RBC Heritage Preview

RBC Heritage Tournament Preview

Dates: April 11-14, 2016
Where: Harbour Town Golf Links; Hilton Head Island, SC
Par/Yards: 36-35—71/7,099
Format: 72-hole stroke play; Field: 132
FedExCup: 500 points to winner
Purse: $5.9 million ($1,062,000 to the winner)
2015 Champion: Jim Furyk
Twitter: @RBC_Heritage; Facebook: Heritage Classic Foundation

A look back at the 2015 RBC Heritage

• Jim Furyk defeated local favorite Kevin Kisner with a birdie-2 (from 12’ 2”) on the second extra hole (No. 17) to win the 2015 RBC Heritage, marking the 12th playoff in tournament history.
• With the victory, Furyk improved his playoff record on the PGA TOUR to 4-8, while South Carolina native Kisner fell to 0-1.
• On the first playoff hole (No. 18), Kisner made a birdie-3 from 16 feet, 11 inches to force Furyk to make his birdie putt.
• Furyk followed Kisner’s putt with his own birdie on No. 18 from 7 feet, 9 inches to force a second extra hole.
• Furyk had entered the final round four shots behind third-round leader Troy Merritt, coming back to win his 17th PGA TOUR event and first since the 2010 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
• The win came in his 532nd start at the age of 44 years, 11 months and 7 days.

Furyk’s PGA TOUR Victories (17)

• 1995 Las Vegas Invitational
• 1996 United Airlines Hawaiian Open
• 1998 Las Vegas Invitational
• 1999 Las Vegas Invitational
• 2000 Doral-Ryder Open
• 2002 the Memorial Tournament
• 2001 Mercedes Championship 2015 RBC Heritage
• 2002 the Memorial Tournament
• 2003 U.S. Open, Buick Open
• 2005 Cialis Western Open
• 2006 Wells Fargo Championship, RBC Canadian Open
• 2007 RBC Canadian Open
• 2010 Valspar Championship, RBC Heritage, TOUR Championship

Final 2015 Leaderboard

• Jim Furyk 71-64-68-63—266 (-18) (won playoff)
• Kevin Kisner 68-67-67-64—266 (-18)
• Troy Merritt 69-61-69-69—268 (-16)
• Brendon Todd 73-66-63-67—269 (-15)

RBC Golf Ambassadors dominating RBC Heritage

• Jim Furyk became the third consecutive RBC Golf Ambassador to win the RBC Heritage (2013/Graeme McDowell and 2014/Matt Kuchar).
• RBC began sponsoring this event in 2012.
• In the two years preceding their sponsorship, current RBC Ambassadors Furyk (2010) and Brandt Snedeker (2011) won in Hilton Head.
• To further enhance the connection, Carl Pettersson, who won the RBC Heritage in 2012, also won the RBC Canadian Open in 2010.
• Current list of RBC Ambassadors: Jason Day, Graham DeLaet, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Adam Hadwin, David Hearn, Brooke Henderson, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer, Morgan Pressel, Brandt Snedeker, Nick Taylor, Mike Weir.

More on Jim Furyk’s win at the 2015 RBC Heritage

• Winner of the Tartan Jacket in 2010 and 2015, given annually to the RBC Heritage winner.
• Will be unable to defend his title after having wrist surgery in February on a bone contusion in his left wrist, which has sidelined him since withdrawing from the first round of the 2015 BMW Championship.
• With Furyk out, Payne Stewart (1989-90), Davis Love III (1991-92) & Boo Weekley (2007-08) will remain the only back-to-back winners at the RBC Heritage.
• Had he participated, Furyk would have been seeking to keep a 22-year streak intact, as no defending champion has missed the cut at the RBC Heritage since Davis Love III in 1993.
• In 2015, Furyk set the tournament record for the low finish by a winner at the RBC Heritage with a 63. The previous mark was a 64 by Brandt Snedeker (2011), Brian Gay (2009) and Stewart Cink (2004).
• Furyk became the second oldest winner of the RBC Heritage behind Hale Irwin.
• One of 10 multiple winners of the RBC Heritage, along with Davis Love III (5), Hale Irwin (3), Johnny Miller (2), Hubert Green (2), Tom Watson (2), Fuzzy Zoeller (2), Payne Stewart (2), Stewart Cink (2), Boo Weekley (2).

