Tag: Hilton Head

Sunday’s final round of 2024 RBC Heritage suspended due to darkness after lengthy weather delay

The final round was suspended due to inclement weather for two hours and thirty minutes on Sunday afternoon.

The last thing you want to hear is the horn on the golf course, but that’s precisely what fans at the 2024 RBC Heritage heard on Sunday. Twice.

The final round play at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina was suspended due to inclement weather at 4:28 p.m. ET. The final group featuring tournament leader Scottie Scheffler was in the fairway on the 11th hole when play was called.

On the CBS broadcast, the Tour’s Senior Director, TV rules and review analyst Mark Dusbabek made it clear that play was called due to lightning in the area and not because of the heavy rains that were falling. At 6:30 p.m. ET the final update came that play would resume at 7 p.m. ET, ending a two-and-a-half-hour delay. Less than an hour later at 7:47 p.m. ET the horn sounded to call play for the day due to darkness.

Nine players will return to the course at 8 a.m. ET Monday morning to finish he tournament. Scottie Scheffler, who has won three of his last four starts, holds a five-shot lead with three holes to play.

[fanpower_carousel id=”179″]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1375]

Massive tiger shark landed during ‘team-building’ fishing trip

A group of South Carolina business partners on Sunday teamed to land a massive tiger shark that weighed an estimated 1,500 pounds.

A group of South Carolina business partners on Sunday teamed to land a tiger shark that weighed an estimated 1,500 pounds.

“If that wasn’t a great team-building exercise, I don’t know what is,” Capt. Chip Michalove told FTW Outdoors.

Michalove, owner of Outcast Sport Fishing in Hilton Head, did not provide the anglers’ names but said they fought the shark for 90 minutes before it was alongside the boat. (The shark was released after a brief photo session.)

“Largest one we’ve caught in years, a 13-footer,” Michalove boasted Monday via Facebook.

Any tiger shark topping 1,000 pounds is considered to be enormous.

For comparison, the International Game Fish Assn. lists the world record as a tie between a catches of 1,785 pounds, 11 ounces (Australia, 2004) and 1,780 pounds (South Carolina, 1964).

(The 1964 catch was made from a Myrtle Beach pier!)

13-foot tiger shark moments before it was released. Photo: Chip Michalove

Michalove, who in July 2022 caught and released a record-size hammerhead shark, explained that giant tiger sharks tend to be active off South Carolina in the fall.

“It seems like every year the largest tiger is always the last two weeks of October,” he said. “Last year we lost an enormous one on Halloween.”

Michalove, who is authorized to tags sharks for research, said he has caught several of the same large tiger sharks over the years.

Tiger shark was landed after a 90-minute fight. Photo: Chip Michalove

But the shark his group caught Sunday did not have a tag and did not show markings that would imply it had previously been tagged.

Asked about how the anglers handled the fight, Michalove explained:

“The fight was an hour and a half. It took all four customers multiple rod swaps to get her close. One of the guys was a pastor, and that always seems beneficial.”

Beachgoers in awe as large shark chases stingray almost onto shore

A beachgoer at Hilton Head, S.C., this week captured dramatic footage showing a large shark chasing a stingray almost onto the beach.

A beachgoer at Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Tuesday captured dramatic footage showing a large lemon shark chasing a stingray almost onto the beach.

WSAV News 3 shared the footage, captured by Katy Albright, under the heading, “Shark vs. a stingray on a Hilton Head Island beach.”

It wasn’t much of a contest, however, as the shark appears to have caught the stingray without too much trouble in water just inches deep.

Albright described the scene as “Incredible” and “Wild.”

Some types of sharks, including lemon sharks and juvenile white sharks, prey on stingrays in shallow water at certain times of year.

Outcast Sport Fishing’s Chip Michalove, who tags sharks for research off Hilton Head, identified the shark in the video as a lemon shark.

A top Facebook comment reads: “I’m glad I didn’t see both of them while I was at Hilton Head swimming at the beach on my vacation a week ago.”

Check the yardage book: Harbour Town Golf Links for the 2023 RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour

StrackaLine offers hole-by-hole maps for one of the most recognizable courses on the PGA Tour.

