To put it simply, watching Rory McIlroy finally win The Masters was exhausting.
He has it! We are watching history! Wait, he hit it in the water??? No, no, never mind, he’s got it! Well, maybe not. Wow, great birdie by Justin Rose! Okay, okay, a birdie on 17. Uhhh, bunker? Well, okay, he’s got it. Ehhh, maybe not. Wow, okay. He’s got it. It’s his!!!
To borrow a hugely overused phrase from fellow authors, that was quite a rollercoaster. Even if not Rory, Rose, or one of the other contenders, with Masters week being over, perhaps players could be excused for wanting at least a week off to detox.
Everything in the late winter and early spring leads to, hopefully, getting the game to peak the second Sunday in April. The players and their entourages will start the cycle all over again in a few weeks ahead of the PGA Championship in May.
So, regarding this week's RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, why would names like Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Åberg, Corey Conners, Jason Day, and others be in the field?
On the surface, the biggest reason is that it's the fifth Signature Event on the 2025 PGA Tour schedule.
Looking at a bit of history tells a different story. Its notable winners since 2000 include Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Jordan Spieth, Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, and Stewart Cink. Not a bad bunch for a post-Masters event.
Why would so many players, especially in the pre-Signature Event era, want to play the week after the grind of Masters week?
Sea Pines Resort, home to the Harbour Town course, is about a three-hour drive from Augusta National. Assuming they are not dealing with the hassle of a rental car, that is not a bad drive. Hilton Head Island has a smallish airport, and the Savannah airport is nearby for those who go by air.
Sea Pines is a lovely resort, as is the whole Hilton Head Island, perfect for players or vacationers alike to have a relaxing week. There are plenty of condos and small townhouses for players, families, and their entourages, instead of the standard hotel rooms of other PGA Tour weeks.
The resort has plenty of on-site restaurants, natural gathering places, beaches, fishing and boating activities, and many things to do for players traveling with their children.
What about Harbour Town Golf Links itself, which was one of the narrowest tracks on tour? What everyone seems to forget is that the course is not short at nearly 7,200 yards.
Players might find themselves delighted to have a week of playing for more position off the tee, instead of constantly banging driver. The work they put in prepping for Augusta would come into play with iron play into the greens.
Have you ever taken a vacation that was "go-go-go?” Something like skiing or the mountains or Europe, where you never really stopped? When you got home, were you tired and wanted a day off before you went back to work?
That extra day is your day to detox and recover, was it not? Or, after a wedding, the honeymoon is the chance to recover from the hustle and bustle of the wedding festivities. That is what Sea Pines Resort and the RBC Heritage provide for the players. And again, their families will surely love the area as well.
Before taking some time off after The Masters and before starting prep for the PGA Championship, everyone not named Rory McIlroy has opted to hold off for one more week. Playing for a $20 million purse with no cut certainly doesn't hurt either.