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Stew was playing well and playing late, with Camilo Villegas. He was contending. On 18, he hit a par putt that looked like 18 inches to me, though ShotLink has it as a three-footer. Cink, 47 years old, stood behind the ball, with that tall man’s erect carriage of his, and stared down the line. He seemed to be talking to himself. His shoulders went up, his shoulders went down and he exhaled elaborately. He was nervous and not afraid to show it. His putt for par barely touched the hole. He tapped in for bogey.

I had hoped to talk to Stewart for a story I was writing about Camilo, about what it was like for Camilo to return to tournament golf after the heartbreak of he and his wife losing their 22-month-old daughter to cancer. Stewart is warm and engaging and you could see that he and Camilo had a nice rapport. But I didn’t know what kind of mood Stewart would be in after that shove-job par putt on the last.

It was as if it never happened. On instinct alone, he knew exactly what story I was trying to write, and how it way transcended, in the grand scheme of things, his efforts to win the 2021 Honda Classic.

Instruction

I’ll get to that part in a minute, but let me do this first. After his Hilton Head win, I asked Stewart a couple of questions about short putting. If you saw him through the week, you can see he sometimes has a false start on his backswing on his short putts. I asked him about what kinds of things he says to himself when he’s lining up his shorties.

“If I told you the truth,” he said, without ever really finishing that thought. “It doesn’t get any easier. I work so hard on the mental side of the game. As you get closer to the hole your expectation level changes. It’s not a linear change. Short putting I try to be rock-solid on my routine and trust the process. I know some of those putts are going to lip out, and that sometimes you’re going to look silly, you’re going to feel bad. And you have to expect and plan for that, and move on.

“If you spend your whole career or your whole tournament bracing for something like that, hoping it doesn’t happen and trying to hide it, then you’re going to be devastated when something like that happens at the wrong time. I’ve missed my share.”

Without prompting, he brought up the 2001 U.S. Open at Southern Hills.

“I missed a really short putt on the last hole that was mostly embarrassing to me at the time. Of course, later on it ended up costing me a spot in the playoff. I didn’t know it at the time. No one likes that feeling.

“I’ve spent a lot of time and money on trying to be solid in my beliefs about what is really happening on the course and where my trust is, where my peace and joy come from. If I depended on all these two- and three- and four-footers going in to feel good about myself, then I’d be in the wrong business.”

Instruction

There’s a lot to unpack in there. A whole life philosophy, really.

“You know, you can’t control the results. You can’t control bounces or the wind or a ball that rolls on the green and rims out of the hole.

“You probably see me mouthing something to Reagan [Cink’s caddie and son at Hilton Head], or you might audibly pick it up on the coverage: I like to remind myself is that I want to be on the mountaintop of trust before every putt. Those aren’t just words to me. I’m actually trying to construct my pre-shot routine so that that’s what I’m focused on consciously. I hate the word ‘routine’ because that’s not the right word for what we do. It’s an operation that requires focus and cadence, and I’m trying to hit my little spots along that routine. By the time I finish that routine, the ball is already rolling.

“You probably have heard me or see me mouth the words, ‘Mountaintop of trust.’ Or, ‘Mountaintop of peace.’ You know, little phrases like that. I’m really just saying it so I can hear myself and remind myself.

“It’s a path to success. Obviously, I want to make the putts. I don’t want to miss putts. But I believe that the way to keep myself the calmest and the way to keep my stroke doing what it’s supposed to do is through the process and staying calm and focusing on something I can control, as opposed to something you can’t control. If you depend on something you can’t control, you’re just going to end up frustrated, and I don’t want to be frustrated.”

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Wow. I think there are things in that that any of us can take to the course, provided you have this first: sound fundamentals.

It’s clear, with Stewart, that his family and his faith are integral parts of his life. He doesn’t define himself by his profession. I think that’s why he was able to speak so movingly and honestly about Camilo’s hurt so shortly after missing that short putt at Honda.

“One of my favorite guys to play with,” Cink said on that Saturday afternoon at Honda. Reagan was caddying for his father that week. Villegas had his brother, Manuel, as his caddie. Watching Camilo, Stewart said, he could see the golf course was “his sanctuary.” “As it is for many of us,” he added.

That doesn’t mean it’s a fantasyland where only good things happen. What Cink tries to do is control what he can control.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com

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The post Stewart Cink hit one of the worst opening drives of his life. Then something magical happened appeared first on Golf.

The post Stewart Cink hit one of the worst opening drives of his life. Then something magical happened appeared first on Golf.

Cink went off Harbour Town’s par-4 10th hole at 7:33 Thursday morning and — his words again — “promptly cranked it straight into the lake.”

“Just completely went to sleep at the wheel,” he said after his round. “Sometimes that can really rattle you off the 1st hole when you start a tournament off that like. This ball was 25 yards out in the lake. It was horrible.”

