RBC Heritage Round 3 Recap & Final Round Preview

In a crowded field at the top of the leaderboard at the 2022 RBC Heritage, no one seems to want to stay in the top spot for more than a round. Here is our RBC Heritage Round 3 Recap & Final Round Preview.

2022 RBC Heritage Round 3 Recap

On Saturday, the leader heading into play finished his second round in a flurry, with four straight birdies from Nos. 15-18, the most brutal stretch of the course, for a two-shot lead, but Patrick Cantlay shot a 70 on Saturday to bring him back to the pack and leave him a shot before heading into his final round. Cantlay is still currently the favorite as his odds moved to +310, as projected by Jazsports.

So, with Cantlay struggling a bit on Saturday, who was able to take advantage and jump to the top of the leader board heading into play on Sunday? Harold Varner III had eight birdies in a bogey-free round to match Cameron Youngs’s opening score of 63, to shoot the lowest round of the week at Harbour Town. Varner’s 8-under 63 thrust him into contention as he looks for his first PGA Tour victory. Varner’s odds to win the tournament also shot up, as he currently sits at +500, as projected by Jazzsports. Varner finished playing on Saturday at 11-under for the tournament, one stroke better than FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, 2019 British Open winner Shane Lowry of Ireland, and Erik van Rooyen of South Africa are all at 10-under.

Speaking of Lowry, who had a magnificent round to bounce back from a 72 on Friday to get within a shot of the lead. Lowry started a bit up and down as he had birdies on the second and fifth holes and then followed each with bogeys, but he steadied himself after that for a 65, matching his career-low at Harbour Town. Lowry jumped right behind Cantlay as his odds moved to +375, as projected by Jazzsports.

Round 4 Preview & Favorites

Varner has had an interesting ride to the top spot heading into Sunday, as He appeared to shoot himself out of contention with his Friday finish, going four over his final four holes for a 72. However, sometimes certain things in a round can either fuel your play for the next round or can crush you mentally and send you into a spiral. In the case of Harold Varner III, it was a ruling on the sixth hole on Friday that not angered him but woke him up a bit, heading into play on Saturday. Varner’s tee shot on the par-4 sixth was called out-of-bounds. Varner told officials that he saw a spectator pick up the ball that was eventually identified as Varner’s, and he may have put it back beyond the out-of-bounds marker. The decision stood, and Varner made a double-bogey and was visibly upset about it.

Varner will need to be flawless in his final round on Sunday if he wants to claim his first PGA Tour victory with Patrick Cantlay and Shane Lowry breathing down his neck. Varner has two international victories, winning the Australian PGA Championship in 2016 and the Saudi International in February, so he knows how to win, but I wonder if the pressure from more accomplished golfers will be too much.

Editor’s Pick

My pick to win the 2022 RBC Heritage remains Patrick Cantlay. Even after a so-so round on Saturday, Cantlay only sits a stroke back, and I still believe that iron play wins at Harbour Town, and Cantlay is one of the best iron players left in the field. If he combines his strong iron play with a hot putter as he did on Friday, there is no way he loses.

2022 RBC Heritage Odds to win

The odds for the final round of the 2022 RBC Heritage have been posted. Patrick Cantlay remains the favorites, as projected by Jazzsports. In addition, all odds to win the tournament have been updated below:

Golfer	Odds
PATRICK CANTLAY	+310
SHANE LOWRY	+375
HAROLD VARNER III	+500
ERIK VAN ROOYEN	+850
MATT KUCHER	+1500
AARON WISE	+1500
SEPP STRAKA	+1500
JORDAN SPIETH	+2000
HUDSON SWAFFORD	+2500
BILLY HORSCHEL	+2500
TOMMY FLEETWOOD	+2500
JOEL DAHMEN	+4000
COREY CONNERS	+4000
JOAQUIN NIEMANN	+5000
MAVERICK MCNEALY	+5000
CAMERON YOUNG	+6000
MITO PEREIRA	+6000
CAMERON TRINGALE	+7500
IAN POULTER	+7500
FIELD (ANY OTHER)	+250