The Grand Slam events might get all the attention on the PGA Tour, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the best. Often, it’s smaller tournaments that stand out as favorites for both players and fans — and the RBC Heritage is one such tourney.
Formerly known as the Heritage Classic, the RBC Heritage event regularly draws the best of the best, as former champions include Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Nick Faldo. It comes right on the heels of The Masters at Augusta National and represents an important ramp-up into the remaining majors.
As you might expect, the RBC Heritage draws a lot of attention from golf bettors — and in the guide below, we’ll show you which way the sharps are leaning this year.
Sites with the Best RBC Heritage Odds
- Bovada: Best overall
- MyStake: Best Masters odds
- BetOnline: Top pick for live betting
- BUSR: Best PGA odds
- MyBookie: Best golf specials
- Everygame: Best US Open odds
- XBet: Excellent odds for the European tour
- Thunderpick: Best for crypto betting
- BetUS: Best Masters tournament futures
- Sportsbetting: Best golf prop bets
RBC Heritage Event At-a-Glance
- Where: Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
- Par: 71
- When: April 10-16
- Channel: CBS, GOLF
- Purse: $20,000,000
- Defending Champion: Jordan Spieth
- Odds: Check here
About the RBC Heritage Tournament
The RBC Heritage has been around for 54 years, first played in 1969. It was originally a late November tournament, but it moved around several times before ultimately settling in April, 1983.
The course at Sea Pines Resort is a favorite of both fans and players alike, as it’s one of the most breathtaking on the Tour. Surrounded by spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, watching the scenery is almost as much fun as checking out the golf.
As for the course itself, it’s tremendously fun to play and watch, which is to be expected — famed developer Pete Dye designed it with help from Nicklaus himself. It’s the type of course that pros would play for free, and that enthusiasm comes across in the competition.
Despite that, it can be quite tricky in several spots. There’s often little room for error between the greens and the various water hazards, so spectators get the pleasure of watching some of the best players in the world having to fish their balls out of the drink.
And make no mistake, it’s only the best players in the world that are welcome at this event. It’s one of the few invitation-only tournaments left on the PGA Tour, so the field is limited to 132 elite golfers annually.
Nicklaus might have gleaned a few advantages from helping design the course, as he also won the inaugural event and one other. Davis Love III is the player who’s enjoyed the most success here, though, having won the tournament five times in his illustrious career.
The most recent champion is Jordan Spieth, who triumphed over Patrick Cantlay in a playoff in 2022. The year before that, Stewart Cink won for the third time here, and he figures to be a factor for quite some time as he continues to chase Love.
This year’s tournament should draw extra attention, as the PGA has designated it an “elevated event,” meaning it should draw even more talent than usual. Part of the attraction will be due to the larger purse — at $20 million, it’s more than double last year’s prize pool.
Will Spieth defend his title? Can Cink close the gap on Love? Or will someone come out of nowhere to claim the title this year? Read on to find out how we would bet on this year’s RBC Heritage tournament.
Related post: Best Golf Betting Sites
Latest RBC Heritage Odds
Most bookmakers haven’t released odds for the 2023 RBC Heritage just yet, as most prefer to see how The Masters shakes out a week earlier before setting their lines.
We recommend checking back for the latest odds as the tournament gets closer. However, while we might not know the specific lines just yet, it’s not impossible to figure out who the favorites, longshots, and dark horses might be, which we’ll cover in our predictions below.
>> See the latest RBC Heritage odds
RBC Heritage Trends
In many ways, the RBC Heritage is an outlier compared to many other events on the Tour. This might just be a coincidence or due to fundamental issues with the course and its position in the schedule.
Either way, it’s to your advantage to know how the tournament here differs from all the others the pros will play in 2023.
Winners Skew Older
Like all sports, golf is a young man’s game, and most of the events on the Tour tend to be won by golfers in their 20s and 30s. The RBC is a bit of an outlier, though, as 9 of the last 13 winners have been over age 30 at the time they won.
This includes players who’ve won multiple times in the past ten years, like Cink and Jim Furyk, who were closer to 50 when they hoisted the trophy. Recent winners Matt Kuchar and Graeme McDowell were both north of 40 when they also won.
