While Bubba Watson 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 for the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links to 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.
This years field includes current World No.1 Luke Donald along with No.10 Webb Simpson. There are also 7 winners from this season including Mark Wilson, Bill Haas and Kyle Stanley. Eight past winners are teeing it up including Defending Champion Brandt Snedeker, 2010 Champ Jim Furyk and 2006 Champ Aaron Baddeley. There are also 16 Major Champions competing here like John Daly, Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els. Then you have a host of International players like Robert Karlsson, Charlie Wi, Ryuji Imada and Sang-Moon Bae.
The 2010 win by Jim Furyk was after a sudden death play off with Brian Davis. It is a memorable moment in the history of the event as Davis called a two shot penalty on himself during the first play off hole after he touched a loose impediment in a hazard with his golf club. He came back last year and finished in a tie for 21st. No doubt he will be giving it his all again this week as he tries to wipe out the memory of 2010. He is coming off a T4th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a T4th in the Shell Houston Open so perhaps this year could be his moment to shine at Harbour Town.
The course was ranked 21st most difficult on the tour last year and 20th in 2010. It 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.
Jim Furyk $17
Jim has been having a very consistent year on tour making 6 cuts from 7 starts. He was an excellent 11th last week in the Masters. Prior to that he was T11th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Add to this a P2 in the Transitions Championship and a T11th in the Northern Trust Open and you have a guy who is in tip top shape and ready to record his first victory for 2012.
Looking at his stats this year you will find that he is 49th in GIRs, 35th in strokes gained putting, 1st in Driving Accuracy, 22nd in Scrambling, 12th in Approaches over 200 yards and 4th in 3 Putt avoidance.
When it comes to this event there aren’t many players with more experience than Jim. His form over the last nine years reads as T21st, P1st, C, 4th, C, 2nd, T2nd, T10th and T15th.
Perhaps this is the year for Jim to claim his second Plaid Jacket.
Bryce Molder $40
If it’s a man with the stats that you are after you cant go past Bryce. His 2012 figures are perfect for this event. He is 3rd in GIRs, 4th in strokes gained putting, 5th in Scrambling, 29th in Driving Accuracy, 16th in Par 4 Performance, 11th in GIR other than fairways and 8th in Scrambling from the rough. He has had eight starts this season and made seven cuts. Six of those were Top 25 finishes, which include T18th Houston Open, T17th Northern Trust, T15th Phoenix Open, T13th Farmers Insurance Open and T7th Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Bryce missed the cut here last year however he was T22nd in 2010. Based on the year he is currently having on tour he is a player who is bang on ready this week.
We have been treated to some wonderful golf this season and I am sure it will continue this week at the RBC Heritage. It might not be a Green Jacket this week, however the battle for the Plaid one is sure to be just as intense.