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This isn’t a hey-look!-Tour-pros-are-just-like-us story. Actually, it’s quite the opposite, because instead of letting that bit of first-swing ugliness bring him down, Cink used it as motivational fuel — a “wake-up call,” he said.    

“After playing in the Masters and being super focused and intense, to come here and be lazy on the first shot was kind of like a slap in the face and it got my attention,” he said.

And how.

Cink’s ensuing bogey at the 10th would be his only blemish of the day on Pete Dye’s exacting test in the salt marshes of South Carolina. Cink made birdies at 12, 16 and 18 to turn in 33. On the second nine: four more birdies, plus an eagle at the par-5 5th, that resulted in an eight-under 63 that has him one back of first-round leader Cameron Smith.

“The rest of the day,” Cink said of his play after the drive at 10, “was one of my best days I can remember.”

On a course where Cink has picked up two of his seven PGA Tour wins, everything was working: he was flagging his irons, smoking his drives and rolling putts with confidence. “A round like today solidifies the game plan,” he said. “A round like this doesn’t show you there is more out there. A round like this shows you what you’re doing is already dead on, and why change anything?”

Well, yeah, other than that opening drive. So, what exactly happened?

Cink said it was the only swing all day before which he didn’t consult with his 24-year-old caddie-son, Reagan.

News

“I was just so relaxed and lackadaisical on the shot that I just kind of didn’t really go through my normal preparation, like picking a target and reminding myself about those external cues and the swing and what to do,” Cink said.

Reagan, good looper that he is, wasn’t about to let his father make the same mistake twice.

“Hey, learn from this,” the son said, as Stewart recalled it. “You just were a little bit lazy. You didn’t call out your target like you normally do.”

“And right then,” Stewart said after his round, “it just turned around.”

Cink tees off on Harbour Town’s 1st hole at 12:23 p.m. ET on Friday alongside Andrew Landry and Satoshi Kodaira. No doubt this time around the opening tee shot will have his undivided attention.

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The post America’s Best Golf Road Trips, Part III: The Carolina Lowcountry Loop, from Pinehurst to Harbour Town appeared first on Golf.

The post America’s Best Golf Road Trips, Part III: The Carolina Lowcountry Loop, from Pinehurst to Harbour Town appeared first on Golf.

***

A road trip through the Carolina Lowcountry and its quilt work of loblolly pines, saw palmettos and marsh grasses is a feast for the senses — and the drive time is just as laidback as the countryside, with no leg of the journey exceeding two-and-a-half hours of on-the-road time.

This particular loop starts at the Raleigh-Durham airport. Your first destination is Pinehurst, one of the bastions of American golf. You’ll then head south to Myrtle Beach, before continuing along the coast to Kiawah Island and Harbour Town. You’ll enjoy the history and beauty of the Atlantic shoreline and the antebellum South — as well as a handful of Top 100 courses and resorts along the way. So put the pedal to the metal — y’all have an epic trip in store.

Start point: Raleigh-Durham International Airport

End point: Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, S.C.

Days: 5-7

Courses: 5+

Miles: 448

Day 1: Pinehurst No. 2 (North Carolina)

Milepost: 72

Your trip starts with a bang — a visit to not only one of the most historic courses in the country, but also the onsite resort, ranked No. 2 on GOLF’s recent list of the best buddy-trip resorts in North America. You’ll be happy to have a decadent place to rest your head for the night, because Pinehurst No. 2 presents a stern test. The host of six U.S. Opens (and future “anchor site” of our national championship starting in 2024, when the U.S. Open will retun every six years), Pinehurst is everything you could ask for in a golf experience.

The best part? It’s just an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive from the airport, so you could easily play an afternoon round on No. 2 or any of the resort’s other eight (yes, eight) tracks. Regardless of where you decide to tee it up, make sure to carve out some time for a quick spin around Thistle Dhu, Pinehurst’s 18-hole putting course, and cap the experience with a pint at the Ryder Cup Lounge in the Carolina Hotel, which is drenched in history from the biennial event staged at Pinehurst in 1951.

Day 2 and 3: Myrtle Beach (South Carolina)

Milepost: 201

Two-and-a-half hours south of Pinehurst and you’re in Golf Mecca, also known as Myrtle Beach. With more than 80 courses to choose from, you could spend years visiting and fail to play them all. Our advice? Knock off several of the finest in one stop. Barefoot Resort, another GOLF Top 100 Resort in North America, is a great choice, and home to four courses designed by names you just might recognize: Greg Norman, Davis Love, Pete Dye and Tom Fazio.

Two other multi-course locations that are well worth your time are Legends Golf Resort, home to five championship courses as well as on-site accommodation, and Mystical Resort, which boasts three courses,  all of which feature newly rebuilt bunkers after a recent $750,000 renovation. No matter where you play, make room on your itinerary for a stop at Dirty Don’s Oyster Bar and Grill. It has a tropical, divey vibe that befits its name, but, oh my, the oysters are out of this world.