That doesn’t mean youngsters like Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler can’t emerge triumphant here — Spieth was 28 last year — but it does mean you should give a little more consideration to the old dogs when making your bets.
Early Leaders Are Usually the Last Ones Standing
Rarely will you see someone making a hard charge from the back of the pack after the first couple of rounds. Twelve of the past 13 winners were in the top 15 after the second round, so the leaderboard on Day 2 should give you a clear idea of who has a realistic chance of winning the trophy.
This will limit your value somewhat; usually, the best strategy is to find an undervalued player lurking towards the middle of the leaderboard, which can make a push for the crown. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bet on the tourney after Day 1, though, as plenty of juice still exists here.
>> See the latest RBC Heritage odds
Experience is Key
There have been ten repeat champions here, including Cink, Furyk, Love, and Nicklaus. Hale Irwin won here three times, with his third coming a full 20 years after his second, and Johnny Miller, Hubert Green, Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller, Payne Stewart, and Boo Weekley have all won twice.
Also, 8 of the last 13 winners had a top-10 finish here before taking home the top spot, and only two players in the past 13 years have won their first time out.
That’s not to say that a first-timer can buck the odds and win here, but if we’re putting our money down, we’ll put it on someone a little more familiar with the course.
>> See the latest RBC Heritage odds
2023 RBC Heritage Tournament Predictions and Odds
Now that you know what to look for when watching the tournament, which golfers stand the best chance of emerging victorious when it’s all said and done?
These are the players we’ll be watching closely:
The Favorites
Jon Rahm
The Spaniard seems to be the favorite in every tournament he enters nowadays, and for a good reason: he’s on fire in 2023, having won 3 of the eight tournaments he’s played in.
Nobody’s hitting the ball better than Rahm (yes, we see you, Scottie Scheffler), making him a tough out no matter the course. If you’re just picking based on who the best players are, then Rahm should be at the top of your list.
There are a few red flags that should give you pause, though. One is Rahm’s aggressive style of play, which often goes unrewarded by all the hazards on this course. That might be tied to his youth, as he’s still in his 20s — something that we’ve already seen doesn’t bode well for him.
He’s also unfamiliar with the course, only playing it in 2020, when he finished 33rd. That won’t matter if Rahm’s playing his A-game, of course, but we have a feeling he might be slightly overvalued once the odds come out.
>> Bet on Jon Rahm to win the RBC Heritage at Bovada
Scottie Scheffler
Rahm would be the slam-dunk answer to the question, “Who’s the best player in the world right now?”…if it weren’t for that pesky Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler has been at least as good — and possibly better — than his Spanish counterpart, which is why he’s the current world #1.
Scheffler’s game would seem tailor-made for Sea Pines Resort as well. He doesn’t excel in one area but boasts an all-around game that puts most other players to shame. It’s a formula for winning at a course that often makes one-dimensional players suffer.
The problem is, we’re just guessing. Scheffler had never played here before, having withdrawn before the tournament started in 2020.
He’s also quite young, and while he might be quite as impetuous as Rahm, he hasn’t had to deal with a lot of adversity in his career, so who knows how he’ll handle a few water penalties here.
Like Rahm, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Scheffler win here — but we’d be even less surprised to discover that his odds aren’t long enough to warrant action this time.
>> Place your bet on Scheffler to win at MyStake
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy is one of the few top golfers that would seem to fit the profile for an RBC champion, as he’s played here twice before, is over 30, and is just a fantastic golfer.
One problem: he’s only played here twice because he apparently hates the course.
It’s a tricky course and especially difficult to play when you’re coming off the tension-packed weekend at Augusta. That may explain McIlroy’s previous poor showings, finishing outside the top 40 in 2020 and 2009.
Like the two players above him, McIlroy can win anytime, anywhere — but with short odds likely, it’s hard to bet on him getting this particular monkey off his back anytime soon.
>> Check out McIllroy’s odds to win the RBC Heritage at BetOnline
Check out other betting opportunities:
Dark Horses
The next three golfers are all pretty big names, so you’d think they’d be favorites for one reason or another. However, you’ll likely find good odds on them at various sportsbooks, so we’d recommend looking for value here rather than betting on the frontrunners above.
