PGA Tour Picks: RSM Classic

By Tom LaMarre

The PGA Tour wraps up the Fall portion of its 2019-20 season this week with the RSM Classic, and the first 10 events have provided plenty of excitement.

Not only have established stars Tiger Woods (Zozo Championship), Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland (WGC-HSBC Champions) and Justin Thomas (CJ Cup at Nine Bridges) claimed victories, but so did first-time winners Joaquin Niemann of Chile (A Military Tribune at the Greenbrier), Sebastian Munoz of Colombia (Sanderson Farms Championship), and Lanto Griffin (Houston Open).

And on Monday, Brendon Todd captured the Mayakoba Golf Classic two weeks after winning the Bermuda Championship, becoming the first player to win back-to-back victories on the PGA Tour since Bryson DeChambeau won The Northern Trust and the Dell Technologies Championship during the 2018 FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Charles Howell III will defend his title this week in the 10th RSM Classic on the Seaside and Plantation Courses at Sea Island Resort www.seaislandresort.com/Golf in Sea Island, Ga., which a number of PGA Tour players call home—including tournament host Davis Love III.

Davis Love’s team at Love Golf Design recently renovated the Plantation Course, and Davis took an active part in the job.

“Pete Dye told me you’re not a golf course architect until you get on the equipment and build it yourself,” Love said. “ … We like classic design. We feel like this is a historic resort and it needs a historic-looking course.”

The tournament is a family affair, with Davis’ son Dru in the field on a sponsor’s exemption.

And the Love connection doesn’t end there.

“It’s almost impossible to believe that this is the 10th playing of the RSM Classic,” said Mark Love, the tournament’s Executive Director, and Davis’ brother. “Our event has grown so much—from a Fall Series event to a tournament with full FedEx Cup points; from raising a few hundred thousand dollars a year for charity to a few million dollars a year; from 132 PGA Tour pros in the field to 156, (and) from playing just the Seaside Course to playing the Seaside and Plantation courses.

“We are so thankful that our Golden Isles community has embraced this event and helped us grow it into one of the premier events on the PGA Tour.”

In addition to Davis Love III, other residents of the area in the field this week include Matt Kuchar, Patton Kizzire, Zach Johnson, Harris English, Hudson Swafford, Brian Harman, Jonathan Byrd and J.T. Poston.

Surprisingly, no one living full-time on Sea Island at the time has won the tournament.

Chris Kirk lived there for almost seven years until he moved to Atlanta before he captured the RSM title in 2013, and Kevin Kisner was living there temporarily during a re-model of his South Carolina home when he claimed the title in 2015.

The PGA Tour is back in the United States after its last six tournaments were held in Korea, Japan, Bermuda, China and Mexico, and major champions in the field include DLIII, Johnson, Webb Simpson (pictured), Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink and Jason Dufner.

After this, there will be a five-week break before the season continues with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua Resort on the Hawaiian island of Maui In January, so the goal this week for most will be a strong finish to the year.

And also to keep the trophy on the island.

BEST BETS

1. Webb Simpson, United States – The 2018 Players champion is making only his second start of the new season, having finished in a tie for seventh in the Shriners for Hospitals Children Open after recording six top-10 results in the 2018-19 season. Finished third at Sea Island last year, second in 2011 and tied for seventh in 2014.
2. Adam Hadwin, Canada – Getting in his last competitive golf ahead of the Presidents Cup next month, Hadwin had a great start in the new season by finishing second behind Cameron Champ in the Safeway Open and tying for seventh in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, in which he closed with a 63. That followed five top-10a last season.
3. Matt Kuchar, United States – Kooch is one of the players who lives in the Sea Island area, and in seven starts in the RSM he has posted five finishes in the top 25, the best a tie for seventh in 2014. He tied for 14th in defense of his title at Mayakoba in his first start of the new campaign after winning twice last season to give him nine PGA Tour titles.
4. Harris English, United States – Led after opening the Mayakoba with 65-64 and was in the hunt virtually all the way before finishing solo fifth. That was English’s fourth top-six finish in five starts during the new season, including a tie for third at the Greenbrier. Has two top-25s in the RSM Classic, the best a tie for 15th the first time in 2012.
5. Brendon Todd, United States – After winning the Bermuda Championship and the Mayakoba Golf Classic, Todd will try to become first player to win three straight PGA Tour events since Dustin Johnson in 2017. He is making his fifth start at home in the RSM Classic and the only time he posted a top-25 finish was with a tie for 16th in 2016.
6. Sebastian Munoz, Colombia – One of four first-time winners in the Fall portion of the new PGA Tour season, having won the Sanderson Farms Championship. A four-time winner as a pro, Munoz also tied for seventh in A Military Tribune at the Greenbrier and is fifth in the early FedEx Cup standings. Has missed the cut in only two RSM starts.
7. Dylan Frittelli, South Africa – Won for the first time on the PGA Tour and the fifth time around the world in 2019 John Deere Classic, one of his four top-25 finishes in his first full season on the circuit. Frittelli is off to a strong start in the new season with a tie for sixth in the Sanderson Farms, a tie for seventh in the Safeway, plus two other top-25s.
8. Adam Long, United States – Winner of the 2019 Desert Classic was in the chase for his second PGA Tour title all the way to the finish before tying for second, one stroke behind Brendon Long last week in the Mayakoba Classic. He also tied for 14th in A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier, one of three other top-25 finishes in the new season.
9. Charles Howell III, United States – Claimed third PGA Tour victory in the RSM last year (but the first since the 2007 Nissan Open) beating Patrick Rodgers with a birdie on the second playoff hole. Howell also tied for seventh in the RSM Classic in 2013 and tied for ninth in 2016. Tied for fourth in Safeway and tied for eighth in Zozo this season.
10. Mackenzie Hughes, Canada – Claimed his only PGA Tour victory in the RSM Classic two years ago, when he beat Billy Horschel, Blayne Barber, Camilo Villegas and Henrik Norlander with a par on the fourth playoff hole, but missed the cut in his title defense. Also has claimed titles on the Web.com Tour and at home on PGA Tour Canada.

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH – Billy Horschel, United States; Joel Dahmen, United States; Alex Noren, Sweden; Zach Johnson, United States; Russell Knox, Scotland; Kevin Kisner, United States; Vaughn Taylor, United States; Davis Love III, United States.

SLEEPERS

1. Robby Shelton, United States – Coming off a T-6 in Mayakoba with a closing 65, and was T-7 at the Greenbrier after claiming two victories on Korn Kerry Tour last season.
2. Fabian Gomez, Argentina – A 16-time winner as a pro, Gomez finished T-7 in the Bermuda Championship and T-18 in the Sanderson Farms Championship this season.
3. Xinjung Chang, China – Has six victories as a pro and finished T-4 in the Houston Open and T-7 in the Safeway Open during the Fall portion on the PGA Tour this year.
4. Scottie Scheffler, United States – Two-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour last season has T-7 at Greenbrier, T-3 in Bermuda and T-18 at Mayakoba on the PGA Tour this Fall.
5. Chris Kirk, United States – Four-time PGA Tour winner is playing on medical extension after battling alcoholism and depression. Finished T-33 in return at Mayakoba.

For first-round tee times visit https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html