Written by @Matt_Cee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
The RBC Heritage | Thursday 17 January – Sunday 20 January | Harbour Town Links
After the excitement of the Masters, one would expect that the big names would be taking a break but thankfully that is not the case this week. The RBC Heritage has always attracted the best and this week is no different, as the likes of Jordan Spieth, Matt Kuchar and Jason Day have opted to head to South Carolina. In contrast to Augusta, which challenges every aspect of a player’s game, the Harbour Town Links suits those who can play tight tracks and who are accurate with their irons. Measuring in at a mere 7,100 yards, this track is one of the shortest out there and a premium is placed on accuracy off the tee. The dancefloors are also small and hitting greens in regulation will be the key to victory. On tracks like this, bunker play is also going to be an important factor so keep a close eye on those who are good from the soft stuff. So who will be able to handle this one? Let’s have a look.
To Win Outright
Jordan Spieth 16/1
Matt Kuchar 16/1
Jim Furyk 18/1
Luke Donald 18/1
Zach Johnson 22/1
VALUE BETS
Jim Furyk (18/1 a win, 4/1 a place)
Jim Furyk is in a pretty rich vein of form at the moment and he looked really good on his way to a T14 at the Masters. This finish came hot on the heels of a T6 in San Antonio recently and although we all know that Furyk can do better than those two finishes, they show he has what it takes to go close at the moment. He won here in 2010 after a fourth in 2008. That victory was followed by a T8 in 2012 and the fact that he does so well here has a lot to do with the fact that he plays his irons incredibly well and has the ability to hit a lot of greens in regulation when playing tight tracks. Overall he looks a good bet at 18/1, so each way is the bet for me.
Kevin Streelman (60/1 a win, 13/1 a place)
Streelman is another player who has it in him to dominate short, tight tracks and I’m putting his missed cut in the Masters down to the fact that he isn’t long enough off the tee to handle a course like Augusta. That being said, once he is close to the green he is unstoppable and he showed that here last year, managing to finish T3. He rarely misses the fairway and on this course that means a lot, especially when his GIR% is so high. Expect a big showing from Streelman this week, each way looks a certainty.
Billy Horschel (60/1 a win, 13/1 a place)
If Horschel had been putting a bit better last week he would have had a much better tournament at the Masters but he showed flashes of brilliance and his accuracy off the tee and GIR% were some of the highest of any player competing. Ranking second in GIR% behind second-place finisher Jordan Spieth, if he can carry some of that form with his irons into this one he is almost certain to go far. A ninth-place finish for him here showed he has what it takes to handle the course and at 60/1, each way is the bet once again.
TOP BET: Stewart Cink (110/1 a win, 24/1 a place)
There aren’t too many players in the field this week who have the experience that Cink does out here and he will certainly be looking to capitalise on that and add some much needed silverware to his trophy cabinet. He finished T14 at Augusta last week and although his accuracy off the tee was slightly concerning, that can be forgiven because this week he won’t be looking to bomb it down the fairway, he’ll just be trying to hit it. Once he is on the fairway he is playing great and looks to be in incredible form with his irons, so expect a lot of pars and birdies from the veteran. 110/1 looks too big to ignore, get on!
