2024 RBC Heritage leaderboard, scores: J.T. Poston leads with Masters star Ludvig Åberg in hunt after Round 1

In one of many stranger transitions this PGA Tour season, the RBC Heritage began on Thursday simply 4 days after the ultimate spherical of the Masters. It is an amazing subject in a no-cut, big-money occasion, which is enjoyable for followers. Nevertheless, it felt odd to observe golfers play an everyday PGA Tour cease so rapidly after the primary main championship of the 12 months.

So, it was no shock to see a few of the larger stars battle a bit and a few lesser names rise to the highest of the leaderboard. A type of names is J.T. Poston, who shot a round-of-the-day 8-under 63. He is trailed by, effectively, all people else within the subject on the $20 million occasion at Hilton Head.

Let’s check out his spherical in addition to these on the chase going into Spherical 2 on Friday.

The chief

1. J.T. Poston (-8)

Poston was second within the subject in placing on Thursday, which is why he is main. However he additionally hit it effectively, which has not been the case. After placing collectively 5 prime 20s in six begins on the West Coast, Poston has no prime 20s in 4 begins since heading east. 

He credited higher ball-striking (he was prime 15 in that class on Thursday), but in addition gave a shout out to his spouse for permitting him to get slightly sleep with their new child on the street.

“We have got a two-bedroom apartment,” defined Poston. “My mother is staying with us. We have got her in her little setup. Final evening my spouse was nice; she received up in the midst of the evening a pair instances when she was able to eat or being fussy and let me sleep, so possibly we’ll hold doing that.”

Different contenders

T2. Collin Morikawa, Seamus Energy (-6)
T4. Austin Eckroat, Mackenzie Hughes, Sahith Theegala, Patrick Rodgers, Ludvig Aberg, Sepp Straka (-5)

Åberg has the look you need to see from a younger potential star going into this occasion off a solo second on the Masters. He is a flusher’s flusher, hit 13 of 14 fairways on Thursday with that excellent swing of his and cruised to a 66 with completely nothing on or across the greens.

Terrifying stuff.

“My focus shifted proper once I received right here,” mentioned Åberg. “We had been making an attempt to be sure that final week was final week and this week was this week. However, yeah, clearly final week remains to be one thing I look again on with a smile. However, yeah, my focus is right here this week, and hopefully we’ll be capable of sustain good golf.

“I might prefer to suppose that I am younger and I will be capable of deal with it,” he added about taking part in three consecutive weeks. “However, sure, I feel I will crash for a number of days subsequent week once I’m not taking part in. However I am trying ahead to the remainder of the week.”

Scottie … once more?

Scottie Scheffler has misplaced to at least one golfer since March 1 — that was Stephan Jager on the Houston Open a number of weeks in the past. He is defeated … everybody else he is performed, together with wins on the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Gamers Championship and, in fact, final week’s Masters. May that proceed this week? He is off to a good begin at 2 underneath that included a double bogey. 

It is his thirty sixth consecutive spherical at or underneath par to start out 2024.

“It might have felt higher if I received off to a greater begin,” mentioned Scheffler, who made double on the third gap after botching a bunker shot and failing to stand up and down. “I attempted to offer myself slightly little bit of grace there, however I received fairly annoyed in direction of the center of the spherical as a result of I used to be taking part in good, felt like I used to be hitting good putts and my pace was possibly a spark off. 

“I shanked the bunker shot on 3. I shank it a good quantity, however by no means in competitors … I attempted to type of give myself slightly little bit of grace there. It clearly was only a psychological lapse and I wasn’t fairly into it but. Tried to offer myself slightly little bit of time. I had a a lot better again 9. Hit a number of actually good photographs. Hit some good putts, too. Trying ahead to the remainder of the week.”

Scheffler regarded the best way anybody would take care of successful the Masters: bodily and emotionally exhausted.

“I feel I used to be possibly too settled down to start out the day. I wasn’t fairly into the competitors. I feel possibly it was a little bit of fatigue, no matter it was. However I felt like I used to be nonetheless type of getting adjusted to the golf course.”

Scheffler just isn’t in an amazing place for a fourth win in 5 begins due to when this match lands on the schedule. Beating the most effective gamers on this planet in a given week is tough sufficient as it’s. Doing so after the emotional toll of successful a Masters is monumental. If anybody can do it, it is him. However there have been positively some errors in there early for Scheffler that we’re unaccustomed to seeing. 

These errors can be cleaned up ultimately, and Scheffler will play his method into the match. The query for him after Spherical 1 is whether or not falling outdoors the highest 20 after the primary day will prohibit him from yet one more victory.

2024 RBC Heritage up to date odds, picks

Odds by way of Sportsline consensus

• Collin Morikawa: 6-1
• J.T. Poston: 7-1
• Ludvig Aberg: 7-1
• Scottie Scheffler: 10-1
• Rory McIlroy: 11-1
• Patrick Cantlay: 12-1

I am in on Åberg getting a victory this week, and I like these 7-1 odds. Which suggests Scheffler is certainly going to shoot 64 on Friday and surge into the lead. Guys who hit it nice and it is best to regulate embrace Cameron Younger (20-1) and Russell Henley (28-1).