The RSM Classic is the 47th and final stop on the PGA Tour's 2024 calendar, and there is plenty still to be decided in terms of retaining status and earning Signature Events spots - nevermind finding out who will win the last trophy of the year.
Ludvig Aberg makes his return to the PGA Tour after knee surgery which has kept him out since the Tour Championship, and he is the defending champion at Sea Island Golf Club after picking up his first PGA Tour title this time last year.
Joining Aberg and 2023 Open Champion, Brian Harman at the season-ending tournament are PGA Tour winners Davis Thompson, Matt Wallace, and Si Woo Kim. Other fancied names this week include Denny McCarthy and Maverick McNealy, who are searching for their first triumph on the PGA Tour.
While still capable of winning, players like Wesley Bryan and Joel Dahmen (FedEx Cup. No 125 and 124, respectively) will simply hope to finish as high as possible to avoid losing fully exempt status on the PGA Tour next year.
Ahead of the first tee shot, some of the Golf Monthly team have picked out a handful of names we think will be in contention on Sunday evening.
THE RSM CLASSIC 2024: THE COURSE
The RSM Classic will take place on two courses at Sea Island Resort, Georgia - the Plantation course and the Seaside course. Golfers will play both across Thursday and Friday before teeing it up exclusively on the Seaside course over the weekend.
The Seaside course is a 7,005-yard par-70 while the Plantation course is a 7,060-yard par-72. The former is a links-style layout with smaller greens which runs along next to the ocean while the latter is a more classic course with large putting surfaces and plenty of water. It was redesigned by Davis Love III and his brother Mark Love in 2019.
Scoring at Sea Island Golf Club has been relatively kind in recent times, with the winning total ranging between 17-under and 22-under in the past 10 years. That was until Ludvig Aberg obliterated the tournament record via a 29-under last year.
Four players hold the tournament scoring record over one round, with the Seaside course playing host to four versions of a 10-under 60 - including one from Mackenzie Hughes during round three in 2023.
RSM CLASSIC PREVIOUS WINNERS
RSM CLASSIC BETTING ODDS
The odds to win outright are via FanDuel Sportsbook
- Ludvig Aberg (+900)
- Davis Thompson (+2200)
- Denny McCarthy (+2500)
- Brian Harman (+2500)
- Si Woo Kim (+2800)
- Maverick McNealy (+3000)
- Matt Wallace (+3000)
- Harris English (+3300)
- J.T. Poston (+3300)
- Seamus Power (+3300)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+3500)
- Ben Griffin (+3500)
- J.J. Spaun (+3500)
- Eric Cole (+4000)
- Andrew Novak (+4000)
- Lucas Glover (+4000)
- Chris Kirk (+4000)
- Justin Lower (+4500)
- Luke Clanton (+4500)
- Doug Ghim (+4500)
- Keith Mitchell (+5000)
- Austin Eckroat (+5000)
- Sepp Straka (+5000)
- Patrick Rodgers (+5000)
- Matt Kuchar (+5000)
RSM CLASSIC BETTING PICKS
FAVORITE: Wesley Bryan (+12000)
Bryan is currently 125th in the FedEx Cup Fall, with the top 125 earning status for next year.
The former RBC Heritage winner is a big star on YouTube and he is also on a brilliant run of form right now, with the Bermuda Championship being his fifth straight event of positive strokes gained. That is the longest streak of his career according to the PGA Tour’s Paul Hodowanic - even better than when he was a world’s top-50 player.
He shot 61 last week and ended in T17th after a T7th in Mexico the week before. He’s from nearby South Carolina, too, so knows this style of golf very well and should be inspired to keep up his good form and earn his PGA Tour card for 2025.
OUTSIDER: Kevin Kisner (+30000)
Another man from the neighboring South Carolina, Kevin Kisner won his maiden PGA Tour title here nine years ago. Kiz ended a streak of four missed cuts last week with a solid T29th in Bermuda to set him up nicely for this week.
He plays this event every year and - as well as his win in 2015 - he was also second in 2020, T7th in 2018 and T4th in 2017.
FAVORITE: J.J. Spaun (+3500)
Spaun has been ticking along nicely over the past few weeks, finishing sixth at the Zozo Championship two starts ago and recording three top-10 finishes in his last eight starts.
