The post 2022 RBC Heritage live coverage: How to watch Sunday appeared first on Golf.

The post 2022 RBC Heritage live coverage: How to watch Sunday appeared first on Golf.

We’re through three days of play at the 2022 RBC Heritage, and a loaded leaderboard greets those looking to tune in on Easter Sunday. Below, find everything you need to know to tune into the action.

RBC Heritage final round preview

Jordan Spieth giveth, and Jordan Spieth taketh away.

The former major-winner has once again found himself in contention on the PGA Tour, but it hasn’t been without typical Spiethian high jinks. The 28-year-old enters Sunday’s final round at the RBC Heritage at 8 under, trailing by only three strokes off the lead — but that deficit could be even less, if not for an all-time blow-up on the 54th green.

News

On Saturday afternoon, Spieth three-putted the 18th and final green to close out his round, missing an 18-inch (!!!) putt in the process. The bogey on No. 18 dropped him from 9 to 8 under, and broadened the deficit by a stroke.

The leader heading into Sunday is Harold Varner III (-11), who enters the final round with a one-stroke lead over the trio of Erik Van Rooyen, Patrick Cantlay and Shane Lowry. Also in contention are Hudson Swafford, Matt Kuchar and Sepp Straka.

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You can find complete final round tee time information below, along with streaming and TV schedules.

How to watch the RBC Heritage on TV

CBS and Golf Channel will split TV coverage of the 2022 RBC Heritage’s final round. Golf Channel will handle the early portion of coverage Sunday, with CBS taking over for the completion of play.

Sunday, April 17: 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, ESPN+); 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)

How to watch the RBC Heritage online, streaming

The best way to watch the 2022 RBC Heritage online is with PGA Tour Live on ESPN+. You can tune in for complete streaming coverage from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday on the subscription service. Sign up for an ESPN+ account here to start streaming.

SIGN UP FOR PGA TOUR LIVE ON ESPN+ TO STREAM THE ENTIRE 2022 RBC HERITAGE ONLINE

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How to bet on the RBC Heritage

Looking to make a (legal!) wager yourself? We teamed with BetMGM, and the online sportsbook is offering a “Risk-Free Bet” up to $1000 promotion. Sign up for an account to get into the action today.

2022 RBC Heritage final round tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:50 a.m. – Jonathan Byrd
7:55 a.m. – Brian Stuard, Joseph Bramlett
8:05 a.m. – Luke Donald, Henrik Stenson
8:15 a.m. – Stewart Cink, Camilo Villegas
8:25 a.m. – Matthias Schwab, Denny McCarthy
8:35 a.m. – Roger Sloan, C.T. Pan
8:45 a.m. – Sahith Theegala, Charl Schwartzel
8:55 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Webb Simpson
9:05 a.m. – Anirban Lahiri, Si Woo Kim
9:15 a.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Jim Herman
9:25 a.m. – Doc Redman, Pat Perez
9:40 a.m. – Tyler Duncan, Brian Gay
9:50 a.m. – Brian Harman, Collin Morikawa
10 a.m. – Bill Haas, Dylan Firttelli
10:10 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Braden Grace
10:20 a.m. – Ben Martin, Danny Willett
10:30 a.m. – Doug Ghim, Cam Davis
10:40 a.m. – Adam Long, Chad Ramey
10:50 a.m. – Patton Kizzire, Jason Kokrak
11 a.m. – Adam Hadwin, Scott Piercy
11:15 a.m. – J.T. Poston, Brendon Todd
11:25 a.m. – Graeme McDowell, Matthew NeSmith
11:35 a.m. – Troy Merritt, Kevin Na
11:45 a.m. – Lucas Glover, Alex Noren
11:55 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Wyndham Clark
12:05 p.m. – Peter Malnati, Robert Streb
12:15 p.m. – Cameron Tringale, Cameron Young
12:15 p.m. – Joaquin Niemann, Mito Pereira
12:40 p.m. – Corey Conners, Ian Poulter
12:50 p.m. – Adam Svensson, Maverick McNealy
1 p.m. – Joel Dahmen, Jordan Spieth
1:10 p.m. – Billy Horschel, Tommy Fleetwood
1:20 p.m. – Aaron Wise, Sepp Straka
1:30 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, Hudson Swafford
1:40 p.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Erik van Rooyen
1:50 p.m. – Shane Lowry, Harold Varner III

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The post Stay & Play: Haig Point at Daufuskie Island is Lowcountry living at its best appeared first on Golf.

