players will fight it out for a different colour jacket.
This one is Plaid and is presented to the winner of the tournament.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a Par 71, 6,973 yard course with 145 bunkers and water coming into play on nine of the holes. The course was designed by renowned golf course architect Peter Dye with the help of Jack Nicklaus in 1969.
Peter has designed other famous courses like Whistling Straits and Sawgrass which is famous for its island green 17th hole.
The RBC Heritage is one of only 5 tournaments on the PGA Tour that is given invitational status. The field will consist of 132 players unlike other events, which has the standard 156. The tournament has been played one week after the Masters since 1983 and the record of -20 was set in 2009 by Brian Gay.
Many great players have had success here such as Arnold Palmer who won the inaugural event back in 1969. Hale Irwin won his first ever PGA Tour event here in 1971 then in 1994 he had his third victory in this tournament which was also his twentieth over all and also his last ever PGA Tour win. Another player to record his first ever tour victory here was Nick Faldo in 1984.
The great Davis Love III has the most victories here with 5 wins in 1987, 91, 92, 98 and 2003. Unfortunately he will not be playing here this year due to injury. Hale Irwin is next best with 3 wins in 1971, 73 and 94.
Then there is a host of players with two victories such as Boo Weekley, Payne Stewart, Fuzzy Zoeller, Tom Watson, Stewart Cink, Hubert Green and Johnny Miller.
The bookies Top 5 in betting this week are:- $15.00 Brandt Snedeker, $17.00 Luke Donald, $17.00 Jim Furyk, $17.00 Matt Kuchar and $26.00 Jason Day.
Last years Champion Carl Pettersson ($51.00) is back to defend his title along with other past winners such as Brian Gay $67.00, Boo Weekley $34.00, Aaron Baddeley $51.00, Stewart Cink $51.00 and Justin Leonard $126.00.
Other notable players teeing it up include Jason Dufner, Zach Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Bo Van Pelt, Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan, Charles Howell 111 and Webb Simpson.
The course has tight fairways and some of the smallest greens on the tour. Ball placement is one of the crucial elements required for victory here. It is not a course for hitting it far and hard. Precision players always fair better than those that go for length. Shot shaping will take you a long way at Harbour Town.
Putting and hitting greens is also paramount along with scrambling. All past winners have rated highly in scrambling for the week. Looking at the field this week there are two players who rate well in the above mentioned stats and should be in contention over the weekend.
Boo Weekley $34.00 www.sportsbet.com.au
Boo is having a great year on tour this season with 8 cuts made from 9 starts.
He has had two Top 10 finishes, 8th in the Puerto Rico Open and 2nd in the Tampa Bay Championship.
What makes Weekley a great bet this week is his form in this tournament. Six starts for two wins (2007 & 2008) as well as a 6th, 12th, 13th and 46th place. Those are some pretty good numbers!
Stats wise he is ready to claim his third victory in the event with rankings like 9th in greens in regulation, 42nd in driving accuracy and 4th in ball striking.
At the current odds available Boo Weekley represents excellent each way value.
Charles Howell III $51.00 www.sportsbet.com.au
If you want a man on a mission this week then look no further than Charles. He missed out on an invitation to last weeks Masters Tournament and will no doubt have a point to prove.
He has made nine cuts from ten starts this year and chalked up six Top 25’s and four Top 10’s.
Charles flew out of the box to start the season with results of 3rd Sony Open, 2nd Humana Challenge and 9th Farmers Insurance Open.
He is coming off a T10th in the Shell Houston Open two weeks ago and is cherry ripe to show why he should have been invited to the Masters.
Charles has played well here in the past with results of 29th, MC, 22nd, 37th, 12th, MC and 19th.
His stats have him 42nd in greens in regulation, 12th in strokes gained putting, 19th in birdie average, 9th in scoring average, 18th in par 4 birdie or better, 17th in par 5 birdie or better and 2nd in scrambling.
Expect to see Charles up there challenging over the weekend.
Good luck and good punting.
Foot Note- My father-in-law picked Adam Scott to Win the Masters and wanted to get a mention for his tipping. So congratulations to Steve Robinson for a job well done. Perhaps next time you will bring a 6 pack of beer when you come and visit!!
