Last week’s dramatic Masters finish was the stuff of ‘Hollywood’ legend. But in all seriousness, Rory McIlroy took us all on an emotional roller-coaster ride, flirting with disaster while constantly bailing himself out with moments of Mickelson-esque magic.
2025 US PGA Tour
Signature Event
RBC Heritage
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, South Carolina
17th-20th April
McIlroy ultimately reached the promised land, fending off Ryder Cup teammate and good friend Justin Rose in a playoff to complete the Career Grand Slam.
Can you imagine McIlroy’s psychological state if he had let this chance slip (especially after leading by four at the turn)?
The Northern Irishman has now won at arguably the three most iconic American courses in the space of around two months (Pebble, Sawgrass and Augusta). The next Major is hosted at Quail Hollow, where he has tasted victory on four occasions.
And the Open Championship roster returns to his home country at the end of the year, where McIlroy will be desperate to exorcise the demons of that missed cut at the 2019 Open Championship. This could be a special year for the US PGA Tour’s greatest ambassador.
The tour never sleeps, moving swiftly to the traditional post-Masters event: the RBC Heritage. The tournament was elevated in status in 2023 and has been known as a ‘Signature Event’ since last season (this will be the 5th Signature Event of the year).
This event used to give the guys a chance to decompress in the wake of a stress-fuelled week at Augusta (many players reside in and around Harbour Town).
That has obviously changed since the event has been elevated in status. This event is similar to Augusta in that the winner walks away with a snazzy tartan jacket.
This will be a limited-field affair featuring 72 players and no halfway cut. Arnold Palmer won the inaugural staging of this event back in 1969 and this will be the 57th edition of the tournament.
Scottie Scheffler was on a heater at this time last year, backing up his Players and Masters triumphs with victory here.
This is one of those rare events that has been hosted at one venue since its inception: Harbour Town Golf Links. And this little gem of a layout is the complete antithesis of sprawling Augusta.
Harbour Town is the brainchild of esteemed Sawgrass architect Pete Dye. Dye worked in conjunction with ‘Golden Bear’ Jack Nicklaus to create this masterpiece (which is a far more claustrophobic experience than Augusta).
The tree-lined fairways aren’t psychotically tight but do require you to be in the right portion in order to attack these greens. This has always been an event that caters for the more precise types (the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick and Webb Simpson have won in the past).
Solid approach play is essential if you wish to flourish at this somewhat pernickety course. The Bermuda greens are fiendishly small and require surgical precision from the fairways.
Players will also need to scramble effectively when they invariably miss these small greens. This is a coastal links course that is at the mercy of prevailing wind conditions.
That means that solid links players- think Cink and Spieth- can thrive here. This is also a course that tends to reward familiarity.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler ended up ghosting up the Masters leaderboard quite effectively, ultimately ending in solo 4th.
He hasn’t won since his hand issue, but he is trending in the right direction. With Rory absent this week, Scheffler has the chance to cement his World No.1 ranking.
Collin Morikawa has been in decent form and is one of the best approach players in the world. Ludvig Aberg was in contention at Augusta before a nightmare finish saw him finish in solo 7th (he looks destined for a Green Jacket in the future).
Xander Schauffele seems to be getting his game back after that rib issue, picking up a sneaky top ten last week.
The likes of Corey Conners and Shane Lowry will want to continue their momentum after flirting with contention at Augusta. Elsewhere, the likes of Justin Thomas and Sepp Straka will look to build on their excellent starts to the season.
All in all, this promises to be yet another enthralling week in what is turning into an exhilarating PGA Tour season.
Past Winners
2024: Scottie Scheffler (-19)
2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17) *playoff
2022: Jordan Spieth (–13) *playoff
2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
Betting Favourites (To Win): Scottie Scheffler (7/2), Collin Morikawa (11/1), Ludvig Aberg (11/1), Xander Schauffele (11/1), Justin Thomas (14/1)
Value Bets
Sepp Straka- To Win (40/1)
Currently ranked 2nd in the FedEx Cup standings, Straka will be looking to bounce back from a poor missed cut at Augusta. The Austrian has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season, winning the American Express and picking up top seven finishes at Pebble Beach and the Bay Hill. He has been a tee-to-green machine this year, currently ranked 3rd in GIR and 2nd in proximity. He has two top five finishes here since 2022 and he could be a factor again this year.
Sahith Theegala- To Win (70/1)
This just looks like ridiculous value for the guy who finished runner-up to Scheffler last year (he also finished T5 here in 2023). His form has noticeably dipped this season (he is yet to register a top ten finish). He looked a little better at Augusta, ultimately settling for a T29 finish. I just think that he is
too talented to drift away into obscurity. This is a course that rewards familiarity and I can see Theegala roaring back to relevance this week.
The Man to Beat- Patrick Cantlay- To Win (16/1)
Patrick Cantlay surely will win this event eventually. He has been relentless here, finishing 3rd or better in five of his last six visits (losing to Spieth in the 2022 playoff). A Pete Dye specialist, Cantlay understands what it takes to plot his way around this second-shot course. In his last 26 rounds here, Cantlay ranks 1st in SG: tee-to-green, ball-striking and approach. He has been a little underwhelming this year but could thrive in the post-Augusta space, as he looks to win his first title since the 2022 BMW Championship.
