A former member of the sport’s elite exams in on the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend on the 2023 RBC Heritage. 2016 PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker has signed for back-to-back rounds of 65 at Harbour Town Golf Links to command a three-stroke 36-hole lead at 12 beneath. Playing on his top 50 profession profits exemption in 2023, Walker will goal so as to add to his checking account and win overall in a large method.
In order to take action, Walker will wish to effectively fend off one of the vital largest names within the game. Scottie Scheffler has persisted his robust play in his match debut and is one in every of Walker’s closest chasers at 9 beneath. In seek of his 3rd victory of the season, the Texan continues to appear an increasing number of relaxed as play progresses.
Scheffler is joined through Xander Schauffele and Justin Rose and is one stroke transparent of Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood and Patrick Cantlay. Experiencing little-to-no main hangover from the Masters, this trio of stars have eyes on getting into the winner’s circle for the primary time this yr.
Last yr’s champion, Jordan Spieth, is placing up an admirable defensive effort thru 36 holes and is 5 adrift at 7 beneath along Rickie Fowler, whilst global no. 1 Jon Rahm lurks most effective part a dozen at the back of Walker.
The chief
1. Jimmy Walker (-12)
On the threshold of retirement, the 44-year-old gained an enormous smash on the onset of 2023. Ending remaining yr at No. 59 in profession profits, Walker was once moved to fiftieth when 9 avid gamers had been got rid of from the listing with their transition to LIV Golf. Utilizing his one-time top-50 profits exemption to play on the PGA Tour this season, the previous PGA Championship winner is profiting from his alternative with back-to-back 65s in Hilton Head.
“I was 50 [in career earnings], and if I didn’t play, I’d never get it again,” mentioned Walker. “I just wouldn’t. So when it happened, it was kind of like, wow, this is incredible. I immediately shifted gears and talked to my family and said, this is it. This is what we’re going to do. They were totally all about it. All my friends were all about it.Â
“I take into account going into the primary match, will have to I am going follow? Should I simply move out and get started winging it? We winged it, and I performed beautiful rattling excellent that first week. I feel I led the sphere in birdies. It’s like, the place has this been? Then I roughly were given again into shape how I’d been enjoying. Yeah, it is cool to be again. Maybe I’ve an opportunity to truly do one thing particular.”
Other contenders
T2. Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele (-9)
T5. Mark Hubbard, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, Aaron Rai, Viktor Hovland (-8)
T10. Taylor Moore, Jordan Spieth, Emiliano Grillo, Patton Kizzire, Ben Griffin, Matt Kuchar, Brian Harman, Rickie Fowler (-7)
An added wrinkle within the PGA Tour’s designated occasions are avid gamers visiting golfing lessons they most often would not. Scheffler is making his match debut this week at Harbour Town, and has acquitted himself effectively across the tough Pete Dye design. A winner on some other Pete Dye design — TPC Sawgrass — remaining month, Scheffler is continuous his dominant tee-to-green exhibition and has blended it with a top-10 placing efficiency to this point.
“There’s a lot of nuances to this golf course, and I’m still kind of learning on the fly with it being my first time around this place,” mentioned Scheffler. “If you’re hitting it really good, you can score anywhere, and you can hit the shots. It’s just those nuances kind of help when you’re not really playing your best. I feel like I put myself in a few spots this week that haven’t been great. But outside of that, I’ve played a lot of solid golf.”
Rahm rolling into the weekend
After carding for a 1-over 72 on Thursday, Rahm will have sleepwalked his method to a brief week. On the heels of his ancient win on the Masters, nobody would have blamed the arena No. 1. Just do not inform the Spaniard that as he sponsored up a deficient opener with a 7-under 64 — a career-best eight-shot development between rounds — on Friday to vault his title into competition. With a triumph, Rahm would have 5 victories sooner than the 5th month of the yr.
“It’s my job, right? I mean, people — it’s like I said in the press conference,” mentioned Rahm. “People pay their hard-earned money to watch me perform. It’s my job to perform. They don’t care if I slept good or bad, I feel good or bad. It doesn’t matter. As a competitor, I’m not ducking anything in that sense. I’m going to go out and try to shoot low.”
Cantlay playing cards an ace; queue the slow-play jokes
Cantlay struck the shot of the second one spherical when his tee shot on the par-3 seventh discovered the ground of the cup. The Californian has been on the heart of a few fresh gradual play dialogue following his play within the penultimate pair of the overall spherical of the Masters. The global No. 4 has principally dodged the grievance and said all the box was once gradual on Sunday. Still, the web will make its jokes regardless of how unoriginal they is also.
“It was just a perfect 6-iron number, a little into the wind, high 190s to the hole,” mentioned Cantlay. “A 1-yard cut that just came off perfect.”
2023 RBC Heritage up to date odds, choices
Odds by the use of Caesars Sportsbook
- Scottie Scheffler: 16/5
- Xander Schauffele: 13/2
- Patrick Cantlay: 7-1
- Jimmy Walker: 9-1
- Viktor Hovland: 19/2
- Justin Rose: 12-1
- Jordan Spieth: 12-1
- Jon Rahm: 16-1
- Tommy Fleetwood: 20-1
- Justin Thomas: 30-1
- Rickie Fowler: 30-1
Let’s think for one minute that the actual lead lies within the arms of the ones at 9 beneath. While Walker makes for an implausible tale, his endurance atop the leaderboard is also restricted when the drive will get ramped up. With this in thoughts, Rahm at 16-1, kind of double his pre-tournament value, is attractive. He is most effective 3 strokes at the back of Scheffler, Rose and Schauffele, and ranks 3rd in strokes won method after two rounds. Justin Thomas at 5 beneath and 55-1 is also price a glance as neatly if short of a little bit extra juice to your squeeze.
Rick Gehman is joined through Sia Nejad to recap the second one spherical of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town. Follow & pay attention to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.