Short Hitters Thrive at RBC Heritage (Target Collin Morikawa, Daniel Berger)
It's a rarity in today's world of golf that you'll want to target a golfer who isn't long off the tee.
Harbour Town Golf Links, which hosts this week's RBC Heritage, is one of the few exceptions to the rules.
You know that 75-year old guy that you randomly get paired up with when you hit your local course? The guy that hits it dead straight every single time, but the ball only goes about 200 yards? Well this week, you basically want to bet on the PGA Tour version of him.
No, this isn't a shot at Stewart Cink who won the event for the third time in his career last year at the age of 47. In fact, he's one of few winners who can hit for distance.
This is a product of a course that boasts tree-lined fairways, tiny greens, and no opportunities for bombers to take advantage.
RBC Heritage Past Winners Driving Distance Stats
Need proof? Here is the list of previous winners of the RBC Heritage and where they ranked in driving distance that season:
- 2021, Stewart Cink - 27th
- 2020, Webb Simpson - 107th
- 2019, CT Pan - 167th
- 2018, Satoshi Kodaira -118th
- 2017, Wesley Bryan - 172nd
- 2016, Branden Grace - 48th
- 2015, Jim Furyk - 151st
- 2014, Matt Kucher - 136th
- 2013, Graeme McDowell - 161st
- 2012, Carl Pettersson - 35th
Outside of Cink, Branden Grace, and Carl Pettersson, seven of the 10 most recent winners of the event ranked outside the top 100 in driving distance that season. That's something to behold.
Distance is really of minimal help at Harbour Town Golf Links, and usually it's the golfers that are short off the tee that are the most accurate. You can't be short AND innacurate off the tee if you want to play on the PGA Tour, so that's why you see a trend of short hitters winning at Harbour Town.
So, let me take the next step for you. Here are the top 10 most accurate drivers in the field this week, and their odds to win via WynnBET Sportsbook:
- Bryan Stuard +15000
- Tyler Duncan +30000
- Kevin Streelman +7500
- Kevin Kisner +5000
- Chez Reavie +25000
- Collin Morikawa +1200
- Brendon Todd +15000
- Joel Dahmen +12500
- Lucas Glover +12500
- Daniel Berger +2500
The two top golfers on the above list? Collin Morikawa and Daniel Berger. If you follow this line of thinking, this could be the perfect time to wager on those guys to win.
You can track Iain's bets on Betstamp here.