The post Stay & Play: Haig Point at Daufuskie Island is Lowcountry living at its best appeared first on Golf.

Located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah sits Daufuskie Island, which epitomizes Lowcountry living. There are no bridges to get there, only a handful of paved roads, and golf cart is the preferred means of transportation. Daufuskie is in a world of its own, and Haig Point is its pearl.

A short ferry ride (that comes with a dolphin escort) from Hilton Head takes you to a simpler time at Haig Point. If you arrive at dawn, you will be greeted by the sun glistening off an oyster shell shoreline. It’s the type of surreal setting that gets engrained in your mind for daydreams. Ancient oaks, spanish moss, Adirondack chairs, and not a worry in the world awaits at the end of your dockside arrival. 

The hardest decision I made during my 3-day, 2-night stay was whether or not to plop down in a hammock that was begging for company on my short walk to the Strachan Mansion, where I was staying. I chose the hammock. That’s when I knew my New York City lifestyle had to be left behind.

After a few peaceful moments rocking under a rising sun, it was time to check in. While Haig Point isn’t a place for itineraries, I did have golf on my schedule. It just so happened to be the only thing on my schedule. This is what it’s like to stay at Haig Point and play its Signature Course.  

Course: The Signature Course – Calibogue (76.6 rating/147 slope)

Course Type: Private

Accommodations: The Strachan Mansion

This mansion built in 1910 leaves you in awe of the original craftsmanship, and in relief that there’s a Starbucks downstairs. Old meets new at the Strachan Mansion.

From the moment you step foot inside, someone is ready to greet you with a smile and eager to assist. And not from behind a hotel counter that feels more like a barricade. A wooden table sits in the middle of the lobby to emphasize the personal attention you receive from the staff who feel more like knowledgeable friends.

The main floor also features a small bar, a market for essentials and snacks, a game room with a pool table and a study area that’s perfect for remote work. Each room comes with its own golf cart and a charging barn is located adjacent to the mansion. If you explore the island as much as I did, you’ll want to remember to plug in before bed.

You know what your room decor will be before even turning the doorknob on a thick wooden door. It sets the tone for a capsule of timeless comfort. The sunlight beams through large windows on the dark wooden fixtures and white linens to create a scene fresh out of an HGTV show.

My biggest takeaway from the room was the king-size bed. If I could sleep on one bed for the rest of my life, it would be where I laid my head at the Strachan Mansion.

Food: Get dinner at The Calibogue Club and ask for a seat on the second-story deck. The views and the salt air breeze almost match the pleasures of the food. Fine dining free of any pretension can be found here. Order the lobster mac and cheese. You’ll thank me later.

Shareable bites and more casual meals are available at the golf course Grill Room and just next door to the Caliboogue Club at the poolside bar. Go for a dip, grab a drink then walk through the gate to enjoy a nearby firepit on the beach. It’s an ideal happy hour setting.

Course Difficulty: Between all the tee box combination options on this Rees Jones design, there are 9 ways to play The Signature Course. It plays between a 69.7/128 to 76.6/147 rating and slope. It’s a challenge for highly skilled golfers from the tips, and beginner-friendly from the forward tees.

There is major trouble to be found just off every fairway, sometimes even in the fairway, in addition to beautifully crafted bunkers throughout, undulated fairways, a handful of semi-island greens and pure putting surfaces. It’s hard to keep your focus on several tee boxes and greens when nearby crashing waves are grabbing your attention. I played from a variety of tee boxes to soak it all in and I found the back tees pushed my limits, and beyond in some instances, as a 10-handicap. The Signature Course is difficult in the ways you want a course to be difficult. You won’t walk away feeling it was too easy or unfairly hard. If you can’t figure out which tee box to play from, the course will quickly tell you.

There is also another 9-hole course, The Osprey, on-site. I was traveling with my girlfriend, who is just picking up the game, on this trip. We went out and had the Osprey to ourselves one morning. I found that to be the perfect setting to play a stress-free 9 holes. It’s a great place to learn the basics or work out the kinks in your game. Also designed by Jones, this layout features island greens and heavy doglegs to keep golfers of all skill levels interested. 

How To Get There: From the Haig Point embarkation center on Hilton Head, it’s a 25-minute ferry ride. The ferry makes 18 round trips per day so don’t stress if you miss one!