Day 4: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (South Carolina)

Milepost: 233

Your next stop is a half-hour drive south of Myrtle Beach into Pawley’s Island, S.C. The Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is a stunner: quiet and gorgeously manicured with just a touch of quirk. The experience begins with a long driveway entry through an arcade of giant oaks, dripping with Spanish moss, a majestic corridor that evokes a thrilling tingle of anticipation. It’s the Lowcountry’s Magnolia-Lane feels. Word to the wise: Before you hit the first tee, take a seat in one of the rockers on the wraparound clubhouse porch and you’ll feel transported to another time.

The late, great Mike Strantz designed Caledonia as his first solo project in 1994, and ever since, the course has gained a cult following of appreciative players. The routing meanders through towering oaks and serene streams, and there is nary a home to be found on any of its 18 holes, further enhancing its uniquely unencumbered atmosphere.

Day 5: Kiawah Island (South Carolina)

Milepost: 330

Hop back in the car for an easy two-hour ride south to Kiawah Island, home to yet another Top 100 resort, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, and five courses, including the famous Ocean Course. You can’t go wrong with any of the Kiawah courses, but since you’ve come all this way, it would be criminal to miss out on Pete Dye’s iconic Ocean Course, featuring 10 eye-popping holes along the Atlantic and up to eight clubs in wind variance, depending on the day.

Water is in play on nearly every hole, making the course both visually stunning and, in typical Pete-Dye fashion, ultra-treacherous. One of the few courses to host both the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup, the Ocean Course will be back in the spotlight in May for its second major-championship go-around, the 2021 PGA.

Note: If you have some pull, do yourself a favor and plan a lunch at the private Kiawah Island Club where you can indulge in the house-specialty Shem Creek Shrimp Rolls. You won’t be disappointed!

Day 6: Harbour Town (South Carolina)

Milepost: 448

The final leg of your journey is a two-and-a-half hour shot south to Hilton Head Island, home of Sea Pines Resort (another Top 100 gem), and three fantastic courses, including Harbour Town Golf Links, host of the PGA Tour’s annual RBC Heritage.

There’s no beating the spectacular setting: 5,000 acres of oceanfront beauty, with the illustrious red-and-white striped lighthouse framing the famous finishing hole. Harbour Town is a treat, and there’s no better place to rest and recuperate from your long week on the road.

As your day winds down, treat yourself to a killer sunset view at Sea Pines’ Fraser’s Tavern. Located in the shadow of the lighthouse, this amiable outpost offers superb waterside dining, and the best shrimp and grits around. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the view.

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The post RBC Heritage Classic purse: Payout breakdown and winner’s share appeared first on Golf.

The post RBC Heritage Classic purse: Payout breakdown and winner’s share appeared first on Golf.

While the top of the leaderboard features more than a few of golf’s young guns (including Ancer and Joaquin Niemann), Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and a few other PGA Tour vets are lurking just a few strokes back.

A trio of American superstars — Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson — need to score well Sunday to climb into contention, even after each notched three consecutive rounds of 70 or better to open the week at Harbour Town.

Fitness

Below is the prize money and winner’s share for the RBC Heritage’s $7.1 million purse; TV coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. ET on Golf Channel before the action switches over to CBS at 3:00 p.m. ET.

RBC Heritage Classic payout breakdown, winner’s share

1. $1,278,000

2. $773,900

3. $489,900

4. $347,900

5. $291,100

6. $257,375

7. $239,625

8. $221,875

9. $207,675

10. $193,475

11. $179,275

12. $165,075

13. $150,875

14. $136,675

15. $129,575

16. $122,475

17. $115,375

18. $108,275

19. $101,175

20. $94,075

21. $86,975

22. $79,875

23. $74,195

24. $68,515

25. $62,835

26. $57,155

27. $55,025

28. $52,895

29. $50,765

30. $48,635

31. $46,505

32. $44,375

33. $42,245

34. $40,470

35. $38,695

36. $36,920

37. $35,145

38. $33,725

39. $32,305

40. $30,885

41. $29,465

42. $28,045

43. $26,625

44. $25,205

45. $23,785

46. $22,365

47. $20,945

48. $19,809

49. $18,815

50. $18,247

51. $17,821

52. $17,395

53. $17,111

54. $16,827

55. $16,685

56. $16,543

57. $16,401

58. $16,259

59. $16,117

60. $15,975

61. $15,833

62. $15,691

63. $15,549

64. $15,407

65. $15,265

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The post 2020 RBC Heritage tee times: Third round pairings for Saturday appeared first on Golf.

The post 2020 RBC Heritage tee times: Third round pairings for Saturday appeared first on Golf.

Notable tee times for RBC Heritage Round 3

Webb Simpson will begin his third round in the final pairing at 2:10 p.m. ET alongside Bryson DeChambeau, who is one shot back at 11 under par overall.

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Will Gordon and and TK will comprise the penultimate pairing, teeing off at 2 p.m. ET. Like DeChambeau, Connors is one shot behind Simpson at 11 under par overall while Palmer is two shots back at 10 under par overall.

