The Tour Heads to Hilton Head

Fresh off the excitement of the Masters, the PGA Tour rolls into picturesque Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for the 2025 RBC Heritage. The iconic lighthouse will once again serve as the backdrop for some incredible golf action starting Thursday morning.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler headlines a stellar field, coming in as the overwhelming favorite after his impressive fourth-place finish at Augusta National last week. But according to one predictive model, a surprising longshot might just steal the show this weekend.

The Computer Model’s Bold Prediction

SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has an impressive track record – including correctly predicting the winner of the 2025 Masters and nailing a whopping 14 majors in recent years. When the model simulated this week’s RBC Heritage 10,000 times, it came up with some eyebrow-raising predictions.

One major surprise? The model is fading Ludvig Åberg, suggesting the two-time PGA Tour champion and current world No. 7 will struggle at Harbour Town despite being among the betting favorites at 12-1 odds.

While Åberg captured the Genesis Invitational earlier this year and played well for most of the Masters (before a bogey, double-bogey finish dropped him to seventh), the model points to some concerning statistics. The 25-year-old Swede ranks just 100th in driving accuracy and 109th in greens in regulation percentage this season – critical factors at the tight, precision-demanding Harbour Town layout.

The Longshot to Watch

Instead, the model loves the value on Corey Conners at 25-1 odds. The Canadian ball-striking specialist arrives in excellent form after a T-8 finish at the Masters, his fourth top-8 result in his last five starts.

Conners’ game appears perfectly suited for Harbour Town’s demands – he ranks 13th in greens in regulation (70.32%), 16th in strokes gained off the tee (0.508), and 17th in driving accuracy (66.17%). Those precision stats could prove decisive on a course where position is everything.

The model also identified three other golfers with odds of 25-1 or longer who could make a serious run at the plaid jacket this weekend.

Thursday’s Featured Groups

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will begin his title defense at 10:15 a.m. ET alongside Viktor Hovland. Other notable pairings include Collin Morikawa with Sahith Theegala (1:40 p.m.), Ludvig Åberg with Xander Schauffele (1:30 p.m.), and Shane Lowry with Jordan Spieth (10:40 a.m.).

Complete First Round Tee Times (ET)

Tee No. 1

• 8:00 a.m. – Nick Taylor, Bud Cauley
• 8:10 a.m. – Brian Campbell, Sami Valimaki
• 8:20 a.m. – Matt Kuchar, Sam Stevens
• 8:30 a.m. – Max Homa, Denny McCarthy
• 8:40 a.m. – Sam Burns, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
• 8:50 a.m. – Taylor Pendrith, Adam Hadwin
• 9:00 a.m. – Sepp Straka, Davis Thompson
• 9:10 a.m. – Keegan Bradley, Akshay Bhatia
• 9:25 a.m. – Matthieu Pavon, Adam Scott
• 9:35 a.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Eric Cole
• 9:45 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, Patrick Cantlay
• 9:55 a.m. – Russell Henley, Tom Hoge
• 10:05 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Tommy Fleetwood
• 10:15 a.m. – Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler
• 10:25 a.m. – Corey Conners, Justin Thomas
• 10:40 a.m. – Shane Lowry, Jordan Spieth
• 10:50 a.m. – Lucas Glover, J.J. Spaun
• 11:00 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Gary Woodland
• 11:10 a.m. – Karl Vilips, Rickie Fowler
• 11:20 a.m. – Harris English, Jacob Bridgeman
• 11:30 a.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Ryo Hisatsune
• 11:40 a.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Ryan Gerard
• 11:55 a.m. – Thomas Detry, Nick Dunlap
• 12:05 p.m. – Wyndham Clark, Will Zalatoris
• 12:15 p.m. – J.T. Poston, Robert MacIntyre
• 12:25 p.m. – Jason Day, Tony Finau
• 12:35 p.m. – Chris Kirk, Cameron Young
• 12:45 p.m. – Aaron Rai, Stephan Jaeger
• 12:55 p.m. – Cam Davis, Max Greyserman
• 1:10 p.m. – Brian Harman, Byeong Hun An
• 1:20 p.m. – Austin Eckroat, Billy Horschel
• 1:30 p.m. – Ludvig Åberg, Xander Schauffele
• 1:40 p.m. – Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala
• 1:50 p.m. – Min Woo Lee, Justin Rose
• 2:00 p.m. – Michael Kim, Andrew Novak
• 2:10 p.m. – Joe Highsmith, Maverick McNealy

How to Watch

Television coverage begins Thursday on Golf Channel from 2-6 p.m. ET. Early birds can catch exclusive online coverage via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ starting at 7:15 a.m. ET.

The Betting Picture

For those interested in the odds, Scheffler leads the way as the heavy favorite at +360, followed by Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele (both at 11-1), Ludvig Åberg (12-1), and Justin Thomas (16-1).

Among the intriguing longshots, Jordan Spieth (40-1) won here back in 2022, while Justin Rose (70-1) might be worth a look after his heartbreaking playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at the Masters.

Whether you’re placing a wager or just enjoying the action, Harbour Town always delivers an excellent follow-up to Masters week with its tight fairways, tiny greens, and that iconic finishing hole alongside Calibogue Sound. The race for the plaid jacket begins Thursday morning!