Fun Facts: The Signature course is actually 20 holes. On the par-3 8th and 17th holes, there are two entirely different holes to be played. This helps for pace of play purposes and also provides regulars with options when they feel like changing it up. Plus, if a storm surge were to ever breach one of the waterfront holes, the other is elevated to withstand the elements. Knock on wood this won’t ever come into play.  

If you’re in the mood to take a day trip off the island, Habour Town is just on the other side of Calibogue Sound. You can see the Harbour Town lighthouse from Haig Point. A water taxi will have you there in just a few minutes. Bring your clubs if you’re looking to sneak in a round on a Top 100 Course!

Favorite Holes: The full collection of par-3s. That goes for both the Signature and Osprey Courses.

The fifth hole is when you get your first glimpse of water on the Signature course. It’s a screensaver photo op and one of many Instagram-worthy opportunities. The 17th is the most difficult and arguably the best of the bunch.

Other than the par-3s, No. 14 was my favorite hole to play. It’s a par-5 that really makes you think through each short. There’s no room for error with wetlands surrounding the green in direction. 

Take it from me: Put some time aside for a quick trip outside the gates of Haig Point. The Daufuskie Crab Company at Freeport Marina is an enjoyable 20-minute golf cart ride away. It’s your classic “no shoes, no shirts, no problems” kind of vibe. The tiki bar is an ideal setting to spend an afternoon munching on fried seafood with a cold drink.

I didn’t love: That my stay was only 2 nights! It went by far too fast. I would’ve loved to have spent an entire week at Haig Point to get a full reset from mainland life.

If you need non-stop action, this isn’t the place for you. Night owls will have to leave bright city lights behind. The only thing with lights on after 10 p.m. is the sky, but that makes it a great place to stargaze given the lack of buildings and streetlights.

I loved: The escape from reality that Haig Point provides. My visit came fresh off an extended lockdown period in a New York City apartment. It was a breath of Low Country fresh air in a golf cart on what felt like an island playground of my own. At the very least, it felt as those I had a golf course of my own. Going back to my crowded local muni was quite an adjustment. 

While the golf was memorable, hospitality was top notch and food leaves you wanting more, the best moments came from meandering around Haig Point and finding my own little pieces of heaven. Those came in the form of Adirondack chairs that felt like they were reserved just for us off the beaten path. It was the right place at the right time for me. Come to think of it, I can’t imagine there’s a wrong time to be at Haig Point.

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UPDATE: The PGA Tour announced the final round of the RBC Heritage will resume at 5:20 p.m. ET.

The final round of the RBC Heritage was suspended shortly after the final pairings teed off on Sunday.

Due to dangerous weather entering Hilton Head Island, S.C., play was suspended at Harbour Town at 2:35 p.m. ET and players were removed from the course.

According to radar, the blip of rough weather doesn’t appear it will stay for long, and players are expected to return to the course. Whether everyone finishes depends on exactly what time that is and how much daylight remains. Sunset on Hilton Head Island is 8:33 p.m. tonight.

Webb Simpson, Abraham Ancer, Tyrrell Hatton and Ryan Palmer were all tied at 15 under after 54 holes, and Dylan Frittelli is the clubhouse leader after firing 62 on Sunday morning. He’s at 17 under, tied with Justin Thomas, who has a birdie putt on the 17th hole when play resumes. You can view the leaderboard here.

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The post A weekend at Montage Palmetto Bluff: Inside a relaxing Southern getaway (and a tee time at May River) appeared first on Golf.

The post A weekend at Montage Palmetto Bluff: Inside a relaxing Southern getaway (and a tee time at May River) appeared first on Golf.

I couldn’t believe it. Surely I wrote it down somewhere. Nope, no luck. Embarrassed, I had to call the front desk. A woman answered. She was very polite.

“Hi,” I said, before quickly getting to the point. “I was there a few months ago. Sorry, this is pretty random — but what was the dog’s name again?”

“Oh,” the woman said, “you mean my favorite co-worker?”

Cauley. Of course! That’s the name of the canine ambassador at Montage Palmetto Bluff, the sprawling Low Country resort nestled along the May River in Bluffton, S.C., just 20 miles from Hilton Head Island (and this week’s RBC Heritage). Cauley, a cheery black lab mix with a touch of white on her chest, was a rescue from Hilton Head. After some training, she’s become the resort’s canine ambassador. I was there in February, and I wanted to start this travel piece with the dog — the dog my daughter fell in love with — but her name had escaped me. So that’s why I had to call the front desk. Because Cauley is the carefree dog welcoming guests to a stress-free week at Montage Palmetto Bluff, and so I thought it was best she do that for this virtual trip, too. So, now that we have that settled — thanks, Cauley! — here’s what you can expect from a trip to Montage Palmetto Bluff.

