Open to public, marks official 50-day countdown to tournament
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C., Feb 8 – Celebrating 50 years is a major milestone. The official 50-day countdown to the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing golf tournament, scheduled for April 9-15, will kick off on Sunday, Feb. 18, in Harbour Town. The Lowcountry will celebrate in truest Plaid Nation style at a special Countdown to 50 party hosted by the Heritage Classic Foundation. The highlight of the event won’t be the food. Instead, the focal point will be Hilton Head Island’s historic lighthouse, which will feature the tournament’s traditional plaid in celebration of the RBC Heritage’s 50th anniversary.
Starting Feb. 5, locally based printing company Kennickell Printing began installing plaid printed ORAJET® 3954 Brick Stone vinyl on the lighthouse, which will remain decked out in plaid throughout the tournament week. The ORAJET® brand is manufactured by Savannah, GA. based, ORAFOL Americas Inc.
“We are incredibly proud of where this tournament started, how far we’ve come and where we stand today,” Tournament Director Steve Wilmot said. “To think we are about to embark on our 50th tournament is the greatest honor. The longevity of the RBC Heritage speaks to the undivided support and commitment of our fans, volunteers, sponsors, partners, trustees, golfers and community members.”
The party on Feb. 18 is open to the public from 2 to 4 p.m. at Harbour Town’s yacht basin and Liberty Oak area. The standard Sea Pines gate fee will apply. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at outdoor stands hosted by Sea Pines Resort. The five-piece variety cover band Muddycreek will provide live music throughout the afternoon. A portion of the lawn in Harbour Town will be reserved for the hardworking volunteers of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.
Parking will be extremely limited in Harbour Town, so event parking will be just inside the main gates of Sea Pines and participants will be shuttled into Harbour Town.
The iconic lighthouse will also offer free admission for the day, courtesy of the Heritage Classic Foundation. In addition, RBC Heritage’s mascot, Sir William Innes, will be available for photo opportunities in front of the plaid lighthouse. Lowcountry Radio Group will host live remotes throughout the day. Tickets and tournament merchandise will be for sale during the event.
“We hope all of the Lowcountry will come out to this event and celebrate the 50-day countdown,” Wilmot added. “The plaid lighthouse will be a sight to see — you won’t want to miss it, and we encourage everyone to share it on social media to promote the iconic symbol of Hilton Head with the hashtag #plaidlighthouse!”
Additional events have celebrated the 50th anniversary. Lowcountry Radio Group, the tournament’s official radio stations, highlighted 50 RBC Heritage tournament memories. PGA TOUR Entertainment produced a three-minute video highlighting the best of 50 years, and all the past champion portraits will be displayed throughout March at the Art League of Hilton Head Gallery. To honor the tournament’s 50th anniversary, Coca-Cola created a special limited-edition bottle that can be purchased in retail outlets across South Carolina. Tournament-week festivities will include a special opening ceremony, a commemorative Golden Ticket, poster and more.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the 50th annual RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing tournament are still available by calling 843-671-2448 or visiting rbcheritage.com.