THIS will be the 45th staging of the RBC Heritage and this year, as it did in the years 1983-2010, immediately follows the US Masters.

Venue: Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, South Carolina. Course Details: Par 71, 7101 yards.

Hilton Head has been the event's sole venue so there's plenty of course form to go on. The fairways aren't overly narrow but you do need to find the right spot on them to attack the tiny Bermuda greens. It's a coastal links style track that's greatly affected by the wind.

Last five winners

2012 – Carl Pettersson -14
2011 – Brandt Snedeker -12
2010 – Jim Furyk -13 (playoff)
2009 – Brian Gay -20
2008 – Boo Weekley -15

Driving distance is not important at Hilton Head, it's all about accuracy. Pinpoint iron-play to find the small Bermuda greens is vital and so is great scrambling. Even the most precise players will miss at least the odd green or two here so getting up-and-down successfully is key but the most important stat in recent years has been putting.

There are a number of other blustery seaside tracks with grainy greens used on the PGA Tour, where form crosses over well. El Camaleon, home of the Mayakoba Golf Classic, or the OHL Classic at Mayakoba as it will be called in November, the Waialee Country Club, home of the Sony Open and the Trump International Golf Club, which hosts the Puerto Rico Open, all correlate strongly with Hilton Head but the closest match is the Seaside Course at Sea Island, host course for the McGladrey Classic, played in neighbouring Georgia.

Players tend to play well here year after year. Nine players have won the event more than once and Davis Love has won it five times!

Last year's winner Carl Pettersson won with ease and when Brian Gay set the 72-hole scoring record in 2009 he cantered home by 10 strokes but most years we get a very tight and exciting finish.

Don't give up on your picks, even if they appear to have too much to do with a round to go. Brandt Snedeker came from six off the lead two years ago and Stewart Cink was nine shots back with a round to go in 2004.

I'll be surprised if favourite Snedeker can lift himself so quickly after Sunday's poor performance at Augusta. He was favourite going into round four but after birdieing the 1st never really looked like winning his first Major and it would be an incredible effort for him to lift himself so soon.

Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Jason Dufner, and to a lesser extent, Luke Donald and Jim Furyk were all in the mix at Augusta and the same warning applies to them as it does to Sneds. They could all find it tough to get going this week and I'm swerving all of them.

Having dismissed the market leaders readily, I've had no problem finding selections, far from it.

Of those priced below 50.0, Boo Weekley came closest to inclusion. He's a two-time winner of the event and in decent form but I thought I'd get at least 50.0 and I can't possibly take less than 40.0.

Although 10 looks like an awful lot of picks before the off, given none of them are less than 50.0 and that half of them are over 200.0 it's really no different to backing a couple of players towards the fore in the market. So I haven't gone quite as crazy as it first appears. Anyway, here they all are.

This is just the sort of test to suit multiple winner Zach Johnson and he's a bigger price this year than he was when finishing runner-up 12 months ago.

Ernie Els found form last week, without actually getting into contention at Augusta. Finishing 13th with a final round 69, he actually topped the putting stats for the week which probably tells us more about how soft the greens were than anything else. He's come close to winning this a few times, maybe he can get it done this year.

Ben Crane was fourth last time out in Texas, sixth in this event last year and comes here fresh having not played in the US Masters. I couldn't really see a negative and he was the first one I backed. Though Brian Gay followed fast…

Gay's win here in 2009 was as dominant a performance as you'll see and given he played well enough last week at Augusta he too was a very straightforward selection.

Recent Honda Classic winner, Michael Thompson finished inside the top 20 here last year and will have been delighted with his final round 67 at Augusta on Sunday. Maybe the inevitable dip following his win is over?

Rory Sabbatini, Matt Every, Tommy Gainey and Ted Potter Jnr are all players whohave either played well here or should play well here but the best of my monster-priced picks could prove to be Puerto Rico Open winner and South Carolina resident, Scott Brown, who I backed at a massive 280.0.

Brown's making his Hilton Head debut this week but that hasn't put me off. He's bound to have played it plenty of times, it really ought to suit his playing style, and debutants have a fair recent record in the event. Jose Coceres (2001), Peter Lonard (2005), Aaron Baddeley (2006) and Boo Weekley (2007), all won on their first visit here, so why not Brown?