Other big names and contenders to look for on Saturday include Brooks Koepka and Ian Poulter (1:30 p.m. ET), Dustin Johnson (1:20 p.m. ET), Tony Finau (12:50 p.m. ET) and Jordan Spieth (11:20 a.m. ET). Check out the full third round tee times for the 2020 RBC Heritage below.

RBC Heritage Round 3 tee times (All times ET)

Tee No. 1

8:05 a.m. – Xander Schauffele
8:10 a.m. – Doc Redman, Scott Stallings
8:20 a.m. – Brian Stuard, Branden Grace
8:30 a.m. – Chez Reavie, Matt Jones
8:40 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm
8:50 a.m. – Peter Malnati, Troy Merritt
9:00 a.m. – Charl Schwartzel, Sepp Straka
9:10 a.m. – Brian Harman, Maverick McNealy
9:20 a.m. – Joaquin Niemann, Wesley Bryan
9:30 a.m. – Jim Herman, Collin Morikawa
9:40 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson
9:50 a.m. – Harris English, Harry Higgs
10:00 a.m. – Ryan Armour, Bill Haas
10:10 a.m. – Justin Rose, Adam Hadwin
10:20 a.m. – Rory Sabbatini, Gary Woodland
10:30 a.m. – Chris Stroud, Lucas Glover
10:40 a.m. – Matt Wallace, Mark Hubbard
10:50 a.m. – Bernhard Langer, Carlos Ortiz
11:00 a.m. – Stewart Cink, J.T. Poston
11:10 a.m. – C.T. Pan, Viktor Hovland
11:20 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Daniel Berger
11:30 a.m. – Vaughn Taylor, Joel Dahmen
11:40 a.m. – Matt Kuchar, Chesson Hadley
11:50 a.m. – Max Homa, Brice Garnett
12:00 p.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
12:10 p.m. – Alex Noren, Sergio Garcia
12:20 p.m. – Andrew Landry, Jason Dufner
12:30 p.m. – Erik van Rooyen, Danny Lee
12:40 p.m. – Ernie Els, Michael Thompson
12:50 p.m. – Sebastián Muñoz, Tony Finau
1:00 p.m. – Sam Ryder, Wyndham Clark
1:10 p.m. – Dylan Frittelli, Tyler Duncan
1:20 p.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Dustin Johnson
1:30 p.m. – Brooks Koepka, Ian Poulter
1:40 p.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Matthew NeSmith
1:50 p.m. – Matthew Fitzpatrick, Abraham Ancer
2:00 p.m. – Corey Conners, Ryan Palmer
2:10 p.m. – Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau

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Previewing RBC Heritage Round 2

One name to keep a close eye on is Jordan Spieth. The three-time major champion is a specialist in producing dramatic roller-coaster rounds, and the opening round at the Heritage was no different. Spieth made an early triple-bogey 7 to fall to three over, but then clawed back with an astounding six-birdie stretch over his second nine, adding another birdie at his final hole to reach five under. Spieth begins the second round on Friday at 12:43 p.m. ET.

News

One player who one-upped Spieth on Thursday was Ian Poulter. The veteran English pro shared a video of himself gettinga Covid-19 test at the RBC Heritage on Wednesday and followed it up with a seven-under 64 in the first round. Poulter’s tee time for Friday is 12:54 p.m. ET, and he’ll once again play alongside Sebastián Muñoz and Patton Kizzire.

Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler were paired together in the first round, but their scores went in opposite directions. McIlroy struggled to a one-over 72, while Fowler cruised to a four-under 67. They tee off for the second round at 1:05 p.m. ET on Friday.

How to watch RBC Heritage Round 2 on TV

Golf Channel will broadcast the second round of the RBC Heritage on TV. They will air three hours of coverage from 3-6 p.m. ET on Friday, June 19.

How to stream RBC Heritage Round 2 online

For those of you with an active cable subscription, streaming the entire second round of the 2020 RBC Heritage online will be easy. You can watch the full second round Golf Channel broadcast on golfchannel.com. Fans can also view Featured Group coverage of the second round all day Friday via PGA Tour Live, though you will need an account to access the stream.

