RBC Heritage 2026 FRL Tips: Straka to Sepp the pace?

The RBC Heritage begins tomorrow, and with pleasant conditions on the way, we could see a first-round scramble for the lead at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Our resident golf tipster Jamie Worsley is here with three picks he fancies to take advantage in his RBC Heritage 2026 FRL Betting Tips, which you can check out below...

You can read Jamie's full RBC Heritage Preview here..

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Beginning at 7.05am, the pairings will tee off in 10-15-minute intervals thereafter, ending with the final duo starting at 2.10pm. It is predicted to be bright and warm throughout, with temperatures of 19°C early doors, rising to 26°C in the afternoon.

The wind will increase as the round progresses, blowing at around 8mph in the morning and reaching 12mph in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the gusts will also get stronger, hitting highs of 21mph later on Thursday, up from 12mph for the earliest tee times.

Although the forecast doesn’t look too damaging for any part of the draw, those out after 12pm will play much of their round in gustier conditions. Therefore, I’m going to focus my attention on players who begin before midday.

1.25 pts Sepp Straka each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 35/1

Start time: 9.45am

Possessing two top-five finishes at Harbour Town, Sepp Straka knows what it takes to go low around here. He tasted the first-round lead at TPC Sawgrass just three starts ago and, as one of the most consistently strong iron players in recent years, he can get off to a flyer on Thursday.

Straka has finished inside the top 20 in half of his eight appearances in 2026, going agonisingly close when he finished 2^nd at Pebble Beach. He was a solid 41^st at Augusta, where we again saw him thrive in approach, ranking 14^th, an area in which he sits 11^th over the last three months.

His first-round form has been decent this year, opening with a five-under 67 to share top spot at THE PLAYERS Championship three starts ago. He was in similar shape at the end of 2025, tying the first-round lead at both the Hero World Challenge and Scottish Open.

Straka has twice begun this event with a 66, taking him to 4^th place on day one in 2024 and 3^rd place in 2022. This led to top-five finishes on each occasion and, with further rounds of 65 and 67 (x8) to his name, he’s well equipped to go low tomorrow.

1 pt Sungjae Im each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 45/1

Start time: 9.20am

Sungjae Im hasn’t finished outside the top 25 in his last five trips to Harbour Town, all of which have been engineered by an under-par opening round. He made a fantastic start to claim the first-round lead with a seven-under 64 at the Valspar Championship four weeks ago, and he can repeat that effort in tomorrow’s calmer morning conditions.

The Korean returned from a wrist injury at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he missed the cut. Things didn’t get a whole lot better at TPC Sawgrass a week later, but he hit his stride at the Copperhead Course, holding the lead from rounds one to three before eventually finishing 4^th.

He was an underwhelming 60^th at the Houston Open after a promising start, though he did provide some encouragement when 46^th at last week’s Masters Tournament, producing his best driving display of the season.

Sungjae’s standout opening-round effort here came back in 2023, where he shot a five-under 66 to sit 5^th after 18 holes. He’s recorded additional scores of 65, another 66, and four 67s, making me optimistic about his chances of hitting the front on Thursday.

0.75 pts Alex Noren each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 55/1

Start time: 11.50am

I’m going to round out my selections with Alex Noren, who arrives after his best ever Augusta performance last week. That was aided by a season’s best approach performance, and owning a positive record at Harbour Town, he’s primed for a quick start.

Noren missed his first two cuts of the season but hasn’t missed another across his six outings since. He recorded top-25s at the Genesis Invitational and Arnold Palmer Invitational, whilst his 30^th-place finish at The Masters improved on his previous best of 62^nd in 2019.

He was the 13^th-strongest approach player in the field there, gaining strokes with his irons in each round. As a straight hitter who thrives around the greens, he has the game to correct his recent underwhelming first-round form.

Noren has finished inside the top 30 in three of his four RBC Heritage appearances, going best when 21^st in 2020. An opening 67 was enough for a top-10 in round one on debut in 2019, and with countless other rounds in the 60s produced since, including a couple of 66s, this type of strategic, tree-lined test is one that suits his game most.

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