How to get there

Located just a few miles west of Hilton Head Island, the luxurious Montage Palmetto Bluff — one of GOLF’s Top 100 Resorts — is just 25 miles from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, which is conveniently not big enough to be a hassle and yet not small enough to lack necessities and flight options. Montage Palmetto Bluff also has a shuttle service to pick you up and drop you off at the airport. The resort sits in a 20,000-acre community and consists of two villages, Wilson and Moreland.

May River Golf Course

This is a golf website, after all, so we have to break this down right away. The course at Montage Palmetto Bluff is May River, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus design built in 2004 that’s only accessible by resort guests or local members. (There’s also a dynamite practice area, which I made good use of before my round.)

May River plays fast and rolls beautifully through its natural surroundings. It can be intimidating off the tee, as the water, bunkers and waste areas are always looming (and mess with your mind), but there’s plenty of room to pull off the necessary shots.

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The greens are fast and most are bordered with speedy run-off areas that will penalize any shot that misses its mark, meaning shaky wedge players like myself might elect to try and get up and down with a putter more often than we’d like to admit. (Chipping off those tight lies is for the brave.)

The par-4 1st hole is a great opener, a little dog-leg right with a big fairway that won’t scare you off right away. The par-3 3rd demands one of your most precise approaches of the day — and provides a gorgeous view from the tee — and the 6th is one of the course’s signature holes, a daunting par-3 to a small green. Our pin was tucked in the back left, which I foolishly went for and hit my best shot of the day (yet still missed my 8-footer for birdie).

But the par-4 7th was my favorite hole at May River, and it also gives you your first view of the actual May River. It’s short at just 336 yards, but it forces you to commit to a shot and see it through — and the wrong decision might haunt you for the entire round. Going with less than driver off the tee — I hit a hybrid — sets up nothing more than a 150-yard shot across a marsh to a wide green with little depth. But this is where the trouble starts. Here’s a gorgeous aerial view via photographer Patrick Koenig:

Hard up against the marsh of the May River, any angle most players will have is grim: misses short of the green, left or long go to the alligators. There’s plenty of bail-out room behind the green, which for most players would be to the right based off where their tee shots land, but are you really going to tell yourself to take the safe route and hit a gap wedge (what I used) that far right of the target? No, you aren’t. But that’s where I got in trouble. I went for the pin — hey, this is vacation! — but hit the front bank and saw my ball bounce back into the muck. But even making a golfer contemplate bailing out with a wedge is what made me love this hole. Here are two more shots of the tricky angles you get with the 7th hole:

There are memorable holes on the back nine, too. The 10th is one of the most scenic, with water shooting out miles to the right of the green, the 14th is a fun downhill par-3 — May River has great par-3s — and the 15th uses a rollicking punchbowl green. The par-5 finisher, the 18th, sits under a cluster of trees that was the inspiration for the course’s logo.

The lodging

Montage Palmetto Bluff is basically its own little village (well, two villages). There are more than 70 rooms at The Inn — the sparkling new central facility built in 2016 (along with a massive spa) — and the other lodging options (cottages, homes and residences) are easily accessible by walking, biking or grabbing a ride in a complimentary golf cart. The cache of rooms can accommodate small and large groups and provide whatever bells and whistles you are after.

We stayed in a Lagoon View Cottage, under the canopy of shady trees doused with Spanish moss, feet away from the tranquil water and about 200 yards east of The Inn. We ate all of our in-room meals in the screened-in porch. Things such as the cozy fireplace, massive walk-in shower and stocked wet bar are enough to satisfy anyone away from home.

The restaurants

We ate most of our meals at the Octagon, which is located at The Inn. There’s seating when you walk in and a bar in the middle (plus sushi on the right), but continue straight and down a couple of steps and you’ll enter a warm room sprinkled with Southern charm that has a connecting patio. We ate all of our breakfasts there (I recommend the bourbon milk jam French toast), and had dinner there one night (get the beef short rib).

There are other restaurants, too, like Buffalo’s (Italian), The Canoe Club (fancier with more seafood options) and Cole’s (comfort good and BBQ), not to mention a few quick grab-and-go spots.

