Heritage practice tees off to plaid, pipes and cannons. ‘Eyes are upon us’ on Hilton Head
One more golf ball rests at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, courtesy of defending champion Jordan Spieth, signifying the official start of the 2023 RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.
The spectacle was prefaced by a parade of bagpipes and plaid and punctuated with cannon fire. The myriad state and local officials that attended Tuesday’s opening ceremony, including S.C. Department of Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers and Hilton Head Mayor Alan Perry, echoed one sentiment — this year, expectations are elevated.
Some fans that would not otherwise have attended have traveled nearly 5,000 miles simply to witness 17 of the top 20 PGA Tour pros shoot practice rounds, thanks to Heritage’s new designated event status on the tour. That extra attention, Perry said, pushed the town to change its approach as well, working more closely with tournament organizers.
“It’s raised the bar to a whole ‘nother level,” Perry told The Island Packet. “One thing the town did differently this year, we worked in conjunction with with the operations of the foundation to see what we could do to help them. ... It’s very important to show the fans and the people who are visiting here that we’re serious about this place, this island and the tournament, and we want to make certain that it stays.
During his brief time at the podium, Perry mentioned this year’s tournament will be broadcast to 200 countries in 27 languages.
“This week, the eyes are upon us,” Perry said.
Cantlay confident, Spieth eyes repeat
Spieth, who won last year’s Heritage in a tense playoff against Patrick Cantlay, is coming off a strong Masters finish. He climbed the leader board to end tied for fourth place in Augusta, shooting -7. He finished -13 in his Heritage win last year.
Spieth said the Harbour Town Golf Links are a unique course compared to the PGA Tour’s other designated events, forcing golfers to be more selective on when to commit to lengthy drives versus shorter, more precise shots around the rough or waterways.
“This is a course where it doesn’t matter about length; you just have to golf the ball around,” Spieth said. “It’s an advantage if you get it far and straight, but you’ve got to take risks more often than you do in other places if you want to try and keep driving.”
Spieth’s playoff opponent last year, Patrick Cantlay, agreed the course is especially shaped by its narrow holes and obstacles.
“I think it’s really important to leave yourself in the right spot off the tee,” Cantlay said. “The stakes can compound around here because, once you get off the beaten track, it can be hard to get back on track. This golf course really rewards patient, solid golf.”
Cantlay has finished highly at Heritage several times but never claimed the tartan jacket. Before his top-2 finish last year, he finished tied for third in 2019, tied for seventh in 2018 and tallied another third-place finish in 2017.
“No, it’s definitely encouraging,” Cantly said when asked if his history of near-victories at the course was frustrating. “It’s definitely a golf course that I like, and all the great play I’ve had here is definitely great for my future at this place.”
When golfers choose to take their chances driving, their performance on the course’s closing stretch will be crucial to another strong performance, Spieth said.
“I think it’s finding the right balance for me, the risk and reward of where to take risks off the tee and where to just say, ‘Hey, this isn’t worth it right now,’” Spieth said. “It’s a golf course that, either way that it plays, still has a really exciting finish. These last couple holes are unlike the rest of the golf course, pretty unique in that sense, but for me it’s going to be about patience. Last year what I did really well was just let the tournament come to me.”
Spieth’s competition is elevated this year, with a field including world No. 1 Jon Rahm, who finished at -13 in his first Masters victory last week. Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland also finished top 10 at the Masters, shooting -4 and -6, respectively.
“You see the names on the leader board that you may be not used to seeing here, all in all, elevated events are just more challenging,” Spieth said. “It becomes harder to win, harder to top-10. ... It’s got the potential to be as exciting an event as we’ve seen all year.”
This story was originally published April 11, 2023 at 3:13 PM.
