Despite Tour changes, RBC Heritage remains committed to providing excellent experiences

All the chatter about the probable changes coming to the PGA Tour in 2026 — fewer fully exempt players, smaller tournament fields, no Monday qualifying, emphasis on speeding up the pace of play and all the rest — just might be considered “par for the course.”

Pun intended.

After all, between the pandemic in 2020 and the emergence of LIV golf a couple of years later, the PGA Tour has been evolving with different looks at a whirlwind pace.

Just look at the RBC Heritage, the Hilton Head Island tournament that has been an annual tour stop since 1969.

COVID forced an off-in-April, back-in-June-with-no-fans Heritage in 2020. A year later, the tourney unfolded with limited spectators and tournament director Steve Wilmot said then, “We just want to get to ’22.”

After a normal year, the Tour’s reaction to LIV made the 2023 Heritage a “designated” event that attracted all the top players — and increased the field into the 150 range. The 2024 tournament, now a “signature” event, offered a huge purse with only 70 or so players.

All the changes — “There’s no game plan for what we experienced,” Wilmot said — kept the Heritage staff continually adjusting.

But one factor — the tournament’s commitment to offering the best to the players and spectators — never wavered, and that remains the credo for 2025 Heritage, set for April 17-20 over the Harbour Town Golf Links.

“We’re full speed ahead,” Wilmot said. “There are a few lulls from time to time, but it’s all ‘go’ now” about five months from tournament time.

The RBC Heritage remains a “signature” event with a $20 million purse and a field of 72 players, and the golf course is still the same. The biggest change fans will notice is that the hospitality area surrounding the 18th green will be double-decked.

“We’re excited,” Wilmot said. “Ticket sales are great and there’s already a buzz about the tournament. Having all the top Tour players here is special.”

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player, is defending champion. Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick won in 2023 and Jordan Spieth captured the title in ’22.

The proposed changes in the Tour’s operations, set for a vote later this month, do not impact the Heritage from an operational standpoint. The tournament is an invitational and — except for 2023 — had fields in the 120 range. There has never been Monday qualifying at Hilton Head.

“Think about where we were in 2010 and 2011 (after Verizon ended its sponsorship) and where we are now, and we’re fortunate and blessed,” Wilmot said.

Getting the “Signature” designation that guaranteed that most of the top players would compete required increased sponsorship money, and, Wilmot said, “RBC stepped up to the plate.”

RBC’s current sponsorship contract is for this year’s tournament only. Wilmot called the relationship between the tournament and bank officials “incredible” and said they are in talks about 2026 and beyond.

However, he noted that RBC sponsors two PGA Tour events — the Heritage and Canadian Open — and the event in Canada has been scheduled amid the U.S. Open and “signature” events.

“There will always be changes. Just look at the Tour the past few years,” Wilmot said. “But what will not change is our goal of providing a great experience for fans and players.”

Chip shots. Robert Lutomski (Simpsonville) fired a 4-under-par 32 in the final round to pull away and win the SCGA’s inaugural Par 3 Championship at 3’s Golf and Grubhouse in Greenville. Taylor Thomas (Greenville) placed second. ... Blake Williamson (Anderson) and Yancey Johnson (Simpsonville) joined forces to win the SCGA’s 40 Plus Series Four-Ball event at Savannah Lakes Village in McCormick.