RBC Heritage Score Predictions: How Will Top Golfers Fare at Harbour Town
By Reed Wallach
Despite the first major of the year last weekend, the Masters, we have an elevated event on the PGA Tour this weekend in Harbour Town with the RBC Heritage.
As of now, Masters champion and world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler is slated to play this weekend, but may withdraw depending on the birth of his first child.
While this article won’t cover the winner of this event, we will give some score predictions for the top contenders at the event outside of Scheffler, including Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Young, Jordan Spieth and defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
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RBC Heritage Score Predictions
Winning score: -14
This is a challenging course to put the ball on the green, but once there, these golfers should feast on what should be relatively easy greens to score on.
Last year’s tournament went to a playoff with two golfers (Fitzpatrick and Spieth) finishing at -17, but I’m going to go back to the norm of a bit lower scoring for this tournament following the major last week.
The course is a par-71 and has narrow fairways, but it’s the 17th shortest course on the PGA Tour, so accurate drivers should be able to get into scoring position often and cash in with wedges into the tight greens. However, if you’re not accurate, you can be in some trouble and struggle to find the green and put birdies on the card. The greens at Harbour Town are the second smallest on average on the PGA Tour, so this won’t be easy, especially if you have a wayward tee shot.
Further, the par 3’s are tricky with three of the four being greater than 190 yards.
Xander Schauffele
Score Prediction: -12
Schauffelle didn’t get going at Augusta until the weekend, back-dooring a top 10 finish by withstanding the tough conditions. He’ll arrive in Harbour Town as the second choice to win and while I won’t call for a win, I imagine he’ll be in contention for most of the weekend.
After not playing at Harbour Town for two straight years in 2021 and 2022, he finished fourh here last year despite losing strokes putting (-0.12).
Rory McIlroy
Score Prediction: -6
I don’t see McIlroy contending here. He has played here once in the past decade, finishing 41st in 2020.
McIlroy has all the talent, but ranks 46th in good drive percentage over the last six months nad is 38th in strokes gained putting in the same time frame. There are way too many errant shots from McIlroy to cash in at an elevated event that isn’t as forgiving.
Patrick Cantlay
Score Prediction: -12
I believe Cantlay, who grinded all weekend at Augusta before letting go of the rope on the back nine Sunday, finishing +4 and outside the top 20, is due for some better fortune at Harbour Town.
Cantlay came in third here last year and second the year prior. Overall, he has an average finish inside the top 20 dating back to 2017 and has gained strokes in every facet of his game across 22 rounds.
He has been quiet this season, 65th in strokes gained tee-to-green over the past 27 rounds, but I believe that this course suits him well to turn his game around.
Cameron Young
Score Prediction: -14
Is this Cameron Young’s week? He quietly put together a ninth place finish at the Masters last weekend, building on his good start to the year where he has finished T4 in three of his 10 appearances.
Young still blasts off the tee and ranks fifth in ball striking, and while the knock on him has been his putter, he has gained strokes putting in five of his past seven appearances. This may be lining up for him to grab his first win of his PGA career.
Jordan Spieth
Score Prediction: +1
Spieth is all over the place right now. After getting disqualified at the Genesis Open, he has missed the cut in two of four starts, including posting a +9 at the Masters last weekend.
While he forced a playoff at the RBC Heritage last year, I can’t trust his form and think he ends up way off the pace amidst suspect play and a competitive field.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Score Prediction: -8
Fitzpatrick seemingly turned a corner of late, but struggled to finish rounds at the Masters as he he gave away strokes around the green and on approach. Approach play will be key here as golfers are going to be tested to land the ball on the small greens, which may make for trouble for the 2022 U.S. Open Champion.
He has a string of T20 in four of his last six starts, so I think he can hang around the leaderboard, but not contend for an outright victory.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.