The final full PGA Tour event of 2016 takes place this week when The RSM Classic is played out in Georgia. After this tournament we have to wait until the New Year and the trip to Hawaii for our next fully ranked tour event so all those teeing it up here will be looking for a last pre-Xmas payday and a boost to all the side things that go with it.
Recent Winners
2015 – Kevin Kisner
2014 – Robert Streb
2013 – Chris Kirk
2012 – Tommy Gainey
2011 – Ben Crane
2010 – Heath Slocum
The Courses
This is now a tournament in which two courses are used at the Sea Island Resort. That change came into play last year and once again the Plantation and Seaside Courses will be used. Both tracks had significant damage done to them in the recent hurricanes but they are both fit to stage the tournament which is a positive for the area.
The Plantation Course is a par 72 which measures 7,058 yards and is played once over the four rounds. The Seaside Course stages one of the first two rounds and the final two rounds and is a par 70 playing to a yardage of 7,005 yards. Both courses are fairly lax off the tee and yield plenty of birdies so precise iron play and solid putting is the order of the day around these tracks.
The Seaside track is exposed so the wind does come into play therefore those who can fare well in the wind should be bumped up any shortlist a little.
The Field
With a huge event going on in Dubai and another one in Australia this week the field here has been affected but there are still 156 players teeing it up hoping for one last decent week of 2016. The defending champion Kevin Kisner is in the field and he is joined by recent former champions Chris Kirk and Robert Streb.
There are three members of USA’s successful Ryder Cup team in the field this week too. Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker and Zach Johnson all tee it up looking for first wins of the season. Bill Haas, Jim Furyk and Kevin Chappell are among other household names in the field.
Market Leaders
The 2013 winner Chris Kirk is the favourite for the title this week. He is 16/1 to reclaim it and off the back of four solid events coming in it is hard to disagree with that but he’s found a way to lose a couple of times recently which restricts my interest at that price.
A shade bigger than Kirk is Matt Kuchar who has a home game this week. He is 20/1 to win the tournament which would look a big price if we knew his form. Brandt Snedeker is slightly bigger at 22/1 but news that he’s left Butch Harmon puts me off him.
Kevin Chappell is yet to win on Tour and while he’s a winner in waiting at this level I can’t be going in too deep on someone who is yet to win especially at just 25/1. Bill Haas is 28/1 to win this week and it is 30/1 bar those already named.
Main Bet
With all the disruption and things to the area we don’t know exactly how the courses are going to play this week so I’m reluctant to go too deep in this tournament but there is one player who fits the stats I’m hoping work out for this event so I will go with one main bet.
I’m after players who attack the pin and who putt well and Bill Haas certainly does that. He sits 11th on the strokes gained putting statistic which is very much a positive this week. Haas was in the top five last time out at the HSBC Champions event and he’s a former runner up here so I fancy he’ll have a big week to round of 2016 with.
Outsiders
I am going to throw a few darts at some players at bigger prices. The criteria is simple. They go at flags and they hole plenty of putts and they are all decent prices. Hopefully one or two can go deep on Sunday.
We begin with the man who I’d already chalked up as the winner after 54 holes in the CIMB Classic in Anirban Lahiri. Sadly I didn’t get to count the full coin in that tournament but I’m back for more from the Indian this week. He put together three decent rounds in Mexico last week before the final one caught him out but he is hitting his irons deliciously and we saw in Malaysia just how well he’s putting. Hopefully he’s got the bad Sunday’s out of the way and if he has he should go close at 60/1.
Patton Kizzire should have won at the Safeway Open at the beginning of the season but he has another chance to get a first win on the PGA Tour here. This is a home game for Kizzire who has spoken publicly about what the area means to him having grown up here and his wife and their family are all from the area. He’ll have decent support and with his putting ability it is hard to see him not being in the mix.
At bigger prices I like a couple of players. Seamus Power has been going well this season and while he couldn’t hold on to the rest on Sunday in Mexico last week there was enough to encourage us there. He makes a lot of birdies and if he can keep the mistakes off the card he can contend again this week.
Michael Kim currently sits fourth in the strokes gained putting stat on the Tour this season and that should see him go well this week. He has freedom off the tee so if he can flush a few irons he should be capable of performing better than his price suggests.
Tips
Back B.Haas to win The RSM Classic (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with Betfair (1/4 1-5)
Back A.Lahiri to win The RSM Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 61.00 with Betfair (1/4 1-5)
Back them here:
Back P.Kizzire to win The RSM Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Ladbrokes (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back S.Power to win The RSM Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 151.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back M.Kim to win The RSM Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 201.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Unfortunately due to an unexpected domestic issue I’ve not got the time to do a DFS fantasy breakdown for this event. I apologise to those who were waiting for that section. If you have any queries on who to pick drop me a tweet or reply to this post and I’ll do my best to give you my opinion.
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