16 for 2016: No. 9: Strengthening the Heritage field
While the presence of freshly minted Masters champion Jordan Spieth sent a buzz through the 2015 RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, he was merely the most famous face of a youth movement sweeping PGA Tour venues.
The top three in the year-end world rankings were no older than 28, with Jason Day the elder statesman at 28 along with Spieth (22) and Rory McIlroy (26). Toss in Rickie Fowler (27) and Patrick Reed (25) and half of the top 10 isn't even pushing 30 yet.
The good news for Heritage fans is that unlike Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, these young guns seem to have embraced Harbour Town and could potentially be part of the future lineups. Spieth and Reed made their third visits last April, while Day and Fowler were four-time entrants before sitting the 2015 edition out.
Nor does the movement stop there: Justin Thomas (22) and former U.S. Amateur champ Danny Lee (25) won a few months after playing Harbour Town.
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This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 9:12 AM with the headline "16 for 2016: No. 9: Strengthening the Heritage field."