Recommended Bets

Zach Johnson @ 50.0
Ernie Els @ 70.0
Brian Gay @ 75.0
Ben Crane @ 80.0
Michael Thompson @ 95.0
Matt Every @ 240.0
Rory Sabbatini @ 250.0
Scott Brown @ 280.0
Ted Potter Jnr @ 320.0
Tommy Gainey @ 330.0

Milesey (Betfair)

17 Comments
  1. Bruce Robertson 11 years ago

    Selections

    1. L Donald 16/1
    2. J Dufner 33/1
    3. T Clark 55/1
    4. C Hoffman 66/1
    5. B Davis 66/1

  2. Daryl Cruickshank 11 years ago

    I’m on
    Clark
    Gay
    M.Thompson
    Wilson

    In Spain
    Storm
    Santos
    Dyson
    Hoey

  3. Steven skinner 11 years ago

    Ten picks !!??? Oh come on.
    Furyk
    Day
    Haas

    • Mr Fixit 11 years ago

      Steven, he explains the 10 bets and remember the way Milesey operates is to look at backing and laying them in-play so it’s a different tactic than simply picking an outright. His picks are all about value and I’d save the criticism until after the event.

  4. Steven skinner 11 years ago

    that’s fair enough , if this is HIS tactic of betting….but for a normal golf punter will he be telling us when to lay ? I think most prefer outright wins and decent e/w returns.

    • Milesey 11 years ago

      WELL…….. if you back the 300.0 e/w and he has a good first round, then you will see yourself when to LAY, keep your eyes on the market…..For normal golf betting i take on at least 8 picks normally, and i trade, and then go back inplay and pick out who i think will have a good last few rounds etc…..

      Milesey

    • Mr Fixit 11 years ago

      Steven, if you want a normal golf tipster look at Racing Post etc who are pretty good. But Milesey works for Betfair and this is what you’ll get from him. At the end of the day this is predominantly a football site but we’re trying to put up some golf, darts etc because it’s been asked for. And as Steve says everything you get is free and that has to be remembered. We’d be much more accountable if we were charging for tips.

  5. Tony g 11 years ago

    Snedeker12/1 @ williamhil
    Day20/1@ williamhil
    Kuchar 16/1 @ williamhil
    Kaymer 66/1 @ williamhil
    Sterne66/1 @ williamhill

  6. the chief 11 years ago

    I quietly fancy Bill Hass, but rather than bet him outright, I’m going to bet him in the place market and decent odds. I will have a couple of good E/W selections too, but for now

    Bet Haas to be in top ten 9/2 @ William Hill

    Good luck if your having a bet

  7. Sharon mac 11 years ago

    Billy Horschel has come into form with top 3 finishes in the last 2 events, seems a tad over priced at 45s , ew value bet for me

  8. the chief 11 years ago

    My E/W selection in the heritage, won it by ten shots in 2009,

    Brian Gay E/W 66/1

    The European tour

    Larrazabal E/W 22/1
    Manassero E/W 25/1
    Cabera Bello E/W 40/1
    Kjeldsen E/W 100/1

    Good luck if your having a bet

  9. Ian Conway 11 years ago

    My bets,for what they are worth!

    RBC HERITAGE

    L.DONALD 16/1
    BUD CAULEY 80/1

    SPANISH OPEN

    F.MOLINARI 25/1
    P.WHITEFORD 150/1

    Paul, must be getting old,but can’t the hang of decimal prices, what do you think ?

    • Mr Fixit 11 years ago

      Ian, I get the decimals but prefer fractions and that’s what I’ll use. As I said a few weeks back I think the younger one prefer decimals.

    • Milesey 11 years ago

      Younger ? well thats everyone on this site then is younger then you Mr F ;)

      I am 34, and i have always used the decimal odds, but thank you for calling me young ;) made my day hahahaha

      Milesey

    • Mr Fixit 11 years ago

      Milesey, I only know one or two people who use decimals but it’s definitely an age thing. Might start using decimals when I hit 40.

  10. Ian Conway 11 years ago

    should be get the hang, definitely getting old!!!

  11. Bruce 11 years ago

    Hoffman and Davis, my 66/1 selections, lead at Hilton Head – long way to go though!

    Good start from Day and Haas who have also been well backed on this site

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