Harbour Town Golf Links – site of the 2023 RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour – was designed by Pete Dye with an assist from Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1969 on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Part of Sea Pines Resort, Harbour Town ranks No. 2 in South Carolina on Golfweek’s Best list of public-access layouts in each state. It also ranks No. 21 among all resort courses in the U.S., and it comes in at No. 54 on Golfweek’s Best list of all modern courses in the U.S.

Harbour Town will play to 7,191 yards with a par of 71 for the RBC Heritage. With tree branches frequently dangling into playing corridors, the layout tends to favor control over brute strength as players must navigate sometimes tight fairway lines on the interior holes before the course moves to Calibogue Sound for the final two holes. The par 3s are considered by many to be among the best sets of 1-shotters in the game.

Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week.

[afflinkbutton text=”Book your trip to Sea Pines Resort today” link=”https://www.golfbreaks.com/en-us/vacations/hilton-head/sea-pines-resort/harbour-town-golf-links/?cid=999740052&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=golfweek&utm_campaign=pgat_tournament_courses_q3_22_gw”]

Abraham Ancer still hasn’t won, but he keeps getting closer

Ancer is now the highest-ranked player on the Official World Golf Rankings without a win on either the PGA or European Tour.

He’s as smooth on the course as the silky tequila he’s associated with, and while Abraham Ancer hasn’t broken through on the PGA Tour for a victory just yet, it certainly feels like it’s just a matter of time.

On Sunday, Ancer fell a single stroke shy of becoming the fifth consecutive player to earn first Tour win at RBC Heritage when his putt on the 72nd hole came up just short of forcing a playoff with Webb Simpson.

How good was Ancer on Hilton Head Island? The University of Oklahoma product hit a career-best 65 of 72 greens in regulation, the most by any player at this event since 1980. That’s right, he only missed seven greens all week long.

Yet he came up just short again, and now holds the unenviable position of being the highest-ranked player on the Official World Golf Rankings without a win on either the PGA or European Tour. The Reynosa, Mexico, product is currently 24th on the OWGR (and 17th on the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings).

[jwplayer 7NBaZ2A0-vgFm21H3]

Second-place finishes are wearing on Ancer, but he feels like the winning formula is in place.

“It’s tough, especially like this week, when I felt like I was right there during the weekend, hitting it even more than enough to win. That’s just golf. You’ve just got to keep trying,” he said. “I’m not going to change anything or work on anything. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing, and I think that will eventually happen.”

Ancer, who founded a new tequila company named Fletcha Azul with partner Aron Marquez, struggled in his first four events after making the Tour Championship at the end of last season, starting his 2019-20 PGA Tour campaign with a pair of missed cuts and then a T-57 and T-41.

But then he got hot, finishing T-4 at the WGC-HSBC Champions and T-8 two weeks later at Mayakoba. Ancer followed by tying Sungjae Im for most points for the Internationals at the Presidents Cup, earning 3.5 points via a 3-1-1 record with his only loss coming against Tiger Woods.

He was second at the American Express back in January and got out of the gates strong during the recent season restart, finishing T-14 at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.

[vertical-gallery id=778049776]

And with a compacted schedule on the horizon, Ancer thinks he’s in the right position to finally break through and get that elusive first victory.

“I mean, there’s a lot of big tournaments, coming up, which I enjoy,” he said. “There’s some golf courses that are, I mean, this one’s usually tough, but it played a lot easier this year for some reason, softer, I guess. I prefer tough golf courses for some reason, and a lot of them that I enjoy.”

Leading the field in strokes gained approaching the green like he did at Harbour Town certainly should help as he chases that first Tour win.

“A lot of positives,” Ancer said, “and looking forward to what is ahead of me.”

[lawrence-related id=778050657,778050604,778050461]

Justin Thomas calls Hilton Head a ‘zoo’, says people are not taking COVID-19 seriously

Excitement is in the air this weekend in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The weather is finally warm, Saturday marks the first day of summer and the PGA Tour is in town after a three-month break. But the world is still in the midst of a …

Excitement is in the air this weekend in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The weather is finally warm, Saturday marks the first day of summer and the PGA Tour is in town after a three-month break.

But the world is still in the midst of a pandemic.

After finishing his third round at the RBC Heritage, Justin Thomas said he doesn’t see residents and visitors on Hilton Head Island adhering to social distancing guidelines.