2020 RBC Heritage tee times for Round 2 (All times ET)

Tee No. 1

6:45 a.m. – Ryan Moore, Tom Hoge, Maverick McNealy
6:56 a.m. – Chris Stroud, Charl Schwartzel, Lucas Glover
7:07 a.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Peter Malnati, Rory Sabbatini
7:18 a.m. – Matthew Wolff, Billy Horschel, Austin Cook
7:29 a.m. – Brendon Todd, Brandt Snedeker, Troy Merritt
7:40 a.m. – Shane Lowry, Keith Mitchell, Pat Perez
7:51 a.m. – Lanto Griffin, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen
8:02 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Andrew Landry, Michael Kim
8:13 a.m. – Matt Kuchar, Ryan Armour, Jason Dufner
8:24 a.m. – Sam Ryder, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns
8:35 a.m. – Brian Gay, David Hearn, J.J. Spaun
8:46 a.m. – Brian Stuard, Bill Haas, Glen Day
8:57 a.m. – Michael Gligic, Andy Ogletree, Spencer Ralston
12:10 p.m. – Aaron Baddeley, Doc Redman
12:21 p.m. – Matt Every, Scott Brown, Matthew NeSmith
12:32 p.m. – Harold Varner III, Joel Dahmen, Harry Higgs
12:43 p.m. – Kevin Kisner, Jordan Spieth, Zach Johnson
12:54 p.m. – Daniel Berger, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka
1:05 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, C.T. Pan, Rickie Fowler
1:16 p.m. – Nate Lashley, Bubba Watson, Jason Day
1:27 p.m. – Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Jim Furyk
1:38 p.m. – Viktor Hovland, Adam Long, Kevin Chappell
1:49 p.m. – J.T. Poston, Wesley Bryan, Danny Willett
2:00 p.m. – Brian Harman, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Bronson Burgoon
2:11 p.m. – Michael Thompson, Matt Wallace, Roger Sloan
2:22 p.m. – Mark Hubbard, Adam Schenk, Jazz Janewattananond

Tee No. 10

6:45 a.m. – Russell Henley, Bud Cauley, Abraham Ancer
6:56 a.m. – Danny Lee, Sepp Straka, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
7:07 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, K.J. Choi, Rafa Cabrera Bello
7:18 a.m. – Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau, Davis Love III
7:29 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama
7:40 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose
7:51 a.m. – Dylan Frittelli, Max Homa, Adam Hadwin
8:02 a.m. – Scott Piercy, Brice Garnett, Jimmy Walker
8:13 a.m. – Tyler Duncan, Corey Conners, Charles Howell III
8:24 a.m. – Chez Reavie, Ryan Palmer, Russell Knox
8:35 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Kevin Streelman, Matt Jones
8:46 a.m. – Chesson Hadley, Bo Van Pelt, Cameron Tringale
8:57 a.m. – Branden Grace, Alex Noren, Victor Perez
12:10 p.m. – Harris English, Byeong Hun An, Patrick Rodgers
12:21 p.m. – Vaughn Taylor, Nick Watney, Luke List
12:32 p.m. – Kyle Stanley, Scott Stallings, Jason Kokrak
12:43 p.m. – Cameron Smith, Kevin Tway, Sergio Garcia
12:54 p.m. – Sebastián Muñoz, Ian Poulter, Patton Kizzire
1:05 p.m. – Andrew Putnam, Si Woo Kim, Luke Donald
1:16 p.m. – Jim Herman, Sung Kang, Martin Trainer
1:27 p.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, Aaron Wise
1:38 p.m. – Xander Schauffele, Ted Potter, Jr., Stewart Cink
1:49 p.m. – Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Bernhard Langer
2:00 p.m. – Charley Hoffman, Carlos Ortiz, Kyoung-Hoon Lee
2:11 p.m. – Talor Gooch, Denny McCarthy, Erik van Rooyen

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The post Why Harbour Town is my favorite course on the PGA Tour (and why it should be yours too) appeared first on Golf.

The post Why Harbour Town is my favorite course on the PGA Tour (and why it should be yours too) appeared first on Golf.

That said, I firmly believe it’s one of the best courses on the PGA Tour, and rightfully deserves the praise it gets as one of the cult favorites among players on Tour.

Those who dislike it usually do so because of how far it is on the “target golf” end of the spectrum. It’s a fair criticism, and it’s undoubtedly true. But the truth is, I’ve come to accept that I like target golf. Not so much for myself or my fellow recreational golfers, but for those at the pro level. I want to see guys whose job it is to play golf need to hit certain shots, with fine margins that rely on elite execution, and get punished with varying degrees of force when they don’t.

Here’s what I mean. The course’s first hole is a pretty good example of what Harbour Town is. It’s not that long (403 yards) but it’s incredibly tight. Trees and OB line the hole left, right and long. There’s a bulge in the middle of the fairway — it almost looks like a green — which quickly pinches in to about 15 yards at around 320 yards. So, while it may appear you have 30 yards of wiggle room, in reality you only have about half that. Hit the left side of the fairway, and you need to hit a draw around the corner. Hug the right side, and you’ll need a fade to navigate a different corner. Not impossible shots by any means, but if you want the freedom to hit the shot you want, and not the one the course tells you to, you need to hit the middle of the circle, which is how it should be.

And there in lies the beauty of Harbour Town. The thin margins. You’re not hitting to big, vague concepts like “the fairway” or “down the left.” You’re hitting to specific windows, which demands both precision in direction and distance.

The 8th hole is a brilliant example of this. Playing 472 yards this week, if you lay back too far you’ll be both blocked out by the trees on the left of the dogleg left. Get too aggressive, and you’ll run out of room with a bottleneck protecting trees and OB. The shot that ultimately turns this hole from a bogey opportunity to a birdie chance is one that flies about 260 yards into a pocket on the right edge of the fairway.

