RBC Heritage Preview and Picks

⛳ Welcome to This Week’s GolfStats Insider

Welcome back to GolfStats Insider! Last week, we witnessed an amazing finish at the Masters, where Rory McIlroy secured his first green jacket and completed the career Grand Slam in dramatic fashion. His remarkable final round and playoff victory against Justin Rose kept fans on the edge of their seats, marking one of the most exciting moments in golf this year.

As we celebrate this incredible achievement, it’s a perfect time to stay ahead of the game. Whether you're looking to sharpen your betting strategies or improve your fantasy league performance, our insights and detailed stats can give you the edge. Remember, a GolfStats subscription offers comprehensive performance charts, easy-to-sort historical data, and advanced formulas designed to help you make smarter decisions

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🏌️‍♂️ Harbour Town Heavyweights and a Look Back at The Masters

Fresh off the year’s first major at Augusta, the PGA Tour shifts gears but not intensity as we head to Hilton Head for the RBC Heritage. While Harbour Town’s tight, tree-lined layout presents a stark contrast to the sprawling greens of Augusta National, the field assembling this week is once again elite.

Out of the 72 players teeing it up, a remarkable 67 rank inside the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings. That includes 43 of the top 50 and eight of the current top 10, led by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who claimed the green jacket last year and continues to assert himself as the game’s most consistent force. Also in the field are Xander Schauffele (#3), Collin Morikawa (#4), Ludvig Åberg (#5), Russell Henley (#7), Justin Thomas (#8), Viktor Hovland (#9), and Maverick McNealy (#10)—a who’s who of modern contenders.

Notable names just outside the top 10 include Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood (both currently #12), as well as recent winners like Akshay Bhatia, Brian Harman, and Billy Horschel. Other key contenders include Patrick Cantlay (#16), who has a stellar track record at Harbour Town, and Min Woo Lee (#25), who’s gaining steam with each start. The only absences from the OWGR top 10 are Rory McIlroy (#2) and Hideki Matsuyama (#6), both taking the week off.

If you’re watching the FedEx Cup race, you’ll see a nearly complete leaderboard on the grounds this week: 23 of the top 25 in the standings are here. Again, only McIlroy and Matsuyama are sitting this one out. This is a designated event for a reason—players know it matters.

And of course, the tournament wouldn’t be complete without some returning champions. Scottie Scheffler looks to defend his title from 2024, while Matt Fitzpatrick (2023), Jordan Spieth (2022), and Matt Kuchar (2014) all bring winning memories back to Harbour Town. With history, prestige, and prize money all on the line, it’s shaping up to be another can’t-miss week on the calendar.

📊 Data-Driven Insights for Fantasy & Betting

If you’re serious about making the best picks this week, our GolfStats tools have you covered.

• Our Performance Chart ranks players by their average finish of all players at Harbour Town, helping you identify those who consistently contend.

• Our GolfStats Custom Formula highlights the best performers at this event over the last five years, factoring in course history and key stats.

• Our Sortable 8-Year Glance lets you track trends, breakout performances, and potential sleepers at the RBC Heritage.

These tools are invaluable whether you’re betting, setting a DFS lineup, or simply looking for an edge in your fantasy league. Check out the full blog post for DK fantasy advice. This week we also have a special post on DraftKing data specifically for the RBC Heritage. Be sure to check it out before submitting your lineup!

⛳ Rory’s Redemption at Augusta

So, what did you think of The Masters?

Sure, it’s easy to play Monday morning quarterback and claim, “Oh, I knew Rory was going to win.” But let’s be honest—very few truly believed it was possible. For a decade, Rory McIlroy’s talent has never been in question, but his ability to close at majors, especially Augusta, has been the biggest asterisk next to his name. The pressure on him was suffocating, historical even. And that’s why what he accomplished at the 2025 Masters wasn’t just impressive—it was monumental.

Unlike Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 win, which felt inevitable, or even Bryson DeChambeau’s dominant U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Rory had to climb over years of expectation and scrutiny. He didn’t just win the Masters—he buried ghosts, silenced doubt, and added one of the most cathartic chapters in major championship history. Think of Phil Mickelson at Kiawah, or Dustin Johnson finally sealing a major at Oakmont—this was that kind of win. Except the weight on Rory’s shoulders might’ve been heavier than any of theirs.

Now, with the career Grand Slam complete and the monkey (or gorilla) off his back, Rory can finally breathe—and maybe even thrive. He’s playing arguably the best golf of his life. With Quail Hollow hosting the PGA Championship next month—a venue he loves—there’s real talk of him arriving at Oakmont with a shot at history. He’s already won six times in the past year, including at Pebble Beach and in Dubai. If there’s ever been a moment for Rory to go full steam ahead, this is it. And for fans of the game, especially those who bet or build fantasy lineups, we might be watching the beginning of a very special run.