Jordan Spieth
The defending champ. No one can argue that Spieth can’t win here, as he shot under 70 every day last year en route to taking the title — although not without a bit of drama, as he had to survive a playoff with Patrick Cantlay to do it.
Spieth hasn’t quite lived up to the sky-high expectations that come along with winning the Masters at age 21, but he’s still one of the best golfers in the world and a threat to win any tournament he enters.
The course here would seem to play to his strengths, and given the fact that Vegas seems to have doubts about Spieth’s ability to repeat, we think that represents a tremendous value. A bet on Spieth is one of our favorite wagers of the weekend:
>> Bet on Spieth to defend his title at BUSR
Webb Simpson
Another former champ (get ready, that’s going to be a recurring theme), Simpson isn’t quite the force to be reckoned with that most of the other guys on this list are. That’s good news for you, though, as you can probably get an excellent price on him.
Simpson took home the trophy in 2020, shooting a course-record 22-under for the weekend. That was barely enough to hold off Abraham Ancer, but it’s proof that Simpson can outclass anyone at Hilton Head when he’s on his game.
Does he have another magical few days in him? There’s no reason to think he doesn’t, and while we wouldn’t take him over Rahm or Scheffler straight-up, we think the value you get here will be enormous.
>> Find the best odds for Simpson to win the tournament at MyBookie
Dustin Johnson
It’s been a rough year for the former world #1, as he doesn’t have a single win to his name, and he’s missed the cut in a quarter of the tournaments he’s entered. His talent is undeniable, though, and his odds should be incredible.
If you bet on Johnson, you should know pretty quickly how you will end up, as he’s been in boom-or-bust mode recently. He’ll either end the day near the top of the leaderboard or flame out almost immediately, so you won’t have to wait long to see how your bet will turn out.
As with Simpson, we have serious doubts about whether Johnson can win here this year. However, those doubts will be more than allayed by the excellent odds he’ll get to try.
>> Think Johnson has what it takes to win? Bet on him at Everygame
Longshots
The next golfers on the list would shock the world if they won this year (even though all have won this tournament before).
None of them are dominating the Tour this season, but they have a proven record of winning at Hilton Head — and, as we’ve seen, that may be all you need to know.
Stewart Cink
Cink is no stranger to hoisting the trophy here, as he’s done it three times in his career — the most recent being just two years ago. So why is Vegas so bearish on his odds?
We don’t know the answer to that — we just know you should take the value where it lies. While none of Cink’s victories came against a field as accomplished as this year’s group, he’s proven he can deftly handle the challenges at Hilton Head.
We rarely recommend placing a healthy wager on Stewart Cink to win a PGA Tour event, but the RBC Heritage is definitely an exception to that rule.
>> Head to XBet and place your bet on Cink winning this tournament
Jim Furyk
A two-time winner, Furyk is another guy who just gets it done in South Carolina. He hasn’t won here since 2015. A third championship is not out of the question. At 52, he’s only three years older than Cink, and veterans tend to do well here anyway.
He’s only played in three Tour events this year (and only made the cut once), so a Furyk victory would be one of the most surprising outcomes in recent memory. Although this course is perfect for surprising outcomes, we expect you can get extremely long odds on the Pennsylvanian.
We’re not suggesting you bet the house on Furyk, but a few bucks could turn into quite a tidy profit (not to mention granting you considerable bragging rights).
>> Place your money on Furyk winning the RBC Heritage at Thunderpick
CT Pan
The former champ is another pro we wouldn’t recommend under normal circumstances — his 2019 triumph is his only Tour victory, after all. He’s a golfer that tends to make the cut and not much else, so why are we recommending a flier on him here?
Again: the odds. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him at +20000 or worse, so you’d be betting a few bucks that a former champ would remember how to win here again.
No one would be more surprised than us to see Pan emerging victorious — except Vegas, apparently.
>> Bet on Pan to grab the title for the tournament
See other helpful betting guides:
Golf Betting Strategies
Golf is one of the most wagered-upon sports in the world, but most punters are just playing hunches — there’s no real strategy involved. That’s unfortunate because if you know what you’re doing, you can find value here that doesn’t exist in other sports.
