Still having some Masters hangover? Well, you’re in complete luck as the PGA Tour returns with a bang this week with the 2015 RBC Heritage tournament. The world’s best golfers will duke it out at the famed Harbour Town Golf Links course in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for a chance to win not only the $1.062 million top prize but also the coveted tartan plaid jacket.
Can Jordan Spieth make it back-to-back wins this week? Read on below as we breakdown the favorites, long shots and high-value sleepers for this prestigious tournament. If you’re looking for sports action, though, you can check out our Champions League quarterfinal previews of Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid and PSG vs. Barcelona.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]2015 RBC Heritage Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
When: April 16-19, 2015
Favorites –Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar
What else can we say about Jordan Spieth? The 21-year-old captured the imagination of sports fans everywhere with a breath-taking performance at the Masters last week. Spieth shot a stunning 18-under-par total of 270 to grab his first green jacket and in the process tied Tiger Woods’ record overall score set back in 1997.
[sc:Golf240banner ]It has been a spectacular year thus far for Spieth who has already recorded seven top-10 finishes, including two tournament victories. He has been on a tear as of late, finishing first or second in his last four events. With the form that he is in right now, look for golf’s newest star to be once again in the hunt come Sunday afternoon.
Another golfer who’s bound to be in the mix for the title this coming weekend is defending champion Matt Kuchar. The 36-year-old erased a four-shot deficit in the final round last year, rattling home a bunker attempt in the 72nd hole to grab an improbable one-stroke win. It was Kuchar’s seventh PGA Tour win.
Ever since that victory, though, Kuchar has hit a barren patch, going winless the past 12 months. He has come close to breaking his slump a couple of times this year, finishing third at the Sony Open and second at the Humana Challenge last January. Given his familiarity with the golf course and his recent success here, Kuchar is definitely one of the guys to beat this coming weekend.
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High-Value Sleepers – Ian Poulter and Paul Casey
Ian Poulter might have fallen short at this year’s Masters but there were plenty of positives for the Englishman to take heading into the RBC Heritage this week. It seemed like his trip to Bahamas before the year’s opening major worked wonders for his golf game as he scored his best finish at Augusta in 11 career starts, ending up in a tie for sixth with a nine-under-par total of 279.
It has been a solid year so far for Poulter who held the 54-hole lead at the Honda Classic last February before imploding with a 74 in the final round. Key to his success this year has been his marked improvement in greens in regulation. In the recently-concluded Masters, Poulter was no. 1 in that department with over 82% of greens hit. If Poulter can get his putter working at Hilton Head, who knows, he may finally grab his third PGA Tour win this week.
Another Englishman who’s having a renaissance this year is Paul Casey. The 37-year-old has been on a tear of late, finishing in the top-10 in four of his last six events. This includes his sixth-place finish at Augusta last week where he shot a remarkable nine-under-par total of 279. He is currently ninth in the PGA Tour in scoring with a 70.096 stroke per round average.
Casey has been one of the most consistent golfers on the PGA Tour this year and it won’t be a total shock if he’s in the hunt once again for the title come the back nine on Sunday.
Long Shots –Ernie Els and Jim Furyk
Remember Ernie Els? The four-time major champion stunned golf aficionados with a solid showing at Augusta last week, finishing in a tie for 22nd with a two-under-par total of 286. In fact, he was tied for second after the opening round after shooting a stunning five-under-par 67 on Thursday.
That performance came out of nowhere for the South African who has already missed the cut four times in the tour this season. You can never count out these grizzled veterans though from making some surprise runs in these PGA Tour events. Case in point: Padraig Harrington who pulled off a shocking win at the Honda Classic last February. He may be a long shot but putting some money on Els might be worth your while.
Another veteran who is struggling of late is Jim Furyk. He has finished in the top-10 just once this year, a seventh-place finish at the Pebble Beach tournament last February. He has finished outside the top-50 in his last two events, including a woeful 58th-place showing at the Masters last week.
His stock may be down right now but you can never discount Furyk from returning to the winner’s circle at the RBC Heritage this week. He has emerged victorious in this event before, capturing the crown back in 2010. One advantage that Furyk has against other competitors is his superb accuracy off the tee.
He is fifth in the PGA Tour in driving accuracy this season with a 72.28% clip. That will be a major asset in tackling the tough 7,101-yard, par-71 Harbour Town Golf Links course.
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