Stacked leaderboard set for Sunday at the RBC Heritage

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – The tone was set early on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon at the RBC Heritage when six players had posted 63s before the final group had even made the turn at Harbour Town.

And by the time the final putt had dropped there were a phenomenal 35 players in double digits under par – four of whom were tied at 15 under and leading by just one.

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“It wouldn't be surprising tomorrow if someone around 20th place goes out and shoots potentially a really low score to win the tournament,” said Tyrrell Hatton, the 28-year-old Englishman who is in that logjam at the top.

“I'm sure it will be exciting to watch back home on the TV.”

Hatton grabbed his share of the top spot with one of those red-hot 63s. Abraham Ancer, Ryan Palmer and Webb Simpson, on the other hand, posted rounds of 65, 66 and 68, respectively, while bringing up the rear in the day’s final three pairings.

Obviously, the four are in a good position. But consider this: the last third-round leader to win the RBC Heritage was Carl Pettersson back in 2012 – and the last seven champions trailed by at least two shots entering the final 18 holes.

So, if you’re looking for another come-from-behind winner, there is talent aplenty on the leaderboard at Harbour Town.

The group at 14 under includes last week’s winner, Daniel Berger, as well as Joel Dahmen and Carlos Ortiz, both of whom are looking, like Ancer, to become the tournament’s fifth straight first-time champion. And Ian Poulter, whose wardrobe begs for that plaid jacket, is among eight tied at 13 under.

Another stroke behind loom some of the game’s big-hitters, most notably the beefed-up Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, who held the lead after three rounds a year ago. They are primed to prove that Harbour Town can be tamed by brawn as well as brains.

Saturday truly was uncharted territory at Harbour Town. Through three rounds previously, there had never been more than seven players at 10 under or better. Not to mention, the 75 players who survived the cut were an eye-popping 223 under par in the third round -- the most in tournament history.

While the caliber of players in attendance certainly adds to the allure, Simpson thinks the move from April to June has made the Pete Dye golf course more generous than it would have been had the RBC Heritage been played in its traditional date the week after the Masters.

“There's a softness to the golf course, so more balls have stayed in the fairway that might have gone in the rough or the pine straw, and the greens are way softer,” he said. “We're used to really firm greens here at Hilton Head, and we're used to cooler temperatures, so the ball didn't go as far. We're used to more wind, honestly.

“I think all those factors play a role. Any time you give us soft greens, we're going to shoot low scores. That's pretty much the PGA TOUR. So, I think that's why.”

Sundays are a different animal, though. Pins get tucked. Nerves fray as the day grows longer. Palmer, for one, is interested to see what happens as he battles for his fifth PGA TOUR win.

“Sunday seems to tighten up a little bit,” said Palmer, who started the third round tied for fourth and had dropped into a share of 15th when he hit the range. “I don't know if you'll see six 8-under par rounds that early. You could because it's going to be soft, no wind, I'm sure. To win tomorrow, I'm going to probably have to shoot 4 or 5 under again, I would assume. That's going to be the goal, to get to 20.

“We'll see what happens. It may not take that many tomorrow. All I can do is play my game and give it my best chance. In my mind, I have no doubt I'll have a chance.”

Simpson and Hatton enter the final round with momentum on their side, despite the stop-and-start season. Both have already won – Hatton, in fact, picked off the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard in his last start before COVID-19 put the PGA TOUR on hiatus.

Simpson, who beat Tony Finau in a playoff at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, could actually take over the FedExCup lead with his seventh career victory. He’s been close here before, finishing solo second in 2013 and tying for fifth two years ago.

On Saturday, when his putter wasn’t as cooperative as it had been posting consecutive 65s, Simpson figured he turned what could have been a 70 or 71 into a round of 3 under. He maintained a share of the lead he had takeninto the third round as a result.

“I definitely could have shot two or three shots better pretty easily, but, yeah, I don't feel bad about it,” Simpson said. “I was only up by one going into today, so I didn't lose much ground. I know a lot more guys got closer, but I'm still tied for the lead so that’s good.”

Ancer was in the mix last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge on a similar shotmaker’s course in Colonial Country Club until closing with a 70. Ranked 23rd in the FedExCup, he said he gained confidence from playing in the Presidents Cup last year and proved it by finishing second at The American Express in February.

He relishes getting another opportunity on Sunday.

“Definitely anybody's tournament,” Ancer said. “I think the scores have been really low, especially this last two days. So, you're going to have to make as many birdies as possible tomorrow. So, it's going to be fun.”

For the players, as well as those watching on TV like Hatton said.