RBC Heritage notebook: Seen and heard at Harbour Town on Thursday
Young golfers delighted by pros, tournament
About 30 girls in bright green hats are swarming RBC Heritage presented by Boeing on Thursday to watch the pros at their own game.
The young golfers, some with autographs on their caps and tattoos of clubs and golf carts on their cheeks, are members of the LPGA Girls Golf Club of Bluffton, invited to the tournament for the seventh year in a row, according to program director Jean Harris.
The group of kids get to enjoy the tournament for free, walk the grounds on a scavenger hunt and, much to their chaperones’ delight, dip into Boeing’s skybox on the 18th green around midday.
Rebecca Lurye
Starter makes them feel at home
Golfers in the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing have free rein in little snack bars at the first and 10th tees.
But as volunteer starter Jean Hughes will tell you, it’s all good for you. No bloodies. No 12-packs. No coolers.
“It’s a lot of fruit, protein drinks, protein bars, water,” she said.
This is her 13th year working the tournament. She wears a red coat of a committee chair, and her hat is filled with pins of tournaments past. She uses skills from her career in customer relations for Hargray on Hilton Head Island to make all golfers and their entourage feel welcome.
She gives them the players their official scorecards. Actually, she does not give the card to the player it belongs to, but to a different golfer in the group. The golfers do not keep their own scores.
She also makes sure they have a copy of the local course rules, the pin placements, and updated weather conditions.
They also introduce “honorary observers” who are chosen by the title sponsors to walk with the group inside the ropes.
David Lauderdale
What’s a father to do?
Bill Roach of Knoxville, Tenn., is not a typical fan at the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.
He’s following a special player — his son, PGA Tour player Wes Roach.
The father took time off from work to watch his son play in his 10th tournament this year and 11th of his career.
“It’s like a lot of things,” said the father, while walking the first fairway outside the ropes. “It’s nerve-wracking because you can’t control it at all. You try to stay calm. But those 5-footers are hard on the nerves.”
Wes Roach knows the area well. His grandparents owned property on Hilton Head. And he played in the Sea Pines Junior Heritage tournament.
He succeeded as a youth player, and then at Duke University. So his father hopes to experience years of shaky nerves around the yellow ropes of the PGA Tour.
David Lauderdale
Cash on the spot at lottery booth
Spectators at the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing tried their luck Thursday at the South Carolina Education Lottery booth, where scratch-offs and lottery tickets were being sold.
“This morning we had one person win $100. And we just had a man win $200 and then he won another $50 after that,” said Ann Scott, director of sales.
Winners can get cash on the spot up to $500.
And for those who don’t carry pennies, no worries. Scratch coins are available to help you unveil treasure.
Liz Farrell
Your Guide to the RBC Heritage
Cross Island expected to roll along
The Cross Island Expressway on Hilton Head Island is expected to be smooth sailing again this year.
Last year the toll road saw a decrease in daily traffic during the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing golf tournament because of a change in spectator shuttle locations.
This meant a loss of 8,000 vehicles or about $10,000 in revenue for the South Carolina Department of Transportation over the previous year, according to Marge Dorsey, director of toll operations for SCDOT.
Liz Farrell
Fans jride with Furyk in virtual reality
Idoreyin Enoa helped Ron Decastro of Hilton Head Island get situated in a pair of Oculus VR glasses and headphones Thursday at the RBC Fan Tour virtual reality booth between the 17th and 18th fairways.
"Hold onto the rail in front of you," Enoa said.
A second man came up to inquire about trying the glasses.
“You been drinking,” Enoa asked him.
“No,” the man said. “... just a milkshake.”
“It's better if you've been drinking,” Enoa laughed.
In virtual reality, Decastro got to experience a golf course tour in a cart seated next to Jim Furyk, last year's winner of the Heritage, and look down from the top of the Harbour Town lighthouse.
When he took off the glasses he was speechless for a second.
“I thought I was going to see a whole stage of roulette dancers”he said. “I'm only joking. But I wasn't sure what I'd be looking at in there.”
Liz Farrell
This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 10:39 AM with the headline "RBC Heritage notebook: Seen and heard at Harbour Town on Thursday."