At the same time, we have to ask: what about LIV? While Rory soared at Augusta, the rift in professional golf remains unresolved. There’s still no definitive deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, and that foggy future grows cloudier by the week. The Saudis have spent billions, but at what point does the ROI start to matter—even to them? Players like Rahm and Koepka are rumored to be eyeing a return to the PGA Tour. And while LIV offers world-class players and a unique format, it’s starting to feel like watching the Chiefs play the Eagles every Sunday—great matchup, but exhausting if it’s the only show. Time will tell how long LIV’s runway lasts.

⚓️ Harbour Town: Tradition, Precision, and Pete Dye

While Augusta captures the world’s attention, there’s something comforting about returning to Harbour Town. This week marks the 57th playing of the RBC Heritage, a tournament that nearly faded away in the early 2000s but now thrives thanks to its long-term partnership with RBC and elevated-event status. With a $20 million purse and a top-heavy field, Hilton Head Island is once again a focal point on the PGA Tour calendar.

The history of this event is woven deep into the Tour’s legacy. It debuted in 1969 during Thanksgiving weekend, with Arnold Palmer winning the inaugural edition—an outcome that helped put the event on the map. The tournament eventually settled into its now-familiar post-Masters slot and has become a favorite among players who enjoy Harbour Town’s charm and challenge.

Designed by Pete Dye with help from Jack Nicklaus, Harbour Town Golf Links isn’t a place where bombers dominate. At just over 7,100 yards and playing to a par of 71, the course demands precision over power. The greens are some of the smallest on Tour, averaging just 4,500 square feet, and with 145 bunkers and water lurking on nine holes, there’s no room to fake it. Players who thrive here tend to be savvy shot-makers with strong short games. Think Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk, or Webb Simpson. Even in today’s power-driven era, this is one week where plodding your way around is often more effective than overpowering the place.

Over the years, Harbour Town has undergone only minor tweaks—some added yardage, renovated bunkers, and an overhaul of the irrigation system. Even Hurricane Matthew in 2016 couldn’t drastically alter its character. If anything, it made the closing stretch near Calibogue Sound even more open, visually dramatic, and susceptible to the ever-present coastal breezes.

Last year, the course ranked 35th in difficulty on the PGA Tour with a 69.35 scoring average, reinforcing its reputation as a fair but exacting test. With Poa Annua greens and Celebration Bermuda elsewhere, it demands versatility and touch—especially on and around the greens. Players who succeed here usually rank high in Strokes Gained: Approach, Around the Green, and Putting.

For bettors and DFS players, this is a week to lean on specialists. Course history matters. So does scrambling, precision iron play, and putting consistency. You don’t need a 350-yard drive to win at Harbour Town—you need a game plan, a steady head, and a hot flatstick.

 Key Stats for Success at the RBC Heritage

When it comes to Harbour Town, raw power takes a backseat. This course demands precision, discipline, and touch. As always, we’ve analyzed last year’s tournament data alongside full-season 2025 stats to isolate the four categories that correlate most strongly with success. These are the keys to watch—whether you’re betting outright, building a DFS roster, or just tracking who’s trending toward the winner’s circle.

Driving Accuracy
Harbour Town is a placement golf course—drivers rarely come out of the bag, and when they do, accuracy is everything. With tight fairways and overhanging trees, missing left or right means scrambling. Last year, Scottie Scheffler ranked 3rd in fairways hit en route to victory. You don’t need to be long here—but you can’t be wild.

Greens in Regulation
The greens are tiny, so every missed approach turns into a scrambling challenge. GIR remains a top predictor of success, and the majority of recent champions—Simpson, Cink, Spieth, Scheffler—ranked inside the top 10 for the week. Ball-strikers who control distance and trajectory thrive here.

Scrambling
If you’re not hitting greens, you better be sharp around them. With short grass surrounds and tricky run-offs, getting up and down isn’t easy. Last year, Scheffler got it done 15 of 17 times—ranking 1st in the field. Consistently, winners at Harbour Town have ranked near the top in scrambling for the week.

Strokes Gained: Putting
This isn’t about draining 50-foot bombs—it’s about converting inside ten feet. The winners here make their par saves and clean up birdie chances. The putting surfaces may be small, but you still need to be automatic from mid-range. Recent champs like Webb Simpson and Matt Fitzpatrick gained over 2.5 strokes on the greens—putting can still be the difference maker.

Who Can Win at Harbour Town?

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