This Week’s PGA Tour Predictions!
The PGA TOUR heads to South Carolina, one week after the Masters – a tournament dominated by one of this week’s entries Jordan Spieth.
2015 PGA RBC Heritage Golf Odds
When: April 13-19, 2015 on Golf Channel/CBS
Where: Harbour Town Golf Links – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Purse: $5,800,000 / Winner Share: $1,026,000
Defending Champion: Matt Kuchar
***2015 BONUSES***
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Harbour Town Golf Links will host a good field this week on its par 71 layout that stretches out to a mere 7,101 yards and including three par 5s, four par 3s and 11 par 4s. It was the third toughest par 71 that the pros played last year.
Excellent ball strikers traditionally do well here as do players toting a hot putter. Harbour Town offers narrow fairways and relatively small greens – accuracy, not distance and an ability to scramble goes a long way on this track – greens are notoriously tough to hit.
So will anyone come close to Mr. Spieth this week? Let’s take a look.
PGA RBC Heritage Favorites:
Jordan Spieth 11/2
Harbour Links plays right into Spieth’s strengths – but what track doesn’t? He is the hottest guy on the planet right now, he finished 12th in this tournament last year and officially golf’s new “it guy” All of that said you have to think an exhausted letdown is imminent. But then again…
Zach Johnson 14/1
Finished second in this tournament in 2012 and is coming off two top 10 finishes in his last three starts overall including a T9 last week at the Masters.
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Harbour Town is a relatively short track which suits him well – his ball striking is really coming on – the putter seems like the only thing standing in his way.
PGA RBC Heritage Contenders:
Ian Poulter 20/1
Finished T6 at the Masters and has made the cut all four times he’s teed it up on this track. He is 21st in GIR on TOUR, 10th in adjusted scoring and T9 in par-4 scoring – perfect attributes for Harbour Town. I like Poulter- just not sure about the price this week.
Matt Kuchar 20/1
The defending champ here hasn’t been great lately – ZERO top 10s since the Humana. But Kuch hasn’t missed a cut all year and has three top 10s in this event in 11 tries. He is T14 in par-4 scoring and will welcome a friendly track this week. If Kuchar is to get his mojo back it may just come this week.
Patrick Reed 20/1
Has five top 25s in a row but wasn’t terrific last week finishing T22. He is 16th in strokes gained: tee-to-green, second in scrambling and T9 in par-4 scoring but hasn’t had a terrific course history here. The truth is that Reed simply doesn’t hit enough fairways for me to seriously consider him. Reed will be a sexy pick – just not for me!
Charley Hoffman 33/1
Has quietly been playing some good golf of late – three straight top 11 finishes including a T9 last week at the Masters. He had top 10s here in 2013 and 2013 and may be due for a victory on TOUR. He is T14 in par 4 scoring which should help Hoffman immensely this week.
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Webb Simpson 33/1
Simpson is a guy that plays well on certain courses – Harbour Town being one. He is four for five with three top 15s including a runner-up finish in a playoff in 2013. Simpson is coming off an OK T28 at the Masters and could be in contention on a track he’s traditionally done very well on.
PGA RBC Heritage Sleepers (50/1 or higher):
Graham DeLaet 66/1
Anytime ball striking is at a premium, DeLaet will be in my conversation.
Boo Weekley 80/1
Has never missed a cut in eight tries here with five top 25s, three top 10s and two victories. There is nobody in the field with a better course history here – nobody.
John Huh 80/1
Finished T3 here last year after he figured something out and played very well on the weekend last year. He was T17 in his last start at Houston and could break through this week. His stats line up well with this track- he has made five straight cuts and ranks inside the top 20 in driving accuracy (15th), putting (18th), distance from the edge of the fairway (9th) and is 21st in scrambling too.
PGA RBC Heritage Picks:
The pick this week is Zach Johnson at 14/1. He is one of the TOUR’s more accurate players, he is coming off a Masters weekend that he shot 68 in both rounds and he has a good course history here.
The sleeper is John Huh at 80/1. Huh you say? His stats mesh too well with this track. I feel like taking a chance this week and Huh is my man.
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