Golf Rankings for RBC Heritage

Wesley Bryan has been effusive in his praise for Harbour Town, and on paper, this course should fit his game perfectly. Bryan is a short-hitting ball-striker, who can putt the lights out. He loves bermuda grass, and excels in windy conditions. He posted three straight top-10s on Tour (the Genesis Open, the Honda Classic, and the Valspar Championship) earlier this season, and should get his 1^st win soon.

Knox has finished inside the top-20 here three straight years, including a runner-up finish to Branden Grace last season. He's had a rough 2017 campaign, and is ranking horribly in my strokes gained model this week. We saw this several weeks ago at the Honda Classic, where Knox also had elite course history, and he missed the cut. Something is off with his game right now, so I'm staying away.

I am not the biggest Keegan Bradley fan, but you can't overlook his recent form. He's made six of his past eight cuts including a 4th place finish on the west coast, and a 15th place finish in his last start at the Shell Houston Open. He's only played here once, and MC, but I'm willing to overlook that small sample. Bradley ranks 12th in my true ball-striking model, and excels with his irons. As usual, it's all about finding a solid stroke with his putter.

Baddeley is a course horse here at Harbour Town, and has shown glimpses of his former self in recent weeks. At the Heritage, Baddeley has posted a win, a 2^nd, a 9^th (last season), a 10^th, and a 14^th over the years. He's an accurate iron player who struggles off the tee, but luckily he won't have to hit many drivers. Baddeley ranks very highly in strokes gained around the green, and he's always one of the best putters on Tour. He finished 41^st and 15^th in his past two starts, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was near the lead heading into this weekend.

G-Mac is a former winner here and at the OHL Classic, which is no surprise. He loves Pete Dye layouts and excels on windy, coastal golf courses. Harbour Town, particularly, should bring back the links-style feel of Northern Ireland, so there's no surprise that he plays well here. He had been playing very well in recent weeks until a MC at the Puerto Rico Open, which was concerning given how weak the field was. Either way, G-Mac is firmly in play this week.

Webb is a strong enough player to make my rankings this week, but I don't think he contends for the win on Sunday. He's a great ball-striker, but has really struggled off-the-tee this season. His putter is always inconsistent, and I think that will hold him back this week. Webb does have a runner-up finish here in 2013, and a recent runner-up at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, so maybe there will be some positive vibes as Webb returns to a course that he loves.