Steve Palmer's RBC Heritage first-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 5.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Webb Simpson to beat Dustin Johnson
4pts Evens bet365, BoyleSports

Tyrrell Hatton to win threeball
3pts 11-8 BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes

Branden Grace first-round leader
1pt each-way 70-1 Betfred

Preview

Dustin Johnson has lost form and confidence over the last couple of months, and the world number one appears a vulnerable RBC Heritage favourite this week.

From the final round of the Genesis Invitational onwards, Johnson has been out of sorts, getting tailed off in the WGC at The Concession, then at Sawgrass, before a group-stage elimination from the WGC-Match Play. The Carolinian missed the cut by two shots in the Masters last week, meekly surrendering his title.

Given Johnson has failed to finish in the top 15 in his previous five Heritage starts, Harbour Town does not seem the ideal place for him to rediscover his swagger. Defending champion Webb Simpson, in contrast, relishes this assignment and looks a bargain at evens to win their 72-hole match.

As well as Simpson's record-breaking 22-under-par total to triumph last year, he has form figures of 11-5-16 from the preceding three editions of the Harbour Town tournament, and after swinging well at the weekend for 12th place in the Masters, there is every reason to expect a stout title defence.

Pick of the first-round threeball options is arguably Tyrrell Hatton in the 6.18pm (UK and Ireland time) contest. Rain is expected for the afternoon starters and the Englishman, a two-time Dunhill Links champion, may handle the difficult conditions better than playing partners Harris English and JT Poston.

Hatton finished third in last year's Heritage - his straight hitting and excellent scrambling makes him a Harbour Town natural - and the world number eight should prove a leading contender again after he recorded a confidence boosting Masters PB (18th place) on Sunday.

Branden Grace, who opened with a 66 on his way to winning the 2016 Heritage, is getting back to his best and could threaten first-round-leader honours from a clear, relatively calm 8.06am local-time launchpad.

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