• FIELD: Click here and see who's set to tee it up at Harbor Town Golf Links.
• FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points.
• COURSE: Harbour Town Golf Links, 7,101 yards, par 71.
Jack Nicklaus' first venture into course design, in collaboration with
Pete Dye, remains a timeless test despite its status as one of the
shortest layouts on the PGA TOUR schedule. Narrow fairways and small,
deftly contoured greens combine to give Harbour Town a Scottish feel and
offer a strategic challenge, requiring well-positioned shots to
generate birdie chances. Poor drives will force players to work their
way around and over hundreds of live oaks and pines. Harbour Town's
iconic red-and-white lighthouse behind the 18th green still helps
vessels navigate Calibogue Sound.
• FIELD WATCH: World No. 4 Jordan Spieth, who hasn't
finished worse than second since mid-March, joins defending champion
Matt Kuchar and FedExCup titleholder Billy Horschel in a field that
features 10 of the top 30 in the world rankings. … Two-time winner Tom
Watson, who became the oldest man to break par at the Masters, returns
for his 25th appearance. Last year's visit ended a 12-year absence from
the event. … Hall of Famer Ernie Els makes his 16th start at Harbour
Town, still seeking his first victory there. He was runner-up to Boo
Weekley in 2007. … U.S. Amateur champion Gunn Yang and runner-up Corey
Connors, both fresh off the Masters, test their skills against PGA TOUR
competition for a second straight week.
• 72-HOLE RECORD: 264, Brian Gay (2009).
• 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, David Frost (2nd round, 1994).
• LAST YEAR: Kuchar dramatically nabbed the victory that
had been eluding him for a month, holing a chip on the final hole of
regulation to claim a one-stroke triumph over Luke Donald. The closing
holeout capped a 6-under-par 64, completing a comeback from a four-shot
deficit to begin the day. Kuchar nearly squandered it with a three-putt
bogey at No.17, but that only set up the final heroics. Before Hilton
Head, Kuchar had finished second at both the Valero Texas Open and Shell
Houston Open, losing in Houston on Matt Jones' bunker holeout. Donald's
runner-up finish was his third at Harbour Town in his past six visits,
with a pair of thirds mixed in.
• STORYLINES: Donald tries once again for that elusive
first victory at Hilton Head, having played the past six editions in a
combined 47-under par without winning. The English pro will have a
little extra time to recharge after missing the Masters cut. … World No.
8 Jim Furyk, the 2010 winner, Brandt Snedeker (2011) and Horschel also
figure to make early arrivals after short weeks at Augusta National. …
Kuchar will endeavor to become just the fourth back-to-back winner at
the Heritage, joining Payne Stewart (1989-90), Davis Love III (1991-92)
and Boo Weekley (2007-08).
• SHORT CHIPS: Since the Heritage moved into the
post-Masters slot in 1983, just six men have won without spending the
prior week at Augusta National. Four, though, have come in the past
decade - Aaron Baddeley (2006), Weekley ('07), Brian Gay ('09) and Carl
Pettersson ('12). … Short yardage notwithstanding, no one in the past
four editions at Harbour Town has posted four rounds in the 60s. Just 26
have done it in the event's history, last in 2010 when playoff foes
Furyk and Brian Davis did so. … No defending champion has missed the
Heritage cut since Davis Love III in 1993 - a run now at 21 consecutive
years.
• TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m.(CBS).
Last Week's Winner, NoleinATL! Congrats!
Updated Standings
1. dfs - 7777
2. Sea - 7720
3. Bobcat - 7096
4. Ed - 6698
5. 2952 - 5886
6. Liz - 5618
7. NMT -
8. 67810 - 5109
9. NiA - 4822
10. Ocala - 4237
11. DL - 4110
12. Bill - 4095
13. ktnole - 3473
14. Baldy - 1770
Good Luck!
This post was edited on 4/19 5:25 PM by DFSNOLE
Field