The course’s best holes, like its 16th and 18th, are the ones that give you multiple different windows, with pros and cons for each.

On the 16th, for instance, you can lay way back, before the first tree for a relatively easy tee shot, but risk blocking yourself out on the left. Take something in-between, and you may have to navigate the second tree on your next shot. Try to rip a drive around the corner, and you bring into play the bunker and OB long.

There’s no good answer, and no bad one. It’s about picking a shot you’re comfortable with, and executing.

The 18th offers similar choices, but in a far different setting. Hug the right side, the direction where the wind is usually blowing toward, and you’ll bring OB into play but have a more straightforward second shot, with a huge bailout zone down the right. Hit it into the fatter landing zone, and you have to directly navigate water and sand on your next. No matter what you choose, there’s a tradeoff.

And finally, it’s because of all these bottlenecks and target windows and hallways that shorter, ball-striker-type hitters love the course. Because it can do what precious few courses nowadays actually can: Neutralize powerful but sprayed drives, especially on the par 5s.

Take a look at the par-5 2nd. It spans just 506 yards, but players are so petrified of the tee shot they often resort to a 3-wood or iron off the tee. Why? Because leaking your drive right brings OB into play, and even if it doesn’t, you’ll be faced with a second shot where you’re blocked-out by two separate sets of encroaching trees, and two different bunkers. If you end up over there you could still go for the green, you’ll just need to aim out of bounds on the left, and hit a rifle fade around the corner. The course makes you hit one very precise shot in exchange for an imprecise one. Fair trade.

This 15th hole may be an even more extreme example of this. A tight hole by ordinary standards, OB and trees left, along with water short of the green and another fairway bottleneck in-between, effectively cuts the playing area of the hole in half. Oh, and did we mention there’s OB all down the right, too? Take all the dead-on-arrival outcomes out of play, which are denoted by the red Xs below, and it’s plain to see how difficult navigating your route to the green is.

All of this is a roundabout way of saying I like Harbour Town. I like it a lot. Not because I want to see more of Harbour Town copycats littering the country, but because I admire courses that don’t try to be a mirror of something it’s not. Instead, the course makes use of what it has to create something individual and interesting.

That’s Harbour Town. It makes use of a small footprint, but provides a unique — and fair — test. The kind pros rarely see in an era defined by huge margins for error, and brawn over brains.

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The post 2020 RBC Heritage tee times: Second round groupings for Friday appeared first on Golf.

Notable tee times for RBC Heritage Round 2

Ian Poulter began the first round on the front nine, and it served him well, as he put together a stellar score of seven-under 64 on day 1 at the RBC Heritage. For Friday’s second round, Poulter will switch to a back-nine start at Harbour Town when he tees off at 12:54 p.m. ET with Sebastián Muñoz and Patton Kizzire.

News

Arguably the most star-studded grouping over the first two days at the Heritage features World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and defending champion C.T. Pan. Like Poulter’s group, they will also have an afternoon tee time on Friday, beginning the second round at 1:05 p.m. ET. Unlike Poulter, they’ll start on the 1st tee.

Other big names and contenders to look out for on Friday are Jordan Spieth (12:43 p.m. ET), Bryson DeChambeau (7:18 a.m. ET), Brooks Koepka (12:54 p.m. ET) and Viktor Hovland (1:38 p.m. ET). Check out the full second round tee times for the 2020 RBC Heritage below.

RBC Heritage Round 2 tee times (All times ET)

Tee No. 1

6:45 a.m. – Ryan Moore, Tom Hoge, Maverick McNealy
6:56 a.m. – Chris Stroud, Charl Schwartzel, Lucas Glover
7:07 a.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Peter Malnati, Rory Sabbatini
7:18 a.m. – Matthew Wolff, Billy Horschel, Austin Cook
7:29 a.m. – Brendon Todd, Brandt Snedeker, Troy Merritt
7:40 a.m. – Shane Lowry, Keith Mitchell, Pat Perez
7:51 a.m. – Lanto Griffin, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen
8:02 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Andrew Landry, Michael Kim
8:13 a.m. – Matt Kuchar, Ryan Armour, Jason Dufner
8:24 a.m. – Sam Ryder, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns
8:35 a.m. – Brian Gay, David Hearn, J.J. Spaun
8:46 a.m. – Brian Stuard, Bill Haas, Glen Day
8:57 a.m. – Michael Gligic, Andy Ogletree, Spencer Ralston
12:10 p.m. – Aaron Baddeley, Doc Redman
12:21 p.m. – Matt Every, Scott Brown, Matthew NeSmith
12:32 p.m. – Harold Varner III, Joel Dahmen, Harry Higgs
12:43 p.m. – Kevin Kisner, Jordan Spieth, Zach Johnson
12:54 p.m. – Daniel Berger, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka
1:05 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, C.T. Pan, Rickie Fowler
1:16 p.m. – Nate Lashley, Bubba Watson, Jason Day
1:27 p.m. – Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Jim Furyk
1:38 p.m. – Viktor Hovland, Adam Long, Kevin Chappell
1:49 p.m. – J.T. Poston, Wesley Bryan, Danny Willett
2:00 p.m. – Brian Harman, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Bronson Burgoon
2:11 p.m. – Michael Thompson, Matt Wallace, Roger Sloan
2:22 p.m. – Mark Hubbard, Adam Schenk, Jazz Janewattananond

