Crowds were back at RBC Heritage for the first time in 2 years. Why it was ‘relaxing’
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RBC Heritage 2021
With limited spectators for the 2021 event, RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing is Hilton Head’s first big, in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Island Packet is your guide for updates and information throughout the tournament.
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The lawn chairs, sunshine, cocktails and, of course, the plaid jackets were out in Sea Pines Wednesday — a sign that RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing is inching back to normal.
Wednesday’s RBC Heritage pro-am was Hilton Head’s first glimpse at the storied golf tournament since COVID-19 prevented people from attending last year. And the first day back was a relaxing one.
The large crowds that usually pack Harbour Town during Heritage weren’t there, but a semblance of normalcy was.
The sun was shining, and temperatures hovered around 70 degrees as small crowds of masked spectators watched their favorite golfers (world No. 1 Dustin Johnson and Bluffton native Bryson Nimmer drew significant attention) play through the course. Others sat in the shade, sipping on mixed drinks and Michelob Ultras while trying to dodge errant shots from some of the pro-am’s amateur players.
Who seemed most content with the warm weather and the return of spectators at RBC Heritage? The packs of volunteers who stood inside the ropes, marshaling the crowds.
“Last year was weird,” said Wes Bray, now in his sixth year of volunteering on the tournament’s 18th hole.
Bray, whose chair sat beneath a large tree facing the Calibogue Sound, said he was happy to see crowds back on the course. Last year, his role was to keep everyone safe from COVID-19. This year, Bray said, he and his fellow volunteers will work to keep rowdy crowds at bay.
But, so far, “everyone’s very well-behaved,” he said. The real party, Bray said, starts on Saturday or, “Plaid Nation Day,” when everyone dresses up. All fans are encouraged to wear the tournament’s signature plaid.
Wednesday at Sea Pines
Wednesday’s pro-am allowed non-professional golfers the opportunity to play side by side with some of the world’s best at Harbour Town Golf Links (“fore” was heard several times throughout the afternoon). It was also the public’s first chance to watch their favorites and enjoy some sun before the real festivities begin on Thursday.
Leland Meador, also in his sixth year of volunteering in the tournament, agreed with Bray and said he was happy for the “gorgeous day” and that people were back. Both in their sixth years working the 18th hole at Heritage, Wednesday was the first time Bray and Meador met.
But throughout Wednesday’s event, volunteers and workers at RBC Heritage still had to deal with the elephant in the room — the lingering threat of COVID-19.
Hilton Head Regional Hospital set up a tent near the 18th hole, and nurse Kristi Miller was busy giving bottles of hand sanitizer. Around noon Wednesday, she said she’d handed out 250 bottles.
“Be safe out there,” she told people as they walked away, bottles in hand.
Rick Sturges, a five-year Heritage marshal, said that before the event, he and his fellow volunteers were taught several precautions, like how to keep your mask on all day. “It’s all about spacing,” he said.
But, Sturges admitted, it’s nice to see people back and “it feels great having a little bit of clapping and cheering.”
Adding to the overall atmosphere of Wednesday’s pro-am, security guard Maleik Chalmers, who said he had to stop several people from attempting to walk inside the off-limits roped area, still called the day “relaxing.”
This story was originally published April 14, 2021 at 3:41 PM.
