Zach To Zoom To Glory At RBC Heritage

The Masters may have come to a conclusion but the action just doesn’t stop with the RBC Heritage next up on the PGA Tour.

The Tournament

This event was known for most of its history as the RBC Classic, and is traditionally the first tournament after the Masters. It’s also one of five events on the PGA Tour to be awarded invitational status, which means we have a smaller field to choose from than in most weeks. Home players have dominated, 2013 winner Graeme McDowell being only the fourth European to win this event, and the second since 1985.

The Course

Links courses are a rarity on the PGA Tour, so the Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina takes some getting used to for many American players, and punters should be on the look out for players who’ve gone well there before. It only has two par fives, but boasts the smallest greens on the Tour, so accuracy from tee and fairway are more important than power. The ability to flight the ball low into the wind is also important, as the Atlantic gales can be fierce.

In The Bunker

Jordan Spieth is the first Masters winner since Zach Johnson in 2007 to play this event and unsurprisingly has been installed as the strong antepost favourite. He’s finished inside the top fifteen on his previous two visits to Harbour Town so has no problem with the quirky course, but you have to wonder how focused he’ll be after last week’s life-changing triumph. He could be forgiven for taking a few days to adjust to life as a Major winner and I can’t back him with any confidence at 6/1.

Recommended Bets

Zach Johnson’s form has been solid so far this season, without grabbing him any headlines, but this could be the week when he rewards his followers.

He has a decent record at Harbour Town, including a solo second in 2012 and goes into the event with some momentum, after finishing the Masters with consecutive rounds of 68 to sneak into the top ten.

Back him at 16/1 to land his first title of 2015.

Charley Hoffman went into the weekend at Augusta as Jordan Speith’s nearest challenger and although a disappointing final round saw him drop down the leaderboard, he still registered his best ever result in a Major. That should give him plenty of confidence going into an event where he has registered two top tens in the last three years. He’s playing solid golf at the moment and is a good bet at 33/1.

After a slow start to the year, Kevin Streelman came into form at Augusta, playing three good rounds to set up a top-fifteen finish, his best in a Major to date. That should set him up nicely for Harbour Town where he has a decent record, most notably when finishing in the top three two years ago. Despite his results his stats suggest he is playing consistent golf and he’s an interesting outside bet at 50/1.