Below, we’ve listed some of our best golf betting strategies for the RBC Heritage and any other tourney you want to bet on. We can’t guarantee a victory, but they should at least give you a leg up on the betting public.
1. Don’t Pick Just One Guy
Many amateur handicappers like to zero in on a single golfer and place a bet on him before the tournament starts, and nothing else. Either he wins, or he loses — simple as that.
While that’s great if you’re just betting for fun, those hoping to come out ahead should spread the wealth around a little. Unless prime Tiger Woods steps out of a time machine sometime soon, it will be extremely unlikely you’ll be able to spot the winner out of a field of 100+ pros.
Instead, pick a golfer or two from each “tier” — a favorite, a dark horse, and a longshot. This will give you broad coverage against almost any eventuality.
What you’re hoping for with this strategy is for your favorites to win more often than not, allowing you to at least break even — until one of your longshots or dark horses comes in. That’s when you can make a big score, so the idea is for the top pros to subsidize you until that happens.
2. Bet On Something Other Than Outright Winners
Most punters just try to pinpoint who will win the tournament without considering the rest of the bets. That’s a huge mistake, as they’re leaving much value on the table.
One of the best things to look at is head-to-head matchups. It’s much easier to try to determine if Golfer A will shoot better than Golfer B on one day than it is to try to predict which golfer out of 120 will be the best over half a week.
You can also look at player props, end-of-day leaders, and other fun bets besides outrights. Not only will this diversify your betting portfolio, but it will also be more fun.
3. Time Your Bets
Golfers can be streaky, and even the top player in the world could experience a downturn occasionally. That’s bad news for them — but good news for you if you think they’ll snap out of it sooner or later.
Take Dustin Johnson, for example. He hasn’t been one of the best in the world for a while now, but his talent is still undeniable. If you think this is just a slump rather than his new normal, you should bet on him now, while his value is sky-high.
This will involve making futures bets, potentially well in advance of the actual tournaments in question. If you think Johnson has a solid shot to win The Open, you could bet on him now and get insane odds. However, if he turns things around and goes on a tear, those odds will turn against you — and a golden opportunity will have been missed.
Best Sites for Betting on the RBC Heritage Tournament
If you’re looking to find the best odds and lines on this (or any) golf tournament, we recommend these five sites above all. They’re safe, offer great prices, and are extremely player-friendly.
Bovada – Best RBC Heritage Odds Overall
One of the most established sportsbooks in North America, Bovada is especially notable for its “What’s Ya Wager” feature, which allows you to create your own props. It’s a great way to find value — and have a ton of fun along the way.
First-time bettors can get a deposit match of 50% up to $250. This offer comes with a 5x rollover. Crypto bettors can get as much as $750.
>>Get a crypto sports welcome bonus of up to $750 when you join Bovada
MyStake – Best Golf Betting Site for The Masters
MyStake has possibly the largest number of bets you’ll find at any sportsbook, anywhere. They take action on anything, and they’re great for betting futures.
Sports bettors will find a multitude of deposit and reload bonuses to choose from here.. The main one is a 100% match up to $500 with a 10x wagering requirement (no code necessary).
>>Claim MyStake’s sign up bonus of up to $500
BetOnline – Best Sportsbook for Golf Live Betting
There’s no better place for golf props and specials than BetOnline. You can bet on round leaders, three balls, and more here, and they take action on just about any event you can think of. You also won’t find a better live betting platform for all golf events than what BetOnline offers.
New users can get a 50% deposit match up to $1,000 with code “BOL1000.” It’s subject to a 10x wagering requirement and must be redeemed within 30 days of activation.
>>Grab BetOnline’s bonus of up to $1,000 when you register today
BUSR – Best International Golf Betting Odds
Whether you prefer to bet on European or American events, BUSR has you covered. They also have great odds on the LPGA if you prefer to bet on the ladies.
They offer a 150% welcome bonus up to $2,500 using code “SPORTS100FP.” This comes with a 20x rollover and a minimum deposit of $100.
