Rbc Heritage 2026 opens Thursday as Rickie Fowler chases breakthrough at Harbour Town
Rbc Heritage 2026 starts Thursday, April 16, at Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina, and the opening round immediately puts Rickie Fowler in focus. He is trying to end a lengthy winless streak after last winning in 2023, while Scottie Scheffler is part of the field at the Signature Event. Fowler tees off at 7: 55 a. m. ET alongside Kurt Kitayama, with first-round coverage set to begin on Golf Channel at 2 p. m. ET.
Rbc Heritage 2026 begins with Fowler under pressure
The Rbc Heritage 2026 arrives after Fowler missed the cut in his last two events, the Texas Children’s Houston Open and the Valero Texas Open. Those results came after a strong start to the season, but they did not produce the Masters invitation he was trying to secure.
Fowler earned his place in this week’s Signature Event through his final FedEx Cup ranking last year, when he finished 32nd. He is now in a field that includes Masters contenders, adding weight to a round that already carries a lot of attention.
The opening tee sheet stretches from 7: 05 a. m. ET to 2: 10 p. m. ET, with several notable pairings spread through the day. Among them are Justin Thomas with Ludvig Aberg at 10: 05 a. m. ET, Xander Schauffele with Russell Henley at 1: 30 p. m. ET, and Scottie Scheffler with Matt Fitzpatrick at 1: 50 p. m. ET.
Key pairings and broadcast times
The most watched early group for the Rbc Heritage 2026 is Fowler and Kitayama, but the day’s later stretches include some of the event’s strongest names. That includes Collin Morikawa with Shane Lowry at 1: 20 p. m. ET and Tommy Fleetwood with Sam Burns at 1: 40 p. m. ET.
Early coverage begins on PGA Tour Live on + at 7 a. m. ET, with featured group and featured hole coverage included. The full first-round window on Golf Channel runs from 2 p. m. to 6 p. m. ET.
What the betting preview highlights
A separate preview framed the Rbc Heritage 2026 around Harbour Town’s demanding setup and pointed to five selections: Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka, Brian Harman, JT Poston and Daniel Berger. The preview also stressed that this course places a premium on control, scrambling and accurate iron play.
It described Harbour Town as a short, tight course where missing the fairway on the correct side can matter more than simply finding the short grass. It also noted that Scottie Scheffler has been especially strong in the event, with finishes of 11th, first and eighth and all 12 rounds under par.
Immediate reaction and what comes next
Ben Coley, the golf analyst behind the betting preview, said the event has become less attractive as a Signature Event because top players no longer need to play it, even though the purse remains large. He also emphasized that Harbour Town rewards the sort of precision many of the game’s past champions have shown.
The immediate story now is whether Fowler can turn a difficult stretch into momentum on Thursday morning. With Scheffler, Thomas, Schauffele and others in the field, Rbc Heritage 2026 is set up for a round that could quickly define the week.
