As the Masters is all wrapped up now, all eyes move to Harbour Town, where the RBC Heritage takes place at Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island. Dating back to 1969, the first-ever Heritage Classic was held here at Harbour Town Golf Links, where Arnold Palmer won after having not won in more than a year.

The event held during the Thanksgiving period is quite historic in nature for the game of golf. Now, the return of the RBC Heritage is the fourth Signature Event of the season. And while the tournament will feature no cut, there is no shortage of intriguing storylines at the newly refurbished golf course.

A new-look Harbour Town is waiting

Harbour Town Golf Links is a challenging golf course that is 7,213 yards long, designed by Pete Dye in collaboration with Jack Nicklaus. Slight modifications were made in 2024, and the course features narrow fairways, strategically located sand traps, and small, uneven putting surfaces. As a result, it remains a tough test even for top professional players.

After the completion of the 2025 event, Harbour Town Golf Links underwent extensive renovation under the supervision of Davis Love III and his design team. The process involved the complete reconstruction of all greens and bunkers, the leveling of tees with laser technology, and the replacement of bulkheads. The objective of these renovations was to restore the golf course to championship standards for both PGA Tour professionals and resort players while respecting Pete Dye’s original concept.

The lowest total score on record at Harbour Town Golf Links is 262, achieved by Webb Simpson in 2020. The record for 18 holes is 61, shared by David Frost, who accomplished the feat in 1994, and Troy Merritt, who tied the record in 2015.

How to Watch? (All times ET)

There are several ways for spectators to track this event throughout the week via broadcasting and streaming platforms. One interesting feature is the PGA TOUR LIVE Betcast, sponsored by DraftKings, which airs exclusively on ESPN+, from Thursday to Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

As far as TV broadcasts go, they will start airing on Thursday and Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. on the Golf Channel. The weekend broadcasts on the Golf Channel will take place from 1 to 3 p.m., while the remaining three hours will be aired on CBS and Paramount+.

The PGA TOUR LIVE broadcast will be on ESPN+ for all four days from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are four channels available on the site that include: the primary channel, which captures significant events that happen on the golf course, the marquee group channel that tracks all shots of the selected top players, the featured groups channel that tracks two different groups together in a traditional manner, and the BetCast channel that offers information and betting tips.

On the other hand, there will be the PGA TOUR Radio available at SiriusXM station and on PGATOUR.COM as a live audio streaming broadcast from 12 to 6 p.m. Thursday to Friday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday to Sunday.

The history and significance of Harbour Town

It is not easy to describe the tale of the Harbour Town Golf Links. But the easiest way to interpret its history would be to look into the tale of the course’s constructors and conquerors.

Its inaugural edition began with Arnold Palmer and Charles Fraser (an American real estate developer who completed Harbour Town in 1968), and both had something to lose. Coming into the first-ever Heritage Classic tournament, Palmer seemed unusually off-form for a player used to winning one match per month for over ten years. As rumors started circulating regarding his dominance, Palmer was keen on proving to his detractors that he still had more tricks up his sleeve.

Fraser, meanwhile, wished to reshape the concept of a resort with Sea Pines, employing more creativity than financial backing to bring his vision to life. In 1969, the challenge was steep and far removed from the prestige Harbour Town holds today. Early ticket prices reflected a modest beginning, with grounds access set at $20 and an additional $10 granting entry to the clubhouse for the entire week.

The first Heritage Classic, played on the newly built Harbour Town Golf Links, carried a boldness that matched Palmer’s style, an ambitious debut for both the tournament and the course itself. 

When the course was completed in time for its first appearance, Pete Dye and  Jack Nicklaus expected Harbour Town to reward only those at the top of their game. Their expectation proved to be accurate as very few winners (only four of the fifty-one) have won their first PGA TOUR title at this course.

Golfers need precision in their entire bag and strategy at this course that, inspired by traditional links from Scotland, demands a higher degree of control and shot making than great distances. What needs to be noted is the forward-looking vision that characterized this project, which was decades ahead of its time through ideas that wouldn’t become widely embraced until decades later, much like the eventual restoration philosophy seen at Pinehurst No. 2.

This golf course was built in only 18 months before the first Heritage tournament and received great appreciation, including recognition in Sports Illustrated as a masterpiece.

Now, it has gained such significance in the golfing landscape that one former winner of the Heritage likened the transition from Augusta to Harbour Town to the difference between playing in the Super Bowl and at Disney World – relaxed, rather than intense, but still offering much to look forward to.

Storylines to follow this year

Defending champion Justin Thomas comes to Harbor Town following his victory at the 2025 RBC Heritage, where he edged out Andrew Novak after sinking an improbable putt that rolled just over 20 feet from the edge of the green in regulation. It was his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship, and he now comes to this tournament following a T41 performance at the Masters.

The current world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will also come into this tournament in good form following his solo second-place finish at Augusta after being unable to catch up to Rory McIlroy during his final round performance. He shows great promise after his win at The American Express in early 2025, and also the record of being the only player since Bernhard Langer in 1985 to have won both the Masters and RBC Heritage in the same season, by beating Sahith Theegala by three strokes.

This also marks the return of Tony Finau, who was absent from a major event for the first time since 2018. Though he had three straight missed cuts to start the season in his first four appearances, he has bounced back with six straight made cuts, which included two top-20 placements, but still no top-10 placement yet. England’s Matt Wallace also earned his spot in the tournament via the Aon Swing 5 following his tie for fifth place at the Valero Texas Open.

It was then Jake Knapp who emerged as the leader of the Aon Next 10 list after his success at the Masters tournament, where he maintained his momentum from the past performances, having recorded seven top-11 results out of eight appearances, including his latest 11th-place finish at Augusta. Nico Echavarria takes the second place on the list, having won at the Cognizant Classic tournament held in The Palm Beaches. Gary Woodland jumped into one of the leading positions in the list thanks to the triumph he scored in the Texas Children’s Houston Open tournament.

Also included is an international contingent made up of Ryo Hisatsune and Nicolai Højgaard, along with TOUR rookie Sudarshan Yellamaraju, who is 24 years old and is Canadian by birth and came fifth in THE PLAYERS Championship. Ricky Castillo, a former University of Florida player and Puerto Rico Open victor, rounds out the leaderboard as he makes his Harbour Town debut.