MCI Classic
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| Location |
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Established | 1969, 48 years ago |
| Course(s) | Harbour Town Golf Links |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,099 yards (6,491 m) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $6.5 million |
| Month played | April |
| Aggregate | 264 Brian Gay (2009) |
| To par | −20 Brian Gay (2009) |
 Wesley Bryan
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The RBC Heritage, known for much of its history as the Heritage Classic or simply the Heritage, is a PGA Tour event in South Carolina, first played 48 years ago in 1969. It is currently played in mid-April, the week after The Masters in Augusta, Georgia.
The venue has been the Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island. The Harbour Town course, which frequently appears on several "Best Courses" lists, was designed by famed golf course architect Pete Dye, with assistance from Jack Nicklaus. In 1972, the first two rounds were played on both the Harbour Town Golf Links and the Ocean course at Sea Pines, with the final two rounds at Harbour Town.
Originally played in late November, it moved to mid-September in 1973, March in 1974, and April in 1983. The inaugural champion in 1969 was 40-year-old Arnold Palmer, his first win in over a year. Course co-designer Nicklaus won in 1975, two weeks before his fifth Masters win. Davis Love III leads with five victories in the event, Hale Irwin has three, and eight others have won twice.
From 1987 through 2010, it was sponsored either by MCI (under both the "MCI" and "WorldCom" names) or its eventual purchaser, Verizon. The tournament operated without a title sponsor in 2011, and the Royal Bank of Canada has been the title sponsor of The Heritage since 2012. It is currently organized by The Heritage Classic Foundation.
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