A glance at the field

• Eight of the top 15 in the FedExCup: Jason Day (2), Brandt Snedeker (3), Kevin Kisner (4), Russell Knox (6), Justin Thomas (7), Kevin Na (10), Graeme McDowell (12), Jason Dufner (13).
• Nine of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking: Jason Day (1), Branden Grace (14), Brandt Snedeker (15), Zach Johnson (17), Kevin Kisner (23), Paul Casey (24), Bill Haas (27), Matt Kuchar (28), Kevin Na (30).
•  Past RBC Heritage champions: Matt Kuchar (2014), Graeme McDowell (2013), Carl Pettersson (2012), Brandt Snedeker (2011), Brian Gay (2009), Boo Weekley (2008, 2007), Aaron Baddeley (2006), Stewart Cink (2004, 2000), Davis Love III (2003, 1998, 1992, 1991, 1987), Justin Leonard (2002).
• Official World Golf Hall of Fame members Vijay Singh and Ernie Els.
• Eight players with nine or more PGA TOUR victories: Vijay Singh (34), Davis Love III (21), Ernie Els (19), David Toms (13), Zach Johnson (12), Justin Leonard (12), Stuart Appleby (9), Jason Day (9).
• Twelve different 2015-16 Season winners: Jason Day (2-Arnold Palmer Invitational/WGC-Dell Match Play), Justin Thomas (CIMB Classic), Russell Knox (WGC-HSBC Champions), Peter Malnati (Sanderson Farms Championship), Graeme McDowell (OHL Classic at Mayakoba), Kevin Kisner (RSM Classic), Fabian Gomez (Sony Open in Hawaii), Jason Dufner (CareerBuilder Challenge), Brandt Snedeker (Farmers Insurance Open), Vaughn Taylor (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am), Tony Finau (Puerto Rico Open), Jim Herman (Shell Houston Open).

Bryson DeChambeau makes PGA TOUR professional debut

• While competing for Southern Methodist University in 2015, Bryson DeChambeau became just the fifth golfer in history to win both the U.S. Amateur Championship and NCAA Division I golf championship in the same season.
• One week after making his final amateur start at the Masters Tournament, DeChambeau will make his PGA TOUR professional debut this week at the RBC Heritage.
• Here’s a look at DeChambeau’s five amateur starts on the PGA TOUR:
  • 2015 FedEx St. Jude Classic (T45),
  • 2015 U.S. Open (MC)
  • 2015 John Deere Classic (MC)
  • 2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational (T27)
  • 2016 Masters Tournament (T21).

Additional Player Notes

• World No. 1 and RBC Golf Ambassador Jason Day will make his fifth RBC Heritage start (T30-2013, T9-2011, T22-2010, MC-2008).
• He is seeking his third win of the season (Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC-Dell Match Play).
• Day is the first player ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking to play the RBC Heritage since Luke Donald in 2012. Day’s caddie/coach, Colin Swatton, is a resident of Berkeley Hall in nearby Bluffton, S.C.
• Kevin Kisner lost in a playoff to Furyk in 2015 in his bid to become the first South Carolinian to win the RBC Heritage. He is coming off of a T37 finish at last week’s Masters Tournament.
• Boo Weekley owns five top 15s in nine RBC Heritage starts (1-2007, 1-2008, T13-2009, T12-2010, T6-2012).
• In 10 RBC Heritage starts, Luke Donald owns five top-3 finishes (T2-2009, T3-2010, 2nd-2011, T3-2013, 2nd-2014). Most recently, he finished T15 in 2015.
• Five-time PGA TOUR winner Carl Pettersson’s last two victories have been at RBC-sponsored events (2010 RBC Canadian Open, 2012 RBC Heritage).
• Current U.S. Ryder Cup captain and five-time RBC Heritage winner Davis Love III (1987, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2003) did not miss a start at the RBC Heritage between 1986-2011 (26 starts). He has since teed it up just once in the last four years (MC/2014). He’ll make his 28th start at the event this week as he seeks his 12th top 10.
• Jason Bohn will make his first start since withdrawing from The Honda Classic in February with chest pains. After being rushed to the hospital, doctors determined Bohn had suffered a major heart attack, with 90 percent blockage in one of his main arteries. He’ll make his 11th start at the RBC Heritage this week, with a sixth-place finish in 2008 his lone top-10 finish. Most recently, he finished T55 here in 2015.