As for my favorite food of the week? That’s the free cookies. Montage Palmetto Bluff offers free complimentary iced tee and cookies during “porching” hours every evening (around happy hour), and the cookies were out of this world. So good, in fact, I already wrote about them here (which includes the recipe). You are welcome.

Travel

Getting around

Once you are on site, you really don’t have to leave. You can drive a car if you need to get to certain spots, but the resort takes care of you otherwise. Golf carts with ample seating can be requested free of charge at any time to pick you up at your residence or anywhere else on the property to zip you to your next location. You usually don’t even have to call — they drive the property’s loop about every 10 minutes 24 hours a day.

We traversed the property’s loop more often on the bikes we rented. They’ll deliver them to your door and they can stay outside your rental all week. We got a little kid’s buggie for ours, and our daughter loved cruising along (with her dolls in tow) as we went from one place to the next. The bike ride in itself was more recreational joy than it was a means of transportation, as you wind through miles of paved sidewalks lined with tall pathway lamps or little-traveled roads past quaint houses, shops and other friendly vacationers.

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Family-friendly activities

We used the outdoor pool, visited the property’s massive kid-friendly tree houses and cruised the May River on a Dolphin Watch. Cole’s even has four lanes of bowling.

One activity we really enjoyed was the nightly s’mores behind the River House. A wagon gets pushed out every evening with different kinds of marshmallows (they rotate) and all the fixins’ you need to cook up your late-night snack over one of a few fire pits out back.

The bottom line

Montage Palmetto Bluff, for our family, was the break we needed. Warmer temps. Delicious food. Craft cocktails. Winding bike trails and every amenity necessary to forget the 9-to-5 work life. It’s perfect for romantic getaways, families and large gatherings, and while having only one golf course might scare off some buddies golf trips, remember, this is the Hilton Head region. There are hundreds of courses at your disposal. There’s no one way to do a golf trip.

Oh, and one parting thought. If you are looking for Cauley, the aforementioned Wonder Dog, she’s usually hanging out around The Inn. A good guess would be in the Discover Palmetto Bluff room, which is a left after guest reception, down the hall and the last door on the right. Tell her our daughter says hello.

Room rates: Packages available online
Greens fees: Starting at $220
Contact: https://www.montagehotels.com/palmettobluff/ / 843-706-6500

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The post Dream fields but no ticket sales have been bittersweet for PGA Tour venues appeared first on Golf.

Steve Wilmot has been a part of the RBC Heritage for 34 years, dating back to 1987 when he was assistant tournament director and it was called the MCI Heritage Golf Classic. Davis Love III won that year, claiming his first PGA Tour victory out of 21. Love, now 56, is back again this year. So are 113 PGA Tour winners.

In fact, according to PGA Tour Communications, this week’s field of 114 Tour winners is the most in any field of any event in the past two decades (when they started tracking it). The downside? No fans will be there to see it. No extra tickets to be sold. No Rory McIlroy sightings to leverage. That’s been the double-edged-sword reality for tournament directions as the PGA Tour has returned.

“We assumed we would have a good field, but we didn’t really know,” said Wilmot, who has been the tournament director the past 10 years. “We were all pleasantly surprised, and the RBC is thrilled about it, and we are too. Pretty exciting for everybody. I feel for sponsors and ticket purchases who can’t see it, but we’re certainly excited for them for future years.”

The PGA Tour resumed after its three-months-long pause at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, last week, the first of five fan-less events on the Tour schedule. The RBC at Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, S.C., is No. 2 in the batting order. For the second straight week, the top five players in the Official World Golf Ranking — McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson — will tee it up on Tour. Rahm and Koepka have never played Harbour Town. McIlroy played it once before, in 2012, Thomas has played it twice and Johnson, who is sponsored by RBC, has played it four times. Other big names are there too: DeChambeau, Fowler, Spieth, Reed, Rose.

One player who won’t be there is Tiger Woods. Many viewed Harbour Town as a potential return for Woods, and speculation only grew when his yacht was tracked heading up the coast before stopping a couple of hours south of Hilton Head on St. Simons Island, Ga. But the deadline came and went and Woods did not commit. He has played Harbour Town just once before.

“It’s wrong to say ‘but no Tiger,’ because we got such an incredible field,” Wilmot said. “Yes, we wanted Tiger and maybe Phil and some others, but we have an incredible field that we are excited about.”