“I mean, no offense to Hilton Head, but they’re seeming to not take it very seriously. It’s an absolute zoo around here,” Thomas said. “There’s people everywhere. The beaches are absolutely packed. Every restaurant, from what I’ve seen when I’ve been driving by, is absolutely crowded. So I would say it’s still coincidence that there’s got to be a lot of stuff going on around here.

“Unfortunately, that’s not on Nick because I know he’s very cautious and has done everything he can, but I would say a lot of people in this area of Hilton Head just aren’t.”

Leaderboard | Photos | How to watch | Tee times | Updates

Since the Tour season restarted last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club, Nick Watney became the first PGA Tour player to test positive for the virus. Watney tested negative earlier in the week along with all other players, caddies and Tour personnel, but felt symptoms Friday ahead of the second round and took another COVID-19 test. This one came back positive.

[jwplayer Me5unZun-vgFm21H3]

Players like Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka said they saw Watney Friday before it was confirmed he had the virus. Thomas publicly responded to Watney’s positive test Saturday.

“Yeah, obviously, I was bummed. … It’s a shame because we have done such a great job these first two weeks,” Thomas said.

Beaufort County, the county in which Hilton Head Island is located, has 760 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 15 resulting deaths as of Saturday afternoon, according to USA Today. The county’s numbers have risen significantly over the past week. The state of South Carolina has 23,756 confirmed cases and 643 deaths as of Saturday.

Since June 5, more than 10,000 new cases have been reported statewide.

Regardless of what occurs outside the PGA Tour’s protective bubble and the one positive COVID-19 test inside that bubble, Thomas said he felt comfortable at Harbour Town and playing during the pandemic.

“I feel very safe. I wouldn’t be playing if I didn’t. … What I’ve done is I stay in a house with a chef each week with a couple of guys and keep it in that small circle,” Thomas said. “So I feel very, very safe in that regard. Outside you can’t control what other people have done, and I think that’s what happened to Nick. He was very unlucky.”

Thomas finished Saturday 5-under 66 to sit at 9 under, four shots back from current pacesetters Joaquin Niemann and Chris Stroud. Thomas shot rounds of 72 and 66 headed into the weekend at Harbour Town.

[vertical-gallery id=778049776]

[lawrence-related id=778050225,778050151,778050090,778048648,778049763]

Matthew NeSmith shoots 66 at Harbour Town, where he proposed to his wife

The 26-year-old PGA Tour rookie already has won the Junior Heritage and popped the question to his now wife at Pete Dye’s Hilton Head layout

Of all the courses Matthew NeSmith has played in his life, Harbour Town Golf Links, site of this week’s RBC Heritage, is his favorite – and for good reason.

The South Carolina native won the Junior Heritage on the Pete Dye layout in Hilton Head, South Carolina, in 2011, the Players Amateur in nearby Bluffton in 2015 – which earned him an exemption into the Heritage – and the famed 18th green overlooking the Calibogue Sound is where he dropped to one knee and popped the question in 2018 to Abigail, his now wife.

It’s also where he carded seven birdies en route to a 5-under 66 on Thursday to join the trophy hunt for his first PGA Tour title.

“This course fits my game nicely, especially if I play well,” NeSmith said. “I’ve been around here a couple of times. So I’m pretty excited about it.”

After his round, NeSmith recounted the circumstances of his proposal to his wife on March 18, 2018. They began dating as students at University of South Carolina, and he was playing the course as part of a birthday weekend trip to Hilton Head for her.

“I started to have a little bit of a panic attack around 14 because I didn’t think we were going to finish in time because there was tons of people on the golf course,” said NeSmith, who had a friend hiding in the bushes to photograph the moment for posterity. “Once I got on the green, I kind of don’t remember a whole lot until we were eating dinner. It was a little nerve-racking, to say the least.”

NeSmith made a par at 18 on Thursday, but he aced the engagement.

He and Abigail were married on Nov. 1, 2019, during a break from his fourth and fifth tournaments as a Tour member. The 26-year-old rookie earned his promotion from the Korn Ferry Tour thanks to a victory at the Albertsons Boise Open.

He’s off to a promising start, making the cut in nine of his last 10 starts and posting three top-15 finishes. He entered the week a very respectable 64th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Leaderboard | Photos | How to watch | Tee times | Updates

This is NeSmith’s first RBC Heritage appearance. He earned an invitation for winning the 2015 Players Amateur when he shot 65 in the final round to catch Chase Koepka, who had entered the final round with a five-stroke lead. But NeSmith passed up the Heritage in order to compete in the SEC Championship that same week with his teammates at South Carolina.

