HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The return of the PGA Tour to the competition has united this year’s strongest field in a less punitive course, and the results are the same.

This is another free one for everyone at RBC Heritage.

Webb Simpson practically had to apologize for 3-under 68, where he managed only one birdie on nine backs. He was part of a four-way tie to lead, and that was good enough for him. He also knew it was good not to cut Sunday in Harbor Town.

“It’s not like I got a three or four shot advantage and could shoot the pair below,” he said. “This will take a good one.”

Tyrrell Hatton made one of six rounds in 63, giving the 28-year-old from England a part of the lead when he went for his second straight win, despite being separated for three months due to the close of the 19th COVID pandemic.

Abraham Ancer, very solid with an iron, has a value of 65 and joins Ryan Palmer, who has a value of 66.

They are at 15-under 198, a number that doesn’t even begin to explain the low score.

Even with Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele sputtering into the 75s, the field was 223-below par, the lowest for each round since RBC Heritage began in 1969. There are 35 players with 10 under or better, compared to only one player (Dustin Johnson) last year. The previous sign was seven players with two digits below par through 54 holes.

Most recounts are opportunities on Sundays.

There are 21 players separated by only three shots entering the final round. A week ago at Colonial, there were 14 players separated by three shots.

“I think the fields are very strong,” Ancer said. “Everyone here just wants to get out and play. Greens are a little soft, especially this week, and the ball doesn’t really roll as you normally do on the green and on the fairway. That produces a little more birdies, for sure. “

Carlos Ortiz, who started the tournament with two double bogeys after playing only five holes, suddenly had the chance to win his first PGA Tour after two hawks in round 63. He was one shot behind, along with colonial winners Daniel Berger and Joel Dahmen , both of whom are 63 years old.

And there is more testing than usual.

Players and caddies on charter flights to Connecticut for next week’s event must undergo a saliva test on Saturday for the corona virus before they can board the plane. Eleven others tested Friday night because they were thought to have been in close contact with Nick Watney, whose positive test on Friday was the first in golf returns.

Among them was Sergio Garcia, who flew with Watney from Austin, Texas. Initial tests are negative. Garcia was agitated while he waited for the results, although not so nervous he could not lower the number 65 to join the chase. He was two shots behind, along with Ian Poulter and Joaquin Niemann.

Bryson DeChambeau, starting the day with one shot behind, hit his approach to par-5 seconds in the tree and it never went down. He had added 40 pounds of mass, still not enough to uproot the tree and release it. Which leads to specter, and more damaging is there are no birdies at nine for 70.

Even so, he kept three shots behind in the group including Johnson, who birdied three of his last four holes to go from around the middle of the package to 12-under 201, three shots behind and very much in the picture. That’s all that is needed on Saturday, and there will probably be no difference in the final round.

Brooks Koepka quietly posted 68 and was in the group of three shots behind.

Lime until June, a new date for RBC Heritage due to a pandemic. This tournament is usually the week after the Masters in April, when the temperature is slightly cooler, vegetables are firmer and wheat grass has not been taken over by Bermuda. Soft. And this is the best player in the world, everyone is excited to go again.

“Since we were not on the main championship-style golf course last week or this week, where you will part because of poor scores, I think that might be why,” Simpson said when asked to explain bunches scores.

Maybe that explains why Justin Thomas called it “the worst 66 I’ve ever taken in my life.”

Hatton had won in succession earlier in his career, in completely different circumstances. In 2017, he won in Scotland and Italy in consecutive weeks. Now he leaves after two consecutive three months apart, after winning at Bay Hill in March before the pandemic turns off the sport.

It seemed that it was not long enough for anyone to gather much in a hurry.

“I think we all have enough notice to try and get ready to play the tournament again,” said Hatton, who is renting a house in Orlando, Florida, during the mandate of staying at home. “So it’s not too surprising to see people playing as well as they do, and hopefully people at home enjoy it, watching it on TV.”