RBC Heritage and the Masters Tournament

• In its traditional spot immediately after the Masters for the fifth straight season.
• Five years ago, was played two weeks after the Masters, marking the first time it was not played the week after the Masters since 1982.
• Field includes three former Masters champions: Vijay Singh (2000), Mike Weir (2003), Zach Johnson (2007).
• Six players who finished inside the top 20 at last week’s Masters Tournament who are scheduled to tee it up at this week’s RBC Heritage: Paul Casey (T4), Matthew Fitzpatrick (T7), Jason Day (T10), Brandt Snedeker (T10), Billy Horschel (T17), Danny Lee (T17).
• Since the RBC Heritage moved into its slot after the Masters in 1983, just six players have won the event without having competed in the Masters the week before: Carl Pettersson (2012), Brian Gay (2009), Boo Weekley (2007), Aaron Baddeley (2006), Bob Tway (1995) and Davis Love III (1987).

Additional RBC Heritage Notes

• This is the 48th RBC Heritage, regarded as one of the TOUR’s most popular stops.
• One of Pete Dye’s signature designs is annually ranked among the country’s top courses and has produced a winner’s roster including inaugural winner Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Hale Irwin, Fuzzy Zoeller, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Davis Love III, Greg Norman and Nick Price.
• There have been 10 international winners of the RBC Heritage: Graeme McDowell (2013), Carl Pettersson (2012), Aaron Baddeley (2006), Peter Lonard (2005), Jose Coceres (2001), Nick Price (1997), Greg Norman (1988), Bernhard Langer (1985), Nick Faldo (1984) and Graham Marsh (1977).
• The RBC Heritage has had 12 playoffs, including both of Jim Furyk’s wins (2010, 2015).
• The RBC Heritage has had 10 first-time winners: Hale Irwin (1971), Graham Marsh (1977), Doug Tewell (1980), Nick Faldo (1984), Davis Love III (1987), Glen Day (1999), Jose Coceres (2001), Peter Lonard (2005), Aaron Baddeley (2006) and Boo Weekley (2007).
• Multiple winners of the RBC Heritage: Davis Love III (5), Hale Irwin (3), Johnny Miller (2), Hubert Green (2), Tom Watson (2), Fuzzy Zoeller (2), Payne Stewart (2), Stewart Cink (2), Boo Weekley (2), Jim Furyk (2).
• Just five players have won the RBC Heritage in their first appearance: Stewart Cink (2000), Jose Coceres (2001), Bob Goalby (1970), Arnold Palmer (1969) and Boo Weekley (2007).
• The RBC Heritage has been won by a player aged 40 and above six times, including Arnold Palmer (40 years, 2 months, 20 days) at the inaugural 1969 tournament, Bob Goalby (1970; 41 years, 8 months, 15 days), Hale Irwin (1994; 48 years, 10 months, 14 days), Loren Roberts (1996; 40 years, 9 months, 27 days), Nick Price (1997; 40 years, 20 months, 22 days) and Jim Furyk (2015; 44 years, 11 months, 7 days)
• Youngest RBC Heritage winner: Davis Love III (23 years, 6 days) when he won the first of five titles in 1987.
• Brian Gay’s 264 winning score in 2009 broke the previous scoring record at the RBC Heritage, which was set by Loren Roberts in 1996 (19-under 265). The 10-stroke winning margin was also a tournament record, besting Davis Love III’s seven-stroke win in 1998.
• Harbour Town is one of eight courses that have hosted at least one TOUR Championship. In 1989, Harbour Town was the site, as usual, of the RBC Heritage, won by Payne Stewart. Six months later, Harbour Town also hosted the season-ending TOUR Championship. Stewart just missed winning twice on the same course in the same season when he fell in a two-hole playoff to Tom Kite.
• The largest final-round comeback at the RBC Heritage is nine strokes (Stewart Cink, 2004).
• The third-round lead/co-leader has won 31 of 47 times at the RBC Heritage, most recently Carl Pettersson in 2012, who entered the final round one shot clear of Colt Knost.
• David Frost set the PGA TOUR’s all-time 72-hole putting record with 92 total putts at Harbour Town in 2005.
  • The old mark was also set at Harbour Town when Kenny Knox had just 93 putts in 1989 (matched by Mark Calcavecchia at the 2002 Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic).
• Nine players (11 times) have won the RBC Heritage with four rounds in the 60s, including Nick Faldo (1984), Payne Stewart (1989), Hale Irwin (1994), Loren Roberts (1996), Nick Price (1997), Davis Love III (1992, 1998, 2003), Boo Weekley (2007), Brian Gay (2009) and Jim Furyk (2010).
• A player has posted four rounds in the 60s 32 times throughout the history of the RBC Heritage, with six players performing the feat in 2015 (Kevin Kisner, Troy Merritt, Matt Kuchar, Louis Oosthuizen, Morgan Hoffmann, Bo Van Pelt ). Nick Price holds the event record with nine straight sub-70 rounds.
• In 2015, Troy Merritt carded a back-nine 7-under 28 during the second round, topping the previous record on that nine by one stroke (Jeff Maggert/2006, Steve Flesch/2001, Chris Perry/2000, Brad Faxon/1997).
• The only other 28 at the RBC Heritage occurred on the front nine (Craig Barlow in 2003).

