Tag: Hilton Head Island

It’s island time: A look at the island stops on the PGA Tour

The PGA Tour follows the sun to some of the most beautiful spots around and is currently swinging through a series of our favorite islands.

The famed island green at the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, may be the best known island on the PGA Tour, but it’s not the only one. In fact, the PGA Tour enjoys its own island swing.

Bermuda (October), Bahamas (December) … it sounds like a Beach Boys song including all the island paradises where the Good Ship PGA Tour drops anchor to spend a week and play 72 holes. This week: St. Simons Island, Georgia, for the RSM Classic.

Jimmy Buffett would enjoy the Tour’s island fever, hopping to the Riviera Maya in Mexico (October), Puerto Rico (March) and places such as the Dominican Republic (March). When it’s sweater weather for much of the contiguous 48 states in January, the Tour heads to Maui and Oahu and returns for stops along the eastern seaboard at Ponte Vedra Beach and Hilton Head Island in March and April, respectively. And this list doesn’t even include the British Isles because, well, you get the idea: These guys are living the dream.

After all, island time is the best time. Here’s a closer look at these island destinations.

Notre Dame target Jaylen Sneed named linebacker MVP at Rivals Camp

A Notre Dame target had a great weekend.

Any college program eyeing a recruit always has to be thrilled whenever that recruit achieves an impressive feat on the playing surface. To that end, Notre Dame surely had to be excited to see outside linebacker target Jaylen Sneed do well at the Rivals Camp he participated in. In fact, he was named the best linebacker at the camp and now is set to take part in the Rivals Five-Star Challenge:

Sneed, who hails from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, announced he had received an offer from Marcus Freeman on Jan. 18. Since then, both Rivals and 247Sports have picked Notre Dame as the clear-cut favorite to land Sneed’s services. Of course, it’s by no means a done deal because the Irish have to hope their offer beats out those from South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia Tech and Florida among others. However, it’s fun to anticipate Sneed putting pen to paper to indicate that he’s indeed coming to South Bend.

Stewart Cink settles into RBC Heritage lead amidst soothing vibe of Hilton Head Island

Stewart Cink hasn’t missed a chance to tee it up at Harbour Town Golf Links for 22 consecutive years.

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HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Stewart Cink has long treasured his journeys to this little spot in the world that hugs the Atlantic Ocean, an island paradise featuring a legendary lighthouse, charming ambiance, peaceful streets lined with an assortment of trees and miles of inviting beaches and bike trails.

All of which surrounds the gem named Harbour Town Golf Links, a challenging Pete Dye layout that tests one and all golfers without brutalizing them. The first time Cink toured Harbour Town, he won the 2000 MCI Classic, now known as the RBC Heritage. Added another win in 2004 and hasn’t missed a chance to tee it up here for 22 consecutive years.

“I feel so relaxed here,” Cink said. “I think it’s the vibe. Is it the week after the Masters vibe or is it the Hilton Head Island vibe? Maybe a little bit both. Coming after the grindhouse that Augusta National can be – especially this year, conditions were pretty tough – it’s nice to come here and relax a little bit, exhale.”

Well, he relaxed a bit too much ahead of his opening tee shot Thursday in the first round of the RBC Heritage, sending his golf ball deep into a lake guarding the 10th hole and making bogey. From there, however, Cink didn’t have another blemish on his card full of seven birdies and an eagle and grabbed the first-round lead with an 8-under-par 63 — his career low at Harbour Town.

RBC Heritage: Tee times, TV info | Yardage book | Fantasy picks

“It really was a very smooth round once I got past the obstacle of the first hole. It was probably one of the worst opening drives I ever hit in my life,” he said. “You’d think that’s a bad way to start, but in a way it’s a wake-up call. After playing in the Masters and being super focused and intense, to come here and be lazy on the first shot was kind of like a slap in the face and it got my attention.

“I was just so relaxed and lackadaisical on the shot that I just kind of didn’t really go through my normal preparation on the shot. Just completely went to sleep at the wheel. Then I really played very, very well the rest of the way.”

Quite a few players played well under overcast skies. Matt Wallace, who finished third in the Valero Texas Open two weeks ago and tied for 34th in last week’s Masters, shot a bogey-free 65 to stand in second among the early finishers.

Billy Horschel, Charles Howell III and Harold Varner III were at 66.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson finished with a 70.

“This week’s so much more relaxed than last,” Horschel said. “You’re just so excited to get to Augusta, can’t wait to play, and by maybe the middle of the week or after the first round, gosh, this place just drives me insane. It’s just one of those weeks where it drives you a little insane with the way the wind can be; the way they set it up. It just requires a lot from you as a golfer.

“So, it’s always nice to come over here after a stressful challenging week like it would be at any major.”

Hilton Head’s casual atmosphere even made an angry golfer smile. Wallace was one of several European Tour stars to take part in a hilarious video released earlier this year where they gathered together to attend an anger management therapy group to discuss their issues (Wallace has had problems with caddies).

Wallace had few issues in the first round and loves Hilton Head.

“I do like it here,” said Wallace, who added that the angry golfer video was brilliant, and the outtakes are even better. “My girlfriend has been coming here with her family for a really long time and it’s a special place. Really nice and chilled and we enjoy it.

“Tournament golf is not decompression (golf) for me. I am fully focused out there. But I like the vibe, the chilled vibe, and I like the trees. I mean, it’s pretty cool that you’ve got all the roads in between the trees and the shrubs, the dense growth.

“The golf course itself is nice as well. I like playing here. I’ve got a good handle of what I want to do on the golf course, and it showed today.”