There is no rest for the world’s best players following the Masters, as they head straight to Harbour Town Golf Links for the RBC Heritage, the fifth PGA Tour Signature Event of the season.
The eight tournaments that make up the Signature Events feature smaller 70-man fields and elevated $20million prize funds in an attempt to create must-watch tournaments featuring the majority of the game’s best players.
However, unlike traditional PGA Tour events, not all Signature Events feature a 36-hole cut. The Genesis, the Memorial and the Arnold Palmer Invitational have all maintained a cut but the other five – including this week’s RBC Heritage – will go ahead without a cut.
Cuts are very popular among golf fans, as they ensure entertainment on a Friday afternoon as players battle to make their way into the weekend and, crucially, pick up a paycheck. They’re also a historic feature of the game and part of the legacy within the professional golf world.
However, as golf continues to grapple with a decreasing TV audience, the removal of a cut has been seen as a way to ensure that all the big names are playing on the weekend.
“It keeps the stars there for four days,” Rory McIlroy said on the proposals for more no-cut events at last year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.
“You ask Mastercard or whoever it is to pay $20 million for a golf event, they want to see the stars at the weekend. They want a guarantee that the stars are there. So, if that’s what needs to happen, then that’s what happens.”
One big name still in the field is Masters champion Scottie Scheffler. The American claimed his second Green Jacket in emphatic fashion last week at Augusta National but had been on high alert with his wife Meredith heavily pregnant with the pair’s first child.
Matt Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, returns as the defending champion having claimed his first regular PGA Tour title after a thrilling playoff victory over Jordan Spieth.
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