The PGA Tour will head north for Sea Island, Georgia and the Sea Island Resort for the seventh edition of the RSM Classic this week. While the tournament was originally held on the Seaside Course alone, the tournament size increased last year and that led to the competition being held on both the Plantation Course and the Seaside Course in rotation over the first two days with the Seaside Course alone being used for the third and fourth rounds. The field for this year’s event isn’t loaded by any means but we do have enough information available to accurately break down what to expect at this year’s RSM Classic.
Event
Event Details: RSM Classic
Category: PGA
Date: November 17-20
Location: Sea Island Resort, Sea Island, Georgia
One thing we do know about this tournament is that there is a good chance we will see some drama. Three of the last five winners at this tournament were determined in a playoff before Kevin Kisner won this event last year with a record score of 22-under-par. This competition is going to be wide open as a number of the big names are absent from this event. Rory McIlroy will be playing at this week’s EPGA event where he is the favorite. As far as this event goes, we won’t see Jason Day or Dustin Johnson or Jordan Spieth, so it’s going to be wide open for a field of lesser known players.
Past Five Winners
2015: Kevin Kisner -22
2014: Robert Streb -14 (Playoff)
2013: Chris Kirk -14 (Playoff)
2012: Tommy Gainey -16
2011: Ben Crane -15 (Playoff)
What To Know About The Course
The most important statistic to keep an eye out for this week is Putting Average, as Kisner ranked No. 1 in that category when he won here a year ago. That’s why it’s a good idea to check out the stats section on the PGA Tour’s website before making a decision on who to bet this week.
Driving Accuracy will be important but Driving Distance shouldn’t really matter too much at this course. You don’t need a big hitter to win this event. The short lengths have transformed this tournament in to essentially a putting competition for those that can handle the Bermuda greens this week in Georgia.
The Field
Kisner will be back to defend his title at the Sea Island Resort where he will look to build off his record score from a year ago at decent value listed at +3100 odds to win outright. The 2013 winner Chris Kirk is the sports betting favorite to win this tournament at +1500 odds with Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker and Bill Haas among the other favorites according to the odds. 2012 winner Tommy Gainey is another notable entry in this year’s field at a ridiculous +40100 odds to win outright according to the odds listed online.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Brandt Snedeker over Matt Kuchar
Kuchar could be a popular play this weekend but he has lacked the consistency needed to be confident in him winning this tournament and we prefer to fade him based on the relative value betting Snedeker to outperform him in the head-to-head betting matchup. Snedeker hasn’t performed at an optimal level since his successful Ryder Cup so he could be overdue for a breakthrough performance this weekend. Snedeker will be making his debut at this venue but he should have no problem finding his form on the greens. While we won’t bet on him to win this event outright we can feel confident betting on Snedeker to outperform Kuchar in the head-to-head betting matchup at the RSM Classic.
Top-Five Pick: Kevin Kisner
Chris Kirk is worth a long look as the logical favorite based on the fact that he won this event in 2013 and he is a local resident but Kisner is the better value. He dominated from start to finish here a year ago and he is available at better odds than the favorite to win outright in Kirk. Kisner might not successfully defend his title but he should be in the mix as a decent value play to finish in the top-five this weekend.
Top 10 Odds To Win The RSM Classic
Chris Kirk +1250
Matt Kuchar +1650
Brandt Snedeker +1650
Kevin Chappell +2050
Bill Haas +2550
Jim Furyk +2550
Russell Henley +2850
Kevin Kisner +2850
Zach Johnson +3250
Kevin Streelman +3250
