We got a Masters Tournament in 2020, COVID-19 be damned and it was glorious.  Yea, the course didn’t as much of the beautiful scenery as we are used to seeing but it still looked phenomenal.  I heard they brought in over 100 groundskeepers from around the country to help make it look as good as it could possibly look for this weekend.  Dustin Johnson was simply amazing from start to finish and the only downside was the lack of patrons in attendance to give him the ovations he deserved.  You could see just how much it meant to him to finally get that green jacket after being so close so many times at Augusta.  It was almost like he was destined to win and it came true.  I will say I had a longshot bet on Cameron Smith to win on DraftKings at 90-to-1 but down the stretch I’m like, let’s go DJ.  The best part of having a November Masters is that we don’t have to wait another calendar year to get another look at Augusta, it’s just a few short months away.  Anyways, let’s take a look at this week’s RSM Classic.

I’ll tell you what, this wrap around schedule still throws me off.  I should be used to it by now but it’s still crazy to me that golf is considered a year round sport but here we are in late November breaking down another event.  The benefit of this time of year is you get to see more of the young players and grinders on the PGA Tour before the meat of the season begins.  Most of these players are on the lower tier having to grind through the fall and winter while the top dogs can pick and choose the events they wish to attend, usually because of sponsorship responsibilities.  

The RSM Classic will be the last full field event of the 2020 calendar year.  The only events remaining before we ring in 2021 is the Mayakoba Golf Classic and the QBE Shootout.  The Mayakoba is nearly a full field at 132 and the QBE is just 24 players.      

This tournament is played on two courses at the Sea Island Golf Club.  First, we have the Seaside course which is a par 70 and measures out to just 7,005 yards from the championship tees.  Then the Plantation course, a par 72, that stretches out to 7,060 yards. Both of these courses are played on really fast Bermuda grass and they are true ocean tracks on the southern tip of the island.  You’ll see all the tradition links course staples like ocean vistas, tidal creeks, dunes and salt marshes throughout the course.  Each of the players will play the Plantation course once on Thursday or Friday and the remaining three rounds (if they play the weekend) will be on the Seaside course. 

When you have short tracks like these, accuracy is usually the first thing I’m looking for when selecting my players. The history of success at the RSM has not shown distance off the tee to be as important as other statistical markers. For example, I will look closely at Strokes Gained: Approach and Scrambling.  We want these guys to fire the ball in there nice and tight but when they do miss, they need to be able to get themselves out of trouble.  Tyler Duncan beat Webb Simpson in a playoff last year at 19 under par, so players will need to go low each day to win. The factors I’ll be looking at when picking players this weekend, course history, current form, Strokes Gained: Approach, Greens in Regulation, Birdie or Better Percentage, Scrambling, and Strokes Gained: Putting.  

The weather should be pretty similar to last week at Augusta.  They are calling for some showers on Thursday but the rest of the weekend looks clear with temperatures in the mid-70s.  The last factor that you have to take into account is the island factor.  You will have wind blowing off the coasts in the low teens throughout the weekend.  I’ll definitely target players who have had success on other island tournaments as well.

HENRIK NORLANDER HAS WITHDRAWN AFTER CONTRACTING COVID-19.  HE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PLAYBOOK.

KEY STATS: Strokes Gained: Approach, Greens in Regulation, Birdie or Better Percentage, Scrambling, and Strokes Gained: Putting

ONE AND DONE: Corey Conners

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