Spieth Brings Extra Luster to Harbour Town

By: Joel Zuckerman


The PGA Tour has had a presence on bucolic Hilton Head Island for more than 45 years. The inaugural championship received a huge boost when Arnold Palmer, then at the height of his popularity, won the title at what was then known as the Heritage Classic in 1969. The tournament morphed into the Sea Pines Heritage Classic a few years later. Then it was the MCI Heritage Classic, then the MCI Classic, then the Worldcom Classic, The Heritage, the Verizon Heritage and now the RBC Heritage.

Lighthouse on Harbour Town's 18th Hole

While only the late Elizabeth Taylor underwent more name changes, one thing remains constant. Donning the champion's tartan blazer at Harbour Town is a highlight for any PGA Tour player, no matter how glittering his resume may be.

One could argue that this year's iteration is a glitzier event than has been seen on the south end of Hilton Head in many years. Perhaps not since Palmer flew in on his own plane, a few months after Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon, has the tournament been fortunate enough to have the 'buzz' that recently crowned Masters champion Jordan Spieth is bringing to the event.

With the rise of the World Golf Championships over the last decade-and-a-half, Harbour Town's marquee event has lost some luster. It isn't the "must-play" it was previously for many Tour pros, and the former star-studded fields it attracted have mellowed.

So it's a massive shot in the arm that this week's Sports Illustrated cover boy Spieth is honoring his commitment, and after a whirlwind media tour to New York in the heady days after his record-setting Masters win, is on the grounds at Harbour Town. The 21-year-old is the first defending Masters champ to come to Hilton Head since Zach Johnson in 2007; prior to that it was Vijay Singh 15 years ago, in 2000. Zach placed sixth and the big Fijian also had a very respectable week, closing with a 64 on Sunday to tie for third.

It's interesting to note that only one player has expanded his blazer wardrobe on consecutive weeks. Bernhard Langer, now the terror of the Champion's Tour, won the Masters and what was then known as the Sea Pines Heritage Classic back-to-back in 1985.

And make no mistake - it's one of the appeals of the annual spring fling on Hilton Head that the roster of tournament victors reads like a Who's Who of the game. Palmer set a precedent that first year and he's been followed by a veritable Hall of Fame roster that includes names like Nicklaus, Irwin, Miller, Love, Stewart, Zoeller, Leonard, Watson, Norman, Faldo, Langer and Price.

What's more impressive? The fact that Harbour Town champs have won nearly 70 majors combined? That the championship roster has won about 400 tournaments on Tour? Or that since the tournament debuted, only two major winners haven't attempted to conquer the subtly twisting fairways of this wonderful Pete Dye design? (Use that last one to stump your pals in the 19th hole. The answer: Ian Woosnam and Paul Lawrie.) No matter how you look at it, Harbour Town is still on a short list of non-major events that every player would love to win.

Meanwhile, this year's event will be the usual classy affair. Historically speaking, Hilton Head has enjoyed rock-solid popularity with many of the PGA Tour elite, who love to bring the family to Sea Pines for a "working vacation" and decompress after a stressful Masters week. For about 30 years the event has followed the Masters on the tournament schedule in a coveted springtime date. The players love the course, which is considered one of the world's finest. The candy-striped lighthouse is easily identifiable on television to even casual golf fans, and the purses keep growing. This year's total purse has increased to almost $6 million, with the winner's share a million-and-change.

While Tiger, Phil and Rory will be absent, same for Dustin, Rickie and Bubba, there are a number of stars - past, present and future - in the field. These include Justin Leonard, Bill Haas, Tom Watson, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson, Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Vijay Singh, Graeme McDowell and defending champion Matt Kuchar. Oh yes, and the game's newest sensation, Jordan "Green Jacket" Spieth.

Whether Spieth improves on his ties for ninth and 12th in 2013 and 2014 remain to be seen. What's indisputable is that there will be 10 times more eyes on him this week than there were a year ago.

There's also little doubt that this year's event would be just as exciting and successful as the previous 45. After all, this exceptional Tour stop has thrived over the years, even though convention has been defied from the very beginning.

As far back as 1969, the powers-that-be were told that a Tour event wouldn't cut it on a site located more than 15 miles from a major city. They were advised that a brand-new golf course wouldn't be appropriate, and that to hold an event in the South during football season, and even worse, over a holiday weekend, would be a death knell.

But Arnold Palmer charged to a three-shot victory over Thanksgiving weekend in 1969, on an untested course that had just recently been completed in time to stage the event. Harbour Town has slowly but surely crept into the nation's collective golf consciousness in the ensuing decades.

It's safe to say that the RBC Heritage will remain a vital part of the PGA Tour for many years to come.

Joel Zuckerman is an award-winning travel writer based in Savannah, Ga., and Park City, Utah. He is the only two-time winner of the Book of the Year Award as bestowed by the International Network of Golf. His most recent Book of the Year winner is titled "Pro's Pros - Extraordinary Club Professionals Making Golf Great!" which took this prestigious honor in January 2014. This is the first-ever golf book to shine the spotlight on the beating heart of golf - the unsung, yet hard-working club professional. His next project, slated for release in early 2016, is titled "Golfers Giving Back," which will be an unprecedented look at some of the nation's most exceptional charity golf tournaments. Joel's course reviews, player profiles, essays and features have appeared in 110 publications, including Sports Illustrated, Golf, Continental Magazine and Delta's Sky Magazine. He has played more than 800 courses in 40-plus states and a dozen countries. For more about Joel or to order any of his books, visit www.vagabondgolfer.com.