Tee No. 10

6:45 a.m. – Russell Henley, Bud Cauley, Abraham Ancer
6:56 a.m. – Danny Lee, Sepp Straka, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
7:07 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, K.J. Choi, Rafa Cabrera Bello
7:18 a.m. – Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau, Davis Love III
7:29 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama
7:40 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose
7:51 a.m. – Dylan Frittelli, Max Homa, Adam Hadwin
8:02 a.m. – Scott Piercy, Brice Garnett, Jimmy Walker
8:13 a.m. – Tyler Duncan, Corey Conners, Charles Howell III
8:24 a.m. – Chez Reavie, Ryan Palmer, Russell Knox
8:35 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Kevin Streelman, Matt Jones
8:46 a.m. – Chesson Hadley, Bo Van Pelt, Cameron Tringale
8:57 a.m. – Branden Grace, Alex Noren, Victor Perez
12:10 p.m. – Harris English, Byeong Hun An, Patrick Rodgers
12:21 p.m. – Vaughn Taylor, Nick Watney, Luke List
12:32 p.m. – Kyle Stanley, Scott Stallings, Jason Kokrak
12:43 p.m. – Cameron Smith, Kevin Tway, Sergio Garcia
12:54 p.m. – Sebastián Muñoz, Ian Poulter, Patton Kizzire
1:05 p.m. – Andrew Putnam, Si Woo Kim, Luke Donald
1:16 p.m. – Jim Herman, Sung Kang, Martin Trainer
1:27 p.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, Aaron Wise
1:38 p.m. – Xander Schauffele, Ted Potter, Jr., Stewart Cink
1:49 p.m. – Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Bernhard Langer
2:00 p.m. – Charley Hoffman, Carlos Ortiz, Kyoung-Hoon Lee
2:11 p.m. – Talor Gooch, Denny McCarthy, Erik van Rooyen

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The post Jordan Spieth drains 6 birdies in a row to vault up RBC Heritage leaderboard appeared first on Golf.

The post Jordan Spieth drains 6 birdies in a row to vault up RBC Heritage leaderboard appeared first on Golf.

Expectations were high for Spieth on the eve of the first round after his T10 finish last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge. It seemed like the Heritage was as good a tournament as any for him to finally capture his first Tour win since 2017.

But things went haywire early. At his third hole of the day, the par-4 12th at Harbour Town, Spieth sprayed his drive wide right into a penalty area. It took him two more shots to reach the green, where he three-putted for a triple-bogey 7. Not the start he wanted.

Instruction

Spieth steadied his game to close out his first nine, recording one birdie and five pars before his round took a dramatic turn for the better, to say the least: Spieth made six-straight birdies from holes 2-7 at Harbour Town.

And while he’s known as one of golf’s great putters, it was Spieth’s iron play that led the charge.

Over that six-hole stretch, the second-longest putt he faced was 7’8″ at the par-5 2nd, which, of course, he calmly stroked in. At the 3rd he sank a 5’4″ putt that moved him back to even par on the day, a fine achievement in its own right. At the par-3 4th, Spieth stuck his tee shot inside 3 feet, giving him his least-stressful birdie putt of the streak.

After a layup at 5, a par-5, Spieth again knocked his approach to inside 3 feet and made the ensuing tap-in for his fourth consecutive red number. At 6 he set himself up with a slightly longer 7’4″ birdie putt, but he rolled that one in as well.

At that point, Spieth had launched himself from the bottom of the leaderboard to three under, just two shots short of the early lead. Amazingly, he would narrow that margin again at the 7th. There he faced the longest putt of his six-hole stretch, a full 12 feet. No problem for Jordan, who confidentially stroked that one in for his sixth straight birdie.

The birdie at 7 moved Spieth to four under, just one shot off the lead. After a par on 8, he closed his second nine with another birdie on 9 to sign for a 29, which tied him for the clubhouse lead at the time.

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Previewing RBC Heritage Round 1

The RBC Heritage was originally scheduled to be played in April the week after the Masters. But with the PGA Tour shutting down for three months, the tournament was moved to this week. One benefit of the postponement is that, for the second week in a row, an astounding number of star players are in the field.

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy will be there, along with the other four players in the Top 5 of the OWGR. Rory will try to avenge his disappointing final round at Colonial when he starts his campaign early on Thursday at 7:40 a.m. ET alongside Rickie Fowler and defending champion C.T. Pan.

