John Rahm, Brian Harman prepare to tee off at the RBC Heritage

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, Sc. (WTOC) - Jon Rahm marks the first reigning Masters champion to play the following week on TOUR since Jordan Spieth in 2015. After spending a little extra time in Augusta with his family, Rahm is back in competition mode.

Rahm arrives to Harbour Town with the number one world golf ranking next to his name, overtaking the spot from Scottie Scheffler after his Masters win. This marks Rahm’s second start at the RBC Heritage, his first since 2020, when he finished tied for 33rd.

He met with the media Wednesday and explained why he chose not to withdraw his name from the field.

“It did cross my mind, but I made a commitment earlier in the year and I want to honor my commitment. Also, I put myself in the shoes of not just the spectators, but the kids as well. If I was one of the kids, I would want to see the Masters champion play. I still intend to hopefully wear the jacket double and take this one home,” said Rahm.

From the Masters champion to a player looking to rebound after missing the cut at Augusta, Savannah’s own, Brian Harman. He finished tied for 35th at Harbour Town just one year ago, shooting 6-under.

Harman, on all that comes with playing back in his own backyard.

“Yeah, it’s good and bad. I probably put a little too much pressure on myself wanting to play well in front of everybody. At the end of the day you just have to play good golf and see what happens,” said Harman.

This is his Harman’s 15th start at RBC Heritage, and the Harbour Town vet is a big fan of it becoming an elevated event.

“Yeah, I am. I think that we tend to think of great golf courses as these big, long, overpowering places. This place is not that way. It’s one of the shortest courses we play all year and the winning scores is usually one of the highest all year. It’s a beautiful course and it’s held up over time,” said Harman.

Harman is set to tee off his first round at 7:55 a.m. Thursday morning.

Copyright 2023 WTOC. All rights reserved.