NeSmith started on the back nine on Thursday and strung together four birdies in a row, beginning at No. 13. He trails early leader Ian Poulter by two strokes. Asked what it would mean to complete a trifecta of sorts by winning the RBC Heritage having already won the Junior Heritage and his wife’s hand in marriage at Harbour Town, he said, “It would be great. It’s later on in the week, and there’s a lot of golf to be played.”

[jwplayer Mx5oFdbQ-9JtFt04J]

[lawrence-related id=778049879,778049616,778049796,778049763]

2020 RBC Heritage Prop Bet Payday: Match Betting, Placing and FRL Odds and Picks

Analyzing prop bets for the 2020 RBC Heritage, with odds, picks and best bets for the best match betting and placing options.

The 2020 RBC Heritage takes place this week at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C., with another loaded field. We’ve looked at the best bets and the top-30 fantasy rankings and below, we’ll look at the best prop bets for the RBC Heritage and make our picks.

2020 RBC Heritage: Matchup bets

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, June 17 at 7:55 a.m. ET.

Patrick Reed vs. Webb Simpson (-118)

Simpson has a better history at Harbour Town with a T-5 in 2018 and two other top 20s in the last three years, while Reed hasn’t played here since a missed cut in 2015. Simpson also ranks third in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting on Bermuda greens. He looks to bounce back from a missed cut last week.

Xander Schauffele vs. Collin Morikawa (+115)

Morikawa has good value at plus-money coming off a runner-up finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He makes his debut at Harbour Town, but that situation hasn’t been an issue for him yet as he remains without a missed cut as a professional.

Gary Woodland (-133) vs. Jordan Spieth

Spieth received a lot more camera time than Woodland last week. The reigning US Open champion finished alone in ninth place, while Spieth was part of a large group at T-10. Play it safe with the more reliable Woodland. Spieth won’t have the same room for error off the tee this week and Woodland ranks 14th in the field in SG: Off the Tee.

Looking to place a bet on the RBC Heritage? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

2020 RBC Heritage: Placing bets

Top 5: Sam Burns (+4500)

Burns finished alone in ninth at the 2019 RBC Heritage. He ranks fifth in this field in SG: Putting on Bermuda greens.

Top 10: Rory Sabbatini (+800)

Sabbatini was T-14 last week and he was T-10 here in 2019. He can avoid bogeys and will have plenty of scoring opportunities on the par 5s.

Lowest score Group D: Branden Grace (+400)

Grace’s lone PGA Tour victory to date came at the 2016 RBC Heritage. He returned to the European Tour’s winner’s circle for the ninth time at the South African Open in mid-January. He opened the Charles Schwab Challenge with three straight rounds of 66 before firing a Sunday 73 to finish T-19.

2020 RBC Heritage: Tournament specials

Leader after 1st round: Luke Donald (+10000)

Donald, a former world No. 1, had runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017 while opening with a 65 and 66, respectively. He followed them up with a missed cut in 2018 and a T-33 in 2019, but he’s still among the best Bermuda putters in the field

Get some action on the RBC Heritage by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

PGA schedule update: RBC Heritage could get double-exposure

If the tournament in Hilton Head Island, S.C., goes off as now scheduled, it could provide a surprisingly impactful dose of exposure.

Organizers of the 52nd RBC Heritage certainly didn’t draw it up this way, and they’ll obviously miss the throngs of golf fans that flock to Hilton Head Island, S.C., each year for the event.

But those affiliated with the tournament admit that if it goes off as now scheduled, it could provide a surprisingly impactful dose of exposure for the region.

According to tournament director Steve Wilmot, the 2020 Heritage — which is expected to be held without spectators in June — will still provide a positive impact on the community. Golf Channel and CBS aired reruns of previous tournaments last weekend, and a live broadcast in June will help to serve as additional marketing.

“This community’s going to benefit a lot more than they realize from the (reruns from years past) being held on TV (last) week and then we’re going to get a live broadcast in June,” Wilmot said. “So we’re getting a double hit for this community, which is tremendous.”

