RBC Heritage landed a new date on the PGA Tour schedule. How June might be different
PGA Tour star Rickie Fowler strolled down the 10th fairway at Harbour Town Golf Links on Tuesday in a gray Puma pullover.
The breezy, cool morning was typical of April on Hilton Head Island, when the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing is played during a normal year. But nothing about this year is typical, and the PGA Tour field will contend with warmer June weather later this week that could affect how the Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus creation plays for the best players in the world.
After the PGA Tour initially canceled the Heritage amid the coronavirus pandemic, the tournament found its way back on the revised scheduled.
“We didn’t know if it was going to happen back in April, but I’m so glad they rescheduled,” said Webb Simpson, who is making his 11th Heritage appearance. “It’s nice to be here in June. In April, we got a chance for some cold mornings, but after today, I think it warms up for the week.”
A notable difference with the schedule shakeup is the strength of the field as the PGA Tour begins its second event back after the suspended season. The field includes 114 PGA Tour winners, the most since the tour began tracking 20 years ago.
The top six players in the world are in the field this week. That includes world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, playing Harbour Town for the first time since 2009, and fourth-ranked Brooks Koepka making his first start on Hilton Head.
Warmer weather this week means the overseeded grass during the cooler months has died off, whereas in April Harbour Town’s turf is typically amid a transition. Television viewers likely won’t spot a difference on the lush green landscape, but discerning professional golfers might.
Without the overseeded turf, it might be tougher to keep drives in the fairway and the small greens might be a little firmer and even less receptive than normal, Brian Harman said before his practice round Tuesday.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever actually played the course during the summertime,” he said. “Every time I’ve come, it’s been early to try to play it before the tournament or during the tournament, but I tend to enjoy courses that don’t have overseed and are strictly bermuda (grass).”
Defending champion C.T. Pan played the back nine during a practice round Tuesday and said conditions were windier than they had been the past two years. Pan said he assumed the cancellation news meant the Heritage wouldn’t be back until 2021 — he was surprised when the revised schedule was announced.
“The course setup is quite similar to the last three years I played, so I’m kind of happy to see that,” Pan said. “So I feel like I’m in a familiar spot to play the course.”
Hilton Head is annually lauded as a low-key retreat after the high-pressure stage at the Masters in Augusta. Now a summertime destination, Simpson said he still made it a family trip.
“Great week all around — golf, family,” he said. “This is one of those weeks that I love coming to.”
RBC Heritage schedule, TV, stream info
The Golf Channel: Thursday-Friday from 3-6 pm, Saturday-Sunday from 1-2:30 pm
CBS Sports: Saturday-Sunday from 3-6 pm
Live stream at PGAtour.com/live Thursday-Friday 6:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. (featured groups), Saturday-Sunday 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. (featured groups). Saturday-Sunday 3 to 6 p.m. (featured holes).
RBC Heritage featured groups
The four featured groupings for Thursday-Friday
▪ Rory McIlroy, C.T. Pan, Rickie Fowler (Thursday, 7:40 a.m., No. 10 tee; Friday, 1:05 p.m., No. 1 tee)
▪ Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed (Thursday, 7:29 a.m., No. 10 tee; Friday, 12:54 p.m., No. 1 tee)
▪ Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas (Thursday, 1:05 p.m., No. 1 tee; Friday, 7:40 a.m., No. 10 tee)
▪ Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Gary Woodland (Thursday, 12:54 p.m., No. 1 tee; Friday, 7:29 a.m., No. 10 tee)
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 2:38 PM with the headline "RBC Heritage landed a new date on the PGA Tour schedule. How June might be different."