>> Get up to $2,500 worth of bonuses when you sign up for a BUSR account
MyBookie – Excellent RBC Heritage Specials Odds
While MyBookie doesn’t have quite as much golf action as the rest of the sites on this list, they’re excellent for golf specials. If you like to wager while you watch on TV, you should have this site bookmarked.
When making your account, you’ll get a 50% match up to $1,000 using code “MYB50.” This comes with a 10x playthrough and a $50 minimum deposit requirement.
>>Get your bonus of up to $1000 as soon as you join MyBookie
Guide to Betting on the RBC Heritage Tournament
Where is the 2023 RBC Heritage Tournament?
The tournament will be held on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina at the famous Harbour Town Golf Links.
Is the RBC Heritage a Big Tournament?
It’s not a Grand Slam event, but no one can deny that it’s a big tourney, as it regularly draws some of the top talents on the Tour. This year will be an “elevated” event, so the draw should be even more star-studded than usual.
How Much Does the Winner Get?
Because the PGA has elevated this year’s tournament, the purse is bigger than ever —$20 million. Of that, the first-place winner will take home about $3.6 million, which is almost triple what Jordan Spieth made for winning this event last year.
Who Won the 2022 RBC Heritage?
Jordan Speith was the 2022 RBC Heritage winner, defeating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff.
Who led the 2022 RBC Heritage odds?
Colin Morikawa went into the tournament alongside Justin Thomas as +1200 co-favorites.
Tips for Betting on the RBC Heritage Tournament
While we’ve already covered some high-level betting strategies for this tournament, we have a few more tips to maximize your value on the RBC Heritage (and any golf tournament).
1. Open Accounts at Multiple Sportsbooks, Like MyBookie and BetOnline
You won’t find the same odds and lines at every sportsbook, and sometimes a bookie will have a line that’s way out of whack with what the other sites offer. This provides rare value to handicappers, so you should take advantage of these possibilities whenever they present themselves.
However, they won’t just pop up on your radar: you have to shop for them. That’s why opening and maintaining accounts at all the major sportsbooks like the ones outlined above is important.
That way, you’ll be ready to jump on any value that presents itself instead of waiting to set up an account, deposit funds, verify your identity, etc.
It’s what professional handicappers do, and it’s what you should do as well.
2. Take Advantage of Deposit Bonuses
The online sportsbook market is competitive, and the various sites will compete for your business by offering deposit match bonuses, free bets, and more. They’re offering you all these deals to entice you into signing up, and you should take advantage of as many as you possibly can.
Every bit of bonus money or free bet adds up, and it could mean the difference between breaking even on something like the RBC Heritage tournament or ending up in the black.
Cashing them in is incredibly easy as well — all you have to do is enter a bonus code or select an offer when making your first deposit (we have a list of codes for you above).
Be aware that most come with wagering requirements you have to fulfill, and some have time limits as well. Read the fine print.
3. Bet Throughout the Tournament
Most inexperienced punters will guess who the winner will be prior to the tournament, and then they’ll just let that bet ride the entire weekend. Nothing is wrong with that if you’re betting for fun, but if you’re trying to extract value, you must make more wagers.
Tournaments can change drastically from one day to the next, and there might be a value on Day Two that wasn’t there before the tournament started. You should check the lines every night to see if there have been any swings that you can capitalize on.
This is less likely to come into play at the RBC Heritage than other golf tourneys, as the early leaders tend to win here (so you’re probably not going to get great odds on the top 10 after Day 1).
The unexpected can always happen, though, and looking at the lines is free, so why not check?
Who Do You Think Will Win the RBC Heritage? Final Word on the RBC Heritage Odds
The RBC Heritage is one of the most enjoyable tournaments of the year, and like any sporting event, it’s even more fun when you have a little money riding on it. This guide can help you decide the best places to put a wager or two, as well as help you pinpoint a golf betting strategy for all the tournaments to come.
When making your bets, we’d recommend starting at Bovada, as it’s extremely welcoming to new customers (and has one of the best reputations in the business). We’ve also recommended other top-notch sportsbooks, so you should find a great line or two somewhere.
No matter how you decide to wager, the important thing is to have fun while watching the tournament — and keep an eye on that Stewart Cink. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
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