The RSM Classic is now a regular at this time of the year on the schedule. It’s a wide-open event with almost all of the big names not attending, and the one big name, Tony Finau, pulling out at the 11th hour.
But with ranking points and an $8 million purse it’s well worth the effort!!
Here’s a preview of the action from the Golf Insider…
Want some more great priced tips? The Longshots Report is your guide to high-priced golfers that can earn us profits in some of the less popular markets without winning the tournament. Check it out here.
RSM Classic
A relative newcomer to the PGA Tour in that it was first played in 2010 (as the McGladrey Classic) and now, since 2015, as the RSM Classic. And like several other events in the US at this time of year, we’re not going to be bowled over with masses of top talent, but what we are going to see is a good mix of seasoned pros – “journeyman” for want of a better word – perennial bridesmaids, and a number of rookies and youngsters keen to make a name for themselves. No surprise that the roll of honour here in Georgia reads like less of a “Who’s Who” of golf… more simply, just “Who?”.
Prizemoney $8.1m ($1.3m to the winner)
Field 156
Highest ranked players
Harman (26)
Straka (28)
Power (30)
Kisner (31)
Hoge (36)
Hughes (50).
2021 result
-20 Talor Gooch ($41)
-17 Mackenzie Hughes ($67)
-16 Sebastian Munoz ($111)
-13 Tom Hoge ($101)
-13 Tyler McCumber ($501)
-13 Seamus Power ($67)
-13 Cameron Smith ($19)
Other recent winners
Robert Streb (2020)
Tyler Duncan (2019)
Charles Howell (2018)
Austin Cook (2017)
Mackenzie Hughes (2016)
RSM Classic: The Course
Two courses are being used this week. There’s the host venue, the Sea Island GC, laid out over 7,005 yards as a par 70. This was the only course used from 2010 to 2014 and was put together by Tom Fazio – who merged two previous par-9 courses on the site in 1999 to create one 18-hole layout. Then from 2015 onwards the Plantation Course, which is a 7,058 yard par 72, was added. This course was first opened in 1926, designed by Walter Travis, and has been updated in recent years, most noticeably by Rees Jones in 1998. Players now play each course once over Thursday and Friday, and then play out the weekend at Sea Island. Both are situated at Saint Simons Island on the Eastern seaboard of the US in Georgia.
72-Hole Record 260: Kevin Kisner (2015).
18-Hole Record 60: Tommy Gainey (2012).
RSM Classic: The Weather
A mainly dry week is expected with a daily precipitation forecast of 0%-0%-10%-20% over the course of the tournament. Temperatures will be in the high-60s, with partial cloud cover all week. Maximum wind speeds will range between 10-12mph over the four days.
RSM Classic: The Bets
These are two of the each-way outright bets from the Golf Insider. Members receive all of his best bets for all markets – win and each-way, Top 10, Top 20, Round 1 Leader and 3-Ball groups. He covers every tournament on the PGA and European Tours.
Keith Mitchell $29 with TopSport
The late withdrawal of tournament favourite Tony Finau has further reduced the star-quality of this week’s field in Georgia. And it certainly has the feel of a wide-open event, given the lack of serial-winners at the top of the market. One of the more likely winners is Keith Mitchell. The 30-year-old from Tennessee is a previous PGA Tour winner (Honda Classic 2019), and has a number of Top 10 finishes during his 6 years on the circuit. A steaky player, with a number of low rounds to his name here (best finish 12th last year), and off the back of a Top 10 in Texas last week, Mitchell looks a decent play to me.
Mackenzie Hughes $29 with TopSport
The 31-year-old Canadian has two career wins to his name, and one of them was in this very event back in 2016. So with course form no issue, we can cement that with good current form – as Hughes recorded his second PGA Tour win just three starts ago in the Sanderson Farms Championship. Two starts since he’s been 23rd and then 16th in Houston, making Hughes a lively candidate this week. That breakthrough win here in 2016 has been added to with a 2nd place 12 months ago, which suggests that in a very winnable tournament, the Ontario professional is well worth an interest.
The Golf Insider is a GUN. Look at these winners, all since the start of 2020... Sebastian Garcia-Rodriguez $126, Roger Sloan $126, Mark Hubbard $126, Tom Hoge $101, Pablo Larrazabal $91, Jeff Winther $91, Nino Bertasio $81, Sam Burns $67, Jhonattan Vegas $67, Lucas Herbert $67, Haotong Li $67, Joaquin Niemann $58, Brian Stuard $51, Ted Potter Jr $51, Russell Henley $51, Victor Perez $51, Harold Varner $51, JT Poston $51, John Catlin $46, Pablo Larrazabal $46, Max Homa $41, Talor Gooch $41.
Top Blokes
Ready for action
Best of the Best
Great for roughies
True. Real Bookies