Strong local contingent set to descend on Hilton Head

• Scott Brown – Former University of South Carolina-Aiken standout and North Augusta, South Carolina resident will make his fourth start at the RBC Heritage (T64-2013, T5-2014, T37-2015). The 2013 Puerto Rico Open champion was inducted into the USC-Aiken Athletic Hall of Fame based on having led the Pacers to three-consecutive NCAA Division II National Championships (2004-06).
• Tommy Gainey – “Two Gloves” is native of Darlington, South Carolina and resident of Columbia. Attended Central Carolina Tech but is a huge Gamecock fan. Playing this week on a sponsor exemption, is making seventh start at the RBC Heritage (MC-2008, T58-2009, 3-2011, T52-2012, T71-2013, T64-2014).
• Lucas Glover – Greenville, S.C. native and former Clemson standout making14th start at the RBC (MC-2002, T16-2004, T47-2005, T12-2006, MC-2007, T7-2008, T26-2009, MC-2010, MC-2011, 69-2012, MC-2013, MC-2014, T18-2015).
• Bill Haas – Greenville, South Carolina resident and 2011 FedExCup champion will be making his 12th start at the RBC Heritage, with a T24 in 2013 his best finish among five made cuts.
• Brian Harman – Savannah, Georgia native and University of Georgia grad received first RBC Heritage exemption in 2004 and another in 2006 after winning the 2005 Players Amateur. Missed the cut in ’04 and ’06, finished T70 in 2012, T59 in 2013, T7 in 2014 and T44 in 2015.
• Charles Howell III – Two-time Junior Heritage Champion and Augusta, Georgia native making 11th career start at the tournament (T19-2002, MC-2003, T12-2008, T37-2009, T22-2010, MC-2011, T29-2012, MC-2013, T53-2014, MC-2015).
• Kevin Kisner – Aiken, South Carolina native and resident and former University of Georgia Bulldog will be making his fourth start at the RBC Heritage (MC-2011, T38-2014, P2-2015). Kisner is in search of his second PGA TOUR victory (2015 RSM Classic).
• Jeff Maggert – The three-time PGA TOUR champion will make his 616th official PGA TOUR start this week. Owns one top-10 finish (T8 in 1996) in 17 previous starts at the event. Owns a home in Sea Pines and is a Sea Pines ambassador.
• Ben Martin – Grew up in Rome, Georgia before attending Clemson University. Finished T56 in 2011, T3 in 2014 and T37 in 2015 in his only previous starts at the RBC Heritage.
• William McGirt – Lumberton, North Carolina native who attended Wofford College (Spartanburg, S.C.) is making his sixth RBC Heritage start (MC-2011, MC-2012, T88-2013, T9-2014, T31-2015). Owns two wins on TOUR.
• Sam Saunders – The grandson of Arnold Palmer, who attended Clemson University through his junior season before turning professional, will make his third start at the RBC Heritage (missed cut in 2011 and 2015). He’ll compete this week via a sponsors exemption.
• Kyle Stanley – Former Clemson Tiger plays out of Bluffton’s Berkeley Hall GC. 2005 Sea Pines Junior Heritage champ is making his fifth start (MC-2011, T60-2012, MC-2013, MC-2014).

Charity

• Since 1987, the Heritage Classic Foundation has distributed more than $32 million to numerous charitable organizations, the arts, medical institutions and college scholarships dedicated to helping people throughout South Carolina and Georgia, including $2.6 million in 2015.

About the Royal Bank of Canada

• Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries, which operate under the master brand name RBC, are one of Canada’s largest banks as measured by assets and market capitalization, and among the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization.
• It is one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies, and provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis.
• They employ approximately 80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 37 other countries.

SOURCE: PGA TOUR