Gear

The RBC was scheduled in its usual spot the week after the Masters in April, but that was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Wilmot looks at this odd summer as one with two tournaments, not one: an RBC that was canceled, and the one happening this week. The former cost about $1.5 million they had already spent on grandstands and tents and ticket productions and other things, not to mention about $800,000 in ticket sales that were expected for the four weeks leading up the tournament. (When the April date was canceled, the tournament offered ticket holders, sponsors and pro-am participants options for a refund, to defer for next year or to donate.) There’s also the local community that takes a hit without fans, as concession vendors miss out on banner weeks and organizations such as the local high schools, which help with things like parking, won’t be able to raise funds either. The new event “is 100 percent from our side of the foundation an expense,” Wilmot says.

But it’s not all gloomy. There’s golf to be played. The Charles Schwab Challenge received big ratings, and there’s no reason to think the RBC Heritage can’t match or eclipse that. Plus, fans watching on TV will see a different course than what they are used to. It’s the same old quirky, charming and ball-striker’s Harbour Town, but there’s no grandstands or hospitality tents to distract. Plus, no one has played the course in three months. It’s pristine, Wilmot says. “When you are watching, you are going to see the golf course.”

And, unlike Colonial, viewers at home who like what they see can actually play it themselves, as long as they are staying at Sea Pines Resort.

“We are excited about this as a TV opportunity and to get golf back, and it opens up all the eyes in the sky to look upon Harbour Town and Hilton Head and Sea Pines and Low Country, South Carolina,” Wilmot says. “And with golf and live sports back, we’re happy to be part of process and part of solution.”

Editor’s Picks

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The post Why this ridiculously fun risk-reward par-4 stirred my golfing soul appeared first on Golf.

The post Why this ridiculously fun risk-reward par-4 stirred my golfing soul appeared first on Golf.

A week before Covid-related air-travel restrictions were enacted, I snuck away with three friends — two from my New Jersey neighborhood, one from college — for two-and-a-half days of golf in and around Hilton Head Island, S.C. We shared carts, dined indoors and even shook hands at the completion of our rounds. Different times, man.

The first day was largely a gloomy washout; instead of knocking down flagsticks, we knocked down pins at the local lanes. Improved, if breezy, conditions greeted us on Day 2 — we kicked off the proceedings with 18 on the Pete Dye treasure at Harbour Town, followed by another 18 a half-hour north at the Arthur Hills course at Palmetto Hall — but it was our final round of the trip, on Day 3, that has most stuck with me.

More specifically, one hole from that round, the absurdly fun, risk-reward par-4 5th on Belfair’s East course.

Belfair is a sprawling gated community, 10 miles west of Hilton Head, in Bluffton, with a pair of Tom Fazio courses. The West course is the more renowned of the two; last year it played host to the PGA Professional Championship, from which the top-20 finishers earned a spot in the PGA Championship at Bethpage. But the East is no slouch, either. Belfair’s marketing materials tout the design as “reminiscent of the links courses of Scotland.” Nothing about it reminded me of the links courses of Scotland — it’s peppered with lagoons and pines and yawning bunkers filled with bright, white sand — but my pals and I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

I knew little about the course, so each hole was a surprise, none more than the candy-cane-shaped 5th. From the elevated middle tees, it stretched to about 310 yards, but, as the crow flies, the distance to the front edge of the green was more like 240 yards. The decision to take that route, though, is complicated by a water hazard that lines the left of the fairway and the front of the green. Two-forty is a meaty poke for most weekend hackers, but there’s a landing zone just in front of the green, so the carry to safety is actually closer to 205. And that’s what makes the hole so tantalizing: in my experience, 200 yards is the perfect carry distance to ask a mid-handicapper to fly — not to force them to, but to ask them to, should they be feeling bold.

The other option is to play down the fairway with anything from a 5-iron to driver, meaning, in essence, you have about seven or eight different ways to play the shot. The farther down the fairway you knock your drive, the less club, and better angle, you’ll have into the green.

The putting surface is large and protected by two front bunkers, and the placement of the cup can radically change the personality of the hole. A front-right flag, just beyond one of the bunkers, is difficult to access. A back-left pin is less protected but requires one or even two more clubs to get there.

I was the first in our group to hit and ripped driver. Let me rephrase that. I hit a wipey cut with my driver. For a glorious instant, I thought it had chance of survival. But as my ball began its descent, its fate quickly became apparent. Splash. I’ll spare you the details of my comrades’ efforts — one carried the water but found a bunker, another took the safe route up the fairway and I forget what the third did. But the tee shot gave everyone pause.