The tour said last week that the Heritage is now expected to take place June 18-21 at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island. The tournament will be closed to spectators and sponsors.

“Save the date,” Wilmot said. “We’ll give you a great RBC Heritage tournament. It won’t be the same as other years, but I’d take this alternative any day. The second-best thing to being at Harbour Town during the RBC Heritage is to watch it from the comfort of your homes, plaid outfits on and drinks in hand.

[jwplayer ao5T1imW-vgFm21H3]

“This isn’t (just) our decision, this wasn’t the PGA Tour’s decision, there was a joint decision. The governor was involved, the mayor was involved, RBC was involved and it was, ‘This opportunity is there, let’s go ahead and commit to this date.’”

Previously scheduled for April 16-19, but canceled March 17 because of concerns about the coronavirus, the Heritage is now set for the week when the U.S. Open was first scheduled. It is the second event in a revised schedule that is expected to begin June 11-14 with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas.

The adjusted season-long schedule, which the tour said is subject to change, now consists of 36 events, including three FedExCup Playoffs events concluding with the Tour Championship on Labor Day weekend.

The PGA Tour said the Heritage field will increase from 132 to 144 to provide additional opportunities for tour members. Wilmot said he expects a full field for the tournament in June.

The Heritage Classic Foundation said there are three options for those who purchased tickets to this year’s tournament. They may donate to the foundation, secure tickets for the 2021 Heritage or receive a refund that does not include the $10 service charge.

The Heritage raises $3 million annually for local charities and its annual economic impact has been estimated to be $102 million in South Carolina. Ticket sales fund most of its giving programs.

“What an honor it would be to welcome the PGA Tour back to Hilton Head Island in June,” Hilton Head Island Mayor John McCann said. “While golf fans may not be able to walk the gallery due to health precautions, the fact that millions of viewers will lay eyes on the RBC Heritage being played here is incredible news. It’s a huge win for golf and for our community.”

Golf Channel and CBS aired past RBC Heritage tournaments last weekend. CBS broadcasts included the final round of the 2015 Heritage where Jim Furyk won a sudden-death playoff over Kevin Kisner and Branden Grace’s win in 2016. Golf Channel showed Heritages from 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

“It’s the texts I’ve gotten from real estate agents, it’s other businesses saying thank you and welcome back,” Wilmot said. “When CBS and the Golf Channel go on to 220-plus countries and a billion households and people are watching golf, watching Hilton Head Island and this community, that’s the biggest marketing this community has.”

Wilmot acknowledged the absence of spectators will cause a wrinkle in the economic impact.

“We’re basically going to be running a tournament in June with zero revenue opportunities,” Wilmot said. “Four weeks leading up to the tournament, we traditionally average close to $800,000 in ticket sales and they go away. The impact’s still going to be there, but for us to go ahead and move forward with this opportunity in June is going to eventually benefit all. We’re going to have to analyze all these things and there’s definitely going to be a hiccup year.”

Catch of 15-foot great white shark honors hit-and-run victim

A 15-foot great white shark was caught Wednesday off Hilton Head, S.C., and named after a girl who was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

A 15-foot great white shark was caught Wednesday off Hilton Head, S.C., and named after a 14-year-old girl who was killed in a 2016 hit-and-run accident.

Capt. Chip Michalove of Outcast Sport Fishing tagged and released the adult female shark – his first white shark catch of 2020 – and afterward named her Grace.

Grace Sulak in 2015. Photo courtesy of Kristen Sulak

“We’re naming her Grace after an aspiring marine biologist Grace Sulak [who] was killed in a hit-and-run May 7, 2016 on I-26,” Michalove wrote Thursday on Facebook. “The white truck that caused the accident was never found.”

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Yellowstone tourists get jail time for trespassing on Old Faithful

Sulak, a member of the Bluffton High School track team, was riding in a car with her best friend and her friend’s mother when their vehicle was run off the road by the driver of a white truck, who fled the scene.

Sulak was the only person killed in the accident, which remains under investigation.

Michalove, who tags white sharks that have migrated south after spending the summer off Cape Cod, is assisting in a long-term scientific project with Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries and Megan Winton of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

The movements of sharks tagged by the group can be followed via its “Sharktivity” app.

–Images showing the great white shark are courtesy of Chip Michalove. Image showing Grace Sulak in 2015 is courtesy of Kristen Sulak