2026 RBC Heritage Begins Thursday at Harbour Town

The 2026 RBC Heritage begins Thursday at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, drawing a field of 82 top PGA Tour players for the $20 million Signature Event just one week after Rory McIlroy's back-to-back Masters victory. Defending champion Justin Thomas returns to the par-71 layout, which measures under 7,300 yards and emphasizes accuracy on its narrow, tree-lined fairways and small greens, offering a stark contrast to the demanding terrain of Augusta National.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler enters as the betting favorite, seeking to build on his strong recent form after finishing one stroke behind McIlroy at the Masters. The field includes past winners Jordan Spieth (2022) and Matt Fitzpatrick (2023), along with Xander Schauffele and Russell Henley, both of whom posted solid results at Augusta. Thomas, who captured the title last year with a playoff birdie over Andrew Novak at 17-under, finished tied for 41st at the Masters and spoke Tuesday about the challenges of the compressed schedule. "It's tough," Thomas said. "Majors are kind of what guys will generally build their schedule off of... it's also how your legacy in the game is remembered for a lot...