News

Bryson DeChambeau hasn’t won since 2018, but he finished one shot out of a playoff last week. He and his monster drives will have another go at it at Harbour Town. He tees off for the first round at 12:43 p.m. ET, playing with Webb Simpson and former Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III.

Another player to look out for in the first round is Jordan Spieth (7:18 a.m. ET with Kevin Kisner and Zach Johnson). Spieth’s game is looking better and better, as evidenced by his performance last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge. If Spieth gets off to a hot start on Thursday morning, it will draw a lot of interest to the event.

How to watch RBC Heritage Round 1 on TV

Golf Channel will have the action for the first round of the RBC Heritage. They will air three hours of coverage from 3-6 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 18. In addition, Golf Channel will air two hours of PGA Tour Live Featured Group coverage from 1-3 p.m. ET.

How to stream RBC Heritage Round 1 online

For those of you with an active cable subscription, streaming the entire 2020 RBC Heritage online will be easy. You can catch the full first round Golf Channel broadcast on golfchannel.com. Fans can also view Featured Group coverage of the opening round all day Thursday via PGA Tour Live, though you will need an account to access the stream.

2020 RBC Heritage tee times for Round 1 (All times ET)

Tee No. 1

6:45 a.m. – Harris English, Byeong Hun An, Patrick Rodgers
6:56 a.m. – Vaughn Taylor, Nick Watney, Luke List
7:07 a.m. – Kyle Stanley, Scott Stallings, Jason Kokrak
7:18 a.m. – Cameron Smith, Kevin Tway, Sergio Garcia
7:29 a.m. – Sebastián Muñoz, Ian Poulter, Patton Kizzire
7:40 a.m. – Andrew Putnam, Si Woo Kim, Luke Donald
7:51 a.m. – Jim Herman, Sung Kang, Martin Trainer
8:02 a.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, Aaron Wise
8:13 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, Ted Potter, Jr., Stewart Cink
8:24 a.m. – Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Bernhard Langer
8:35 a.m. – Charley Hoffman, Carlos Ortiz, Kyoung-Hoon Lee
8:46 a.m. – Talor Gooch, Denny McCarthy, Erik van Rooyen
12:10 p.m. – Russell Henley, Bud Cauley, Abraham Ancer
12:21 p.m. – Danny Lee, Sepp Straka, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
12:32 p.m. – Emiliano Grillo, K.J. Choi, Rafa Cabrera Bello
12:43 p.m. – Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau, Davis Love III
12:54 p.m. – Gary Woodland, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama
1:05 p.m. – Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose
1:16 p.m. – Dylan Frittelli, Max Homa, Adam Hadwin
1:27 p.m. – Scott Piercy, Brice Garnett, Jimmy Walker
1:38 p.m. – Tyler Duncan, Corey Conners, Charles Howell III
1:49 p.m. – Chez Reavie, Ryan Palmer, Russell Knox
2:00 p.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Kevin Streelman, Matt Jones
2:11 p.m. – Chesson Hadley, Bo Van Pelt, Cameron Tringale
2:22 p.m. – Branden Grace, Alex Noren, Victor Perez

Tee No. 10

6:45 a.m. – Aaron Baddeley, Doc Redman
6:56 a.m. – Matt Every, Scott Brown, Matthew NeSmith
7:07 a.m. – Harold Varner III, Joel Dahmen, Harry Higgs
7:18 a.m. – Kevin Kisner, Jordan Spieth, Zach Johnson
7:29 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka
7:40 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, C.T. Pan, Rickie Fowler
7:51 a.m. – Nate Lashley, Bubba Watson, Jason Day
8:02 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Jim Furyk
8:13 a.m. – Viktor Hovland, Adam Long, Kevin Chappell
8:24 a.m. – J.T. Poston, Wesley Bryan, Danny Willett
8:35 a.m. – Brian Harman, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Bronson Burgoon
8:46 a.m. – Michael Thompson, Matt Wallace, Roger Sloan
8:57 a.m. – Mark Hubbard, Adam Schenk, Jazz Janewattananond
12:10 p.m. – Ryan Moore, Tom Hoge, Maverick McNealy
12:21 p.m. – Chris Stroud, Charl Schwartzel, Lucas Glover
12:32 p.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Peter Malnati, Rory Sabbatini
12:43 p.m. – Matthew Wolff, Billy Horschel, Austin Cook
12:54 p.m. – Brendon Todd, Brandt Snedeker, Troy Merritt
1:05 p.m. – Shane Lowry, Keith Mitchell, Pat Perez
1:16 p.m. – Lanto Griffin, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen
1:27 p.m. – Sungjae Im, Andrew Landry, Michael Kim
1:38 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, Ryan Armour, Jason Dufner
1:49 p.m. – Sam Ryder, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns
2:00 p.m. – Brian Gay, David Hearn, J.J. Spaun
2:11 p.m. – Brian Stuard, Bill Haas, Glen Day
2:22 p.m. – Michael Gligic, Andy Ogletree, Spencer Ralston

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