The RBC Heritage is one of the most prestigious tournaments of the PGA Tour season and, for the third year in succession, is one of its lucrative signature events.
That means that many of the world’s best players are competing at Harbour Town in South Carolina for the chance to claim a winner’s check for $3.6m.
In total, there are eight signature events, and the RBC Heritage is the fifth following The Sentry, the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the Truist Championship, Memorial Tournament and Travelers Championship to come.
Each of the signature events has a limited field, with most featuring around 70 players, but there are some key differences between them, including whether there is a cut.
The RBC Heritage is one of five signature events without a cut, meaning that, not only do all 72 players in the field compete in all four rounds regardless of performance, but they are all in line for a prize money payout too. For example, even the player who finishes bottom of this week’s leaderboard will earn $36,000 – a luxury not afforded to players in more traditional PGA Tour events with a cut.
Of the eight signature events, only the three player-hosted contests, the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial Tournament, have retained their cuts.
The decision to bring in more no-cut events to the PGA Tour followed the emergence of LIV Golf, which famously features 13 regular events played over 54 holes, each without a cut. Following the PGA Tour’s announcement, which came in 2023, LIV Golf made fun of the decision the decision, writing on X “imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Congratulations PGA Tour. Welcome to the future.”
Since then, the rivalry between the two circuits has been put on hold as they attempt to plot a way forward for them to work together in the future, although, sure enough, the additional no-cut events were introduced for the 2024 season, with the RBC Heritage among them.
There was some controversy over the move, although one of the most influential players on the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy, defended the decision at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, saying: “It keeps the stars there for four days.
"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.”