The 5th at Belfair East isn’t likely to inspire any love notes on GolfClubAltas.com; holes that don’t permit you to run the ball into the green have fallen out of vogue. Some might even decry it as “tricked up.” Not this guy! My criterium for a good hole is simple: a hole that sticks with you.

And I can’t shake No. 5 at Belfair. Or, for that matter, how I played it. After dunking my drive, I re-teed from the same spot, squeezed my driver grip hard, and drew back the club.

Whoosh…

…whack…

...splash.

Game over. My next swing came on the 6th tee.

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The post Shane Lowry leads, and everything else you missed from Round 1 of the RBC Heritage appeared first on Golf.

The post Shane Lowry leads, and everything else you missed from Round 1 of the RBC Heritage appeared first on Golf.

If you’ve been suffering from a Masters hangover for the last few days, it’s time to snap out of it. The Tour schedule waits for no one, and this week, big-name players like Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner and Tommy Fleetwood are teeing it up in Hilton Head, S.C. for the RBC Heritage.

Here’s everything you missed from Round 1 at Harbour Town.

Shane Lowry is seeking his second career Tour victory this week.

USA Today Sports

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Shane Lowry leads by one

Irishman Shane Lowry has only one PGA Tour victory on his resume: the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. But that could change this week.

With an opening round of 65 that featured a clean scorecard of six birdies and no bogeys, Lowry leads by one shot over a five-way tie for second through 18 holes.

News

Months after losing PGA Tour card, Lowry wins Euro tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Dustin Johnson is three shots back

After finishing tied for second at last week’s Masters and moving back into the top spot of the Official World Golf Ranking, Dustin Johnson was the odds-on 8/1 favorite at this week’s event.

?@DJohnsonPGA is now four back.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/MMkqYhqObQ

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 18, 2019

DJ fired a solid opening round of 68 (three under par) that featured four birdies and one bogey. He’s currently T15 heading into Round 2.

Drivers

Wall-to-Wall Equipment: Dustin Johnson nearly won the Masters with two drivers

Some Masters contenders have some work to do in Round 2

It was a rough day for Masters contenders Francesco Molinari and Justin Harding, who struggled to opening rounds of 74 (three over par).

Molinari’s card was especially colorful, featuring four bogeys, three birdies and one double bogey.

Tournaments

Masters 2019: Francesco Molinari loses Masters lead with disastrous double bogey on par-3 12th

Jordan Spieth's first round was ... meh

After posting his best finish of the season at last week’s Masters with a tie for 21st, things were looking up for Jordan Spieth. And there’s still no reason to think he can’t keep things on track this week.

Throwing darts. @JordanSpieth was THIS close to a hole-out.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/xgfsKUtAIC

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 18, 2019

After starting on the 10th hole on Thursday, Spieth found the water on the par-3 14th hole and carded a double bogey. He bounced back on the front nine (his second nine) though, making three birdies and a single bogey to finish at even par overall — T53, and only six shots behind Lowry.

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The post A Round With Shep Rose appeared first on Golf.

The post A Round With Shep Rose appeared first on Golf.

The ‘Southern Charm’ star talks about his family’s rich history with golf and shares a story about 2018 U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka.

The ‘Southern Charm’ star talks about his family’s rich history with golf and shares a story about 2018 U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka.

The post A Round With Shep Rose appeared first on Golf.

The post RBC Heritage returns to new, improved Harbour Town appeared first on Golf.

The post RBC Heritage returns to new, improved Harbour Town appeared first on Golf.

With the Masters in the review mirror, the PGA Tour trades in Magnolia Lane for Hilton Head at the RBC Heritage.

With the Masters in the review mirror, the PGA Tour trades in Magnolia Lane for Hilton Head at the RBC Heritage.

The post RBC Heritage returns to new, improved Harbour Town appeared first on Golf.

The post Men in Plaid Skirts: Just One Reason the RBC Heritage May Be the Most Fun on Tour appeared first on Golf.

The post Men in Plaid Skirts: Just One Reason the RBC Heritage May Be the Most Fun on Tour appeared first on Golf.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.—It was just another day at the beach at the only PGA Tour stop that’s got a lighthouse, a marina full of luxury yachts and a backyard party at just about every other house on the golf course.

This is exactly why the RBC Heritage may be the most fun event on the Tour. It’s the Phoenix Open party with the sound turned down, plus water views.

