The prestigious RBC Heritage golf tournament gets underway today at the challenging Harbour Town Golf Links, with world number one Scottie Scheffler looking to defend his 2024 title. Advanced predictive models have run 10,000 simulations of the event, confirming Scheffler's position as the clear favorite with a remarkable 17.4% win probability—more than double his nearest competitor.
Fresh from another strong performance at the Masters, Scheffler's precision game appears perfectly suited for the strategic demands of Harbour Town. The defending champion will begin his quest at 10:15 AM ET alongside Viktor Hovland in one of Thursday's featured pairings.
Hot on Scheffler's heels, Collin Morikawa has emerged as a strong contender according to tournament projections. The two-time major champion, who tees off at 1:40 PM ET with Sahith Theegala, brings his elite iron play to a course that traditionally rewards accuracy over raw power.
Justin Thomas rounds out the top three favorites in what promises to be a closely contested Signature Event on the PGA TOUR calendar. Thomas will begin his first round at 10:25 AM ET alongside Canadian Corey Conners.
According to predictive models from Statbet, players with exceptional approach shot accuracy like Scheffler and Morikawa have historically overperformed their baseline statistics at Harbour Town, making them particularly dangerous this week.
Other notable groupings for Thursday's opening round include Ludvig Åberg with Xander Schauffele (1:30 PM ET) and former champions Shane Lowry and Jordan Spieth (10:40 AM ET). Justin Rose and Min Woo Lee will take to the course at 1:50 PM ET.
The betting markets largely align with the analytical projections, particularly regarding Scheffler and Morikawa at the top. However, potential value might exist with Thomas, Russell Henley, and Schauffele, whose placement odds appear slightly undervalued compared to their statistical chances.
While Scheffler's credentials make him the clear favorite to capture consecutive RBC Heritage titles, Harbour Town's notorious difficulty—with its narrow fairways, tiny greens, and strategic demands—has a history of producing unexpected results. The tournament remains wide open as players prepare to tackle one of the PGA TOUR's most respected and challenging layouts.
