Weather forces RBC Heritage schedule change

HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- Fans who want to catch the final round of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing will have to wake up bright and early.

With the threat of bad weather looming, tournament officials decided to adjust the tee times for Sunday's fourth round.

Instead of teeing in pairs, groups will consist of three players, with tee times on No. 1 and No. 10 starting at 7:30 a.m.

The leaders -- Troy Merritt (-12), Brendon Todd (-11), Kevin Kisner (-11) and Matt Kuchar (-11) -- are expected to tee off around 9:30 a.m.

Weather permitting, the final round will conclude about 2:30 p.m., PGA Tour rules official Slugger White said.

Sunday's forecast calls for intermittent thunderstorms beginning around 10 a.m., with about a 50 percent chance of rain throughout the day. The change of schedule could mean play will end before the 3 p.m. CBS broadcast. The Golf Channel is scheduled to begin its broadcast at 1 p.m.

Several players among the leaders are aware that weather could come into play after three relatively calm days at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Count Brice Garnett (-10) among those who might be a little more optimistic about sketchy conditions.

"I love bad weather. I'm from Missouri," Garnett said. "I really do like when it gets windy. It plays trickier out here when it gets windy."

Kuchar, the defending champion, said going out early will not change his approach.

"I hope that it all works out well," Kuchar said. "I think that the Tour does a good job of forecasting the weather, doing a good job to give us the best conditions to finish on time. It really doesn't make a difference. We all hope to play in some decent conditions tomorrow."

The change in tee times also led to the cancellation of the Sunday Sunrise Service, initially scheduled for 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on the 18th green.

This article was written by Kendall Salter from The Island Packet Online and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.