News
How Branden Grace captured his first PGA Tour win at the RBC Heritage
Nothing shocking in this: Branden Grace won the RBC Heritage because he made more birdies (18) than anyone else in the field for the week and he went lower on Sunday than any other golfer inside the top 25. Indeed, the South African’s 66 was the second-best Sunday round to John Senden’s six-under 65.
Talking about the quality of his final-round 66, which vaulted him to a two-stroke win over Russell Knox and Luke Donald, Grace answered this question in his post-win press conference:
Was the turning point on the back nine when you go back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13?
BRANDEN GRACE: Yeah, definitely. I knew they were tough holes. I needed to be aggressive on those two and try to give myself some good chances. I think the furthest one was probably eight feet. But made two good strokes, and two big putts for the momentum for the rest of the round. And then it was just grinding it out the rest of the round.
Here’s a look at how those two critical holes appeared on the PGA Tour’s Shot Tracker. Grace, who hit just 53.6 percent of fairways for the week, managed to find the short grass both times, ending up 10 feet 10 inches and nine feet, 1 inch from the hole respectively.
And video of the birdie putt at the 12th.
The win, which came in 27-year-old Grace’s 51st tournament on the PGA Tour wasn’t defined by overwhelming brilliance in any one statistical area. However, the sum total of his strong showing was a near field-leading strokes gained: tee-to-green performance. Grace, as the winner, of course, led field in strokes gained: total.
Here’s how Grace ranked in key areas, via ShotLink.
- Driving distance: 280.2 (39)
- Fairways hit: 53.6% (T50)
- Greens in regulation: 61.1% (T14)
- Approach shot proximity: 37’8’’ (39)
- Strokes gained: tee-to-green: 2.302 (2)
- Strokes gained: putting: 1.348 (10)
Grace, an extremely low hitter of the golf ball (last on tour in apex height), faced a course which takes driver out of players’ hands. Last year, average driving distance at Harbour Town was the shortest on tour at 264.3 yards.
Much lip service is given to the Pete Dye-designed track’s small putting surfaces, and rightfully so. Last year, just 56.5 percent of approach shots found the greens: the lowest percentage anywhere on tour. Thus, Grace finishing tied for 14th at 61.1 percent of greens in regulation in an achievement more impressive than the objectively low percentage of greens hit, well below his season average of 69.21 percent (27th on tour).
And not shockingly, as he led the field in birdies, Grace had a great week with the flatstick, picking up 1.348 strokes on the field with the putter. The performance was well above his average of .215 strokes gained: putting (68th on tour).
Here’s the weapon his did the damage with: An Odyssey Versa V Line.
And here’s the “pencil” grip he employs.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.
We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.
We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.
Check out links to all our photos, below.
General Albums
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #2
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Justin Thomas – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Rose – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Nick Dunlap – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Thomas Detry – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Austin Eckroat – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Jason Day – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Will Zalatoris – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Ludvig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Sam Burns – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Stephen Jaeger – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
Pullout Albums
- Wyndham Clark’s Odyssey putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- JT’s new Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Thomas testing new Titleist 2 wood – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey putter with triple track alignment aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Scotty Cameron The Blk Box putting alignment aid/training aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey Ai One Eleven T putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Christian Bezuidenhout – testing new Callaway Ti 340 mini driver – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele testing the Callaway Ti 340 mini driver & the DUW – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Byeong Hun An, two new L.A.B. Golf putter builds with “T” alignment – 2024 RBC Heritage
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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foo
Apr 18, 2016 at 1:37 pm
Callaway with another win!
Ian
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:01 pm
Grace you boytjie!