The Masters is now in the past as far as the tournament itself goes, but the memories of Sunday afternoon will stick with the fans for much longer. Davis Love III chipped in at 16 in the final round of The Masters once, but his memories are likely to be far stronger at this week’s PGA Tour stop at Hilton Head for the MCI Heritage. Davis Love III has won five times here, after all.
The field this week doesn’t include any of the top ten golfers in the world, but there are guys who can still get the job done. Stewart Cink comes into this week as the top-ranked player in the field (#11) and also the defending champ. Last year, Cink shot a final-round 64 to sneak into a playoff with Ted Purdy. He then birdied the fifth playoff hole for the event title. He will definitely be looking to repeat and win his third tartan jacket. He also picked up the win in this tournament back in 2000.
As much success as Stewart Cink has had in this tournament, it doesn’t even come close to how great Davis Love III has played at Hilton Head throughout the years. He will be gunning for his sixth win in this tournament! He won this event in 1987 in the first year it was called the MCI Heritage Golf Classic. He also picked up back-to-back victories in 1991 and 1992. He then won the tournament in 1998 when it was simply called the MCI Classic, and most recently he put on the tartan jacket in 2003 after it became known as the MCI Heritage. Love III definitely feels comfortable at this course, and he is honestly in need of a good finish. He has not played the kind of golf fans have become accustomed to seeing over the past ten to fifteen years.
While Cink and Love come in as the favorites this week at Harbour Town, there are a lot of other PGA Tour guys looking to finish strong as well. Darren Clarke, Scott Verplank, and Jim Furyk are all coming off top-30 finishes at Augusta and are ranked in the top 35 in the world rankings. Other notables in the field include Players Championship winner Fred Funk, Lee Westwood, Stephen Ames, and Jay Haas. The field may not be as strong as last week’s, but there is still plenty of firepower to make for a strong weekend of golf.
The course this week is definitely no day off either. Harbour Town Golf Links is a solid test of golf, as the winning score last year was -10. Players are going to have to keep it straight off the tee and be selective with their approach shots. The course itself measures 6973 yards and plays to par 71. The finishing stretch, particularly 17 and 18, will test the leaders when Sunday afternoon rolls around.
The 17th hole is a 185-yard par three that requires a mid- to long-iron shot off the tee. There is a bunker that runs the length of the green and many balls either find the water or the sand on this little hole. The crosswinds definitely don’t help matters. The 18th hole is probably the hole most fans are familiar with. The landing area off the tee could quite possibly be the biggest on tour. The tee shot needs to be placed very precisely, though, as good placement leaves an easier approach shot. There is a very large lagoon area to the left of the green and players that hit their approach shot in that area will be heavily penalized. The bailout area on the right looks inviting, but players who go too far right will also struggle to save par. Davis Love III chipped in on this hole in 2003 for the win, so it’s not all bad news around the 18th green.
Nine of the fifteen tournaments in the young 2005 season have been affected by rain. The MCI Heritage tournament has not had a round delayed by rain since 1993, and that is definitely something to be happy about! And hopefully that statistic won’t be jinxed by the writing of this article. The weather looks decent for this weekend, with partly cloudy conditions with highs in the 60’s.
I am looking for Jim Furyk to win this week at Harbour Town. I know Cink and Love III have both owned this tournament the past 15 years or so, but I think Furyk is due for something great. He has gone too long without a win, and he is coming off a decent finish at The Masters. For my “sleeper” pick this weekend, I am picking Chris Riley. He has also not played very well in awhile, but he can putt with the best of them on any given week. I think the winner will have to be able to save some tough pars on Sunday, and Riley could be the guy to get that done.
It’s always tough to recover from “Masters weekend”, but people should definitely tune in this week for the MCI Heritage. There are some players in the field worth watching, and the course has one of the toughest finishing stretches on tour. The tournament can be seen on USA and CBS at the following times:
Thu 4-6pm ET USA Fri 4-6pm ET USA Sat 3-6pm ET CBS Sun 3-6pm ET CBS