This is a course where he often plays his best stuff, finishing runner-up in 2018 and inside the top-16 in each of his last three visits. He ranks 17th on the PGA Tour this season for SG: Approach, a key metric for success at Sea Island, and I believe he is well positioned to add a second PGA Tour title to his collection.
OUTSIDER: Austin Eckroat (+5000)
Eckroat rolls into town off the back of winning his second PGA Tour title at the Worldwide Technology Championship, and I fancy him to make it three in quick succession at a course that perfectly suits his game.
Eckroat is an accurate driver of the ball who consistently demonstrates exquisite approach play - skills which helped him to finish eighth on debut here last season. He also finished 18th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and 17th at the RBC Heritage this season, both of which are played on courses with a clear correlation to Sea Island.
At this price, and with a recent win under his belt, I am very excited to see what he does this week.
FAVORITE: Si Woo Kim (+2800)
The South Korean may have not played much competitive golf in the past few months but, when he has, he's performed well, securing a tie for sixth at the Zozo Championship, as well as a top-20 at the BMW PGA Championship and a tie for fifth at the BMW Championship.
Coming into the RSM Classic, I'll admit that the only thing which lets Kim down is he doesn't have much tournament experience at this event but, given that he has had some big wins in the past, I don't see it being too much of a problem.
What's more, looking at Aberg's stats in his victory last year, he led Strokes Gained: Off The Tee, as well as ranking highly in a number of long-game statistics. Checking out Kim's season stats, this is an area where he performs very well, so it'll be down to his putter to work if he is to mount a charge.
OUTSIDER: Greyson Sigg (+7000)
As we've seen over the past month or so, there is value to be had from a number of players emerging in good form and, consequently, I've opted for Greyson Sigg in this area, due to the fact he has good tournament history at the RSM Classic and appears to be in a nice stretch of form right now.
Looking at his last five results, he has four top-25 finishes, including a tie for fourth, ninth and 11th. That's the first box ticked and, looking at last year's results, he finished in a share of eighth, with Sigg making just one bogey all week. If he can start firing a few more birdies then he may well worth be an outsider bet.
FAVORITE: Denny McCarthy (+2500)
Generally, I don't love picking players who haven't played in a while - and McCarthy hasn't featured since the Tour Championship in August. However, I'm hoping he spent that time trying to clean up his driving.
One of the top four putters, in terms of strokes gained, in each of the past three seasons, there is no reason to doubt McCarthy around the green or in his approach play. When he has limited the damage off the tee, that is when the good weeks have arrived.
He does not have a PGA Tour victory to his name yet, but I see no reason why that streak cannot come to an end at a relatively short course where taking as many of your birdie chances as possible will be key. Plus, he has three top-10s here, including a T5th in 2023.
OUTSIDER: Eric Cole (+4000)
It has been a real mixed bag for Cole of late, coming into The RSM Classic off the back of a T6th at the Zozo Championship but a missed cut at the Shriners Children's Open.
His putting stats are generally very encouraging, though, as are his around-the-green and approach versions. Like McCarthy, his driver hasn't been as consistent as he'd like, but a T3rd here last season shows he knows how to get around both courses efficiently.
HOW TO WATCH RSM CLASSIC
USA (ET)
- Thursday, November 21 - Round One: 12:00pm - 3:00pm (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
- Friday, November 22 - Round Two: 12:00pm - 3:00pm (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
- Saturday, November 23 - Round Three: 1:00pm - 4:00pm (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
- Sunday, November 24 - Round Four: 1:00pm - 4:00pm (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
UK (GMT)
- Thursday, November 21 - Round One: 1:00pm - 8:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Friday, November 22 - Round Two: 1:00pm - 8:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Saturday, November 23 - Round Three: 6:00pm - 7:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Sunday, November 24 - Round Four: 9:00pm - 11:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
Golf Monthly Betting Picks: Best PGA Tour Results In 2024
- Jonny Leighfield - Sanderson Farms Championship: Keith Mitchell T3rd (+2500)
- Matt Cradock and Elliott Heath - Shriners Children's Open: Matti Schmid T3rd (+5000)
