2024 RBC Heritage: Weather Reports at Hilton Head Explored

PGA Tour pros will breathe a sigh of relief at Hilton Head after four days of battling at Augusta National. The course, nasty as it is, was shapeshifted into a different beast with strong winds, making the day doubly hard for golfers. Nothing of that sort looks to happen at RBC Heritage, though.

While the Pete Dye layout will prove to be a challenge, wind speed isn’t something reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, runner-up Ludvig Aberg, and their peers have to worry about. Before the $20 million purse signature event begins, here is a detailed weather forecast for the weekend. 

No round delays are expected on the PGA Tour this week

Alejandro Tosti will start his round on Thursday under a clear sky. The first day expects only light winds by the afternoon, that too at a modest 5–10 mph, compared to 40 mph wind guts on last Friday in Georgia. Fortunately, like last year, there is no chance of rain halting the play.

Friday, too, will play under similar conditions. At 20%, the chances of rain are only slight. The temperature will move between 80F and 65F throughout the day. Moving to the penultimate round, Saturday will play with relative calmness. No heavy wind is forecast; rather, a steady blow at 10 mph can be expected. 

Sunday, again, will be relatively uneventful as far as the weather is concerned. However, expect to see dark clouds in the sky, with the maximum temperature dropping to 76F and the lowest at 66F. There is a 40% chance of a light shower, and the wind speed might drop to 7 mph. 

So, clearly, the weather won’t determine the strategy for golfers at RBC Heritage. But in the past, the Hilton Head tournament has had its fair share of weather troubles. Not too long ago, inclement weather forced us to cancel the pre-tournament activities altogether. 

RBC Heritage has past histories of inclement weather 

Notably, last year, the opening round was halted in the afternoon because of rain. Rain halted play on Thursday for 90 minutes around 2.52 PM ET. When the first round resumed at 4.15 PM, the rain-soaked greens caused some trouble for then-defending Masters champion Jon Rahm. The Spanish international went on to make three consecutive bogeys on the front nine. In 2020, the final round met with a similar fate as well. 

Six years ago, rain and storm battered the Harbour Town Links Golf Course, forcing it to cancel the opening ceremony. Traditionally, the RBC Heritage starts with the Citadel Regimental bagpipe parade marching from the Liberty Oak at Harbour Town Yacht Basin to the 18th green. There, the defending champion takes a ceremonial tee shot towards Calibouge Sound, the creek between Hilton Head and Daisuke Island. In 2018, the entire ceremony had to be canceled for the first time since 2004. 

Nothing of the sort happened this year. Matt Fitzpatrick was very much part of the opening ceremony on Tuesday. Interestingly, the PGA Tour has faced weather issues throughout the past four months. Pebble Beach Pro-Am came to a premature end because of a hailstorm. However, at RBC Heritage, the unwelcoming streak may break.