Once a post-Masters vacation, Hilton Head now elevated event

By The Associated Press

Hilton Head was always seen as a peaceful place to exhale after the Masters. Now it’s an elevated event with a $20 million purse. That didn’t keep Rory McIlroy and Jason Day from pulling out. Will Zalatoris is out for the season after having back surgery. That leaves seven of the top 10 at the RBC Heritage. But it has the Masters champion in Jon Rahm. The field usually is 132 players. Because so many top players are required to play, the field started at 147. Jordan Spieth is the defending champion. The LPGA is in Hawaii a week before its first major in Houston.