It was far too beautiful not to go out and watch golf on a perfect but breezy Saturday afternoon at the Harbour Town Golf Links. I watched Russell Knox and Charley Hoffman tee off at the first hole, then quickly caught up to the Luke Donald-Patton Kizzire twosome at the second, a par-5, and thought this might be a good group to follow.

Before Donald and Kizzire finished launching their tee shots, however, I saw Him. And I immediately regretted my decision to leave my cell phone (and its camera) behind in the pressroom. Nothing good happens if you take your phone on the course. But this was a mistake.

It was Plaid Nation Day at the RBC Heritage, so fans were urged to wear the red plaid pattern that traditionally covers the champion’s jacket. I wore a grape-colored shirt today, sorry about that, and declined to don the free sunglasses the tourney offered with the red-plaid frames. What can I say? I’m a rebel. Live free or die. Don’t fence me in… at least not without cookies.

Anyway, a bunch of fans, mostly younger guys in their 20s mixed with one or two older gents, were in team uniforms ahead of the second tee. They all wore the same ghastly Hawaiian sunset shirts that were a mess of pink, yellow, a sick-looking color that has no name, and black. I counted at least ten members in the group, and I might have missed one or two. They wore assorted red plaid hats, some in that Justin Timberlake-Frank Sinatra style, some in Hogan caps. They resembled the least fearsome gang ever but did look like a party waiting to happen.

One plaidster stood out. Him. Well, Him sported a couple days’ beard growth on Him’s face, carried a Michelob Ultra can that He was busy draining, had the plaid hat, wore floppy sandals with no socks and… flaunted a red plaid mini-skirt. (No, it was not a kilt. I know the difference.)

This is more than you want to know but He had not shaved His legs. Plus, the skirt was pretty short considering the unpredictable wind gusts. I made a note to root for calm conditions.

“Check out Him, that guy in the skirt,” I told another spectator, who squinted and wanted to know if I was sure He wasn’t a girl.

I saw His five o’clock shadow and His legs. I was sure. After a long hard stare, the spectator agreed that yes, He was indeed a he. Other fans nearby overheard our comments and the word spread like hay fever.

A man walking behind me wearing a straw hat and sunglasses said, “You’d have to get me a whole lot of Michelob Ultra before I’d go out on a golf course wearing that,” and drew laughter from all those within earshot.

“I could probably make that happen,” I suggested.

He laughed in response. “Well, there can’t be any photographers or camera phones in the area, either,” he said.

That was a deal-breaker, I replied. Then I noticed a second man in the ghastly Hawaiian sunset shirt group, a little older, who had also gone for the skirt. As I passed by, I heard one of the uniformed plaidsters speak with a British accent. That figured, since this all felt like an old Monty Python sketch.

I didn’t ask the skirted gents their names or their story or what they might or might not be wearing underneath the skirts. That’s poor reporting, I know, but a little mystery goes a long way. I already knew more than I wanted.

Besides, as we migrated toward the third tee I looked to my right and spotted rookie Bryson DeChambeau on the adjacent seventh tee. I peeled off to watch him finish the front nine and left the PMS’ers (Plaid Men in Skirts) with Luke Donald, feeling confident they were sure to be seen across America during the telecast because the fantastic CBS camera guys don’t miss much.

I did go back out near the last few holes, my cell phone on silent in my pocket, looking for the Plaid Men in Skirts, but I didn’t find them.

I also failed to get a shot of the massive Boeing 787 Dreamliner (they’re built in nearby North Charleston, S.C.) that made a couple of strafing runs (or flyovers, as some stuffed shirts call them) over the course. Boeing is one of the RBC Classic presenting sponsors, and this BFP—Big Plane—rumbled over at its scheduled 4 o’clock time. There were too many trees in the way to get a clear photo. A pressroom colleague recorded some video on her cellphone but the plane looks like a toy drone in the footage from a distance. In reality, it’s gigantic—206 feet long and seating from 290 to 420 passengers—in other words, your brother-in-law’s entire wedding party.

I walked back to the press tent past the marina, where a number of boat parties in progress failed to invite me aboard. (Maybe it was my S.S. Minnow hat that scared them off, I don’t know.)

Approaching the press tent, I did see something else unusual. Apparently Matt Kuchar, who lives in the greater Atlanta area, drove here in his own car, an SUV made by BMW. He parked it right in front of the media center entrance, it so happens. I assumed it was his ride because the vanity plate said, The Kuch.

Kuchar won here two years ago, so I’m fine with ‘The Champ’ parking anywhere he wants. As long as he doesn’t wear a plaid mini-skirt.

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