Fantasy Golf Predictions
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – 2022 RSM Classic
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the 2022 RSM Classic
RSM Classic Fantasy Preview
Once maligned for his inability to close out a win, Tony Finau has developed a real eye of the tiger.
An ability to roll with the punches like Rocky Balboa is one thing, but the Tiger we’re talking about here is one Tiger Woods esquire – whose complete domination meant he went into every single event as a single digit favorite with the sportsbooks.
And that’s where Tony Finau finds himself this week, after completing victory at the Houston Open on Sunday to land his third PGA TOUR title in his last seven starts.
You won’t find a more complete win, with Finau leading the field in Driving Accuracy and Greens in Regulation and sitting second in Strokes Gained: Putting. He oozed supremacy from the get go, and with just nine holes left to play he led by some eight strokes.
In the end, Finau only won by four strokes from Tyson Alexander, but that was down to a lapse in focus down the back straight on Sunday – a luxury his sublime performance to that point had afforded him.
Finau will this week look to make it four-from-eight at the RSM Classic, and right now it would take a fool of some magnitude to write off his chances.
Last Week’s Fantasy Results
What a heartbreaker it was as our top pick Sam Burns pulled a late minute withdrawal!
On the bright side, our Tuesday Sleeper report’s top pick was Alex Noren, who ended the week T4 with his impressive 65-64 during rounds 1 and 2.
In the end it was Tony Finau, and we wouldn’t be surprised it we said the same thing this week … maybe.
RSM Classic Field
Given his brilliance of late, it’s no wonder that Finau will lead the way on St. Simons Island.
He will surely fancy the job of adding another trophy to his collection given that only five other members of the world’s top 40 are in town. That said, the likes of Brian Harman and Kevin Kisner have excellent records in this event, and they will be hoping to cash in before the PGA TOUR heads for its winter hiatus – barring those playing in the Hero World Challenge.
Seamus Power and MacKenzie Hughes, like Finau, have the surge of confidence that recent wins on the TOUR bring, while the likes of Tom Hoge, Taylor Montgomery and Scott Stallings are amongst those looking to frank solid recent form with victory of their own.
Former major winners in Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari, Webb Simpson and Jason Day will be eager to prove they have elite golf in front of them as well as in the rear view mirror….
This Week’s Course Preview
For those not in the lop, St. Simons Island sits off the coast of Georgia, and is primarily known as a residence of choice for many PGA TOUR pros.
It’s home to the Sea Island resort, which in turn plays host to our two courses this week – Seaside and Plantation.
The Seaside track hosts one of the two opening rounds and then the final 36 holes exclusively, and at 7,005 yards for its Par 70, this Tom Fazio redesign is short and to the point.
But, running adjacent to the coast, there’s typically a fierce breeze to overcome, and while the sand count is surprisingly low there is still plenty of tangly native grasses to overcome when the thin fairways are missed.
The slick, undulating Bermuda greens have shaved run-off areas too, and with water in play on 13 holes there is still plenty of obstacles to overcome.
The Plantation track, meanwhile, offers something of a blessed relief. Measuring 7,058 yards for its Par 72, this is a more amenable layout protected by trees that presents rather fewer hazards to avoid.
It’s still narrow, mind you, and with smaller greens than the Seaside layout, there’s still work to be done across the 18 holes.
Weather Forecast for St. Simons Island, GA
The weather took a turn for the cool at the weekend in Houston, and there’s a chilly vibe in the air on St. Simons Island this week as well.
Temperatures of between 57-60˚F are far from bucket and spade weather, and that’s the optimum temperature – the early starters can expect even cooler than that.
The wind is typically a major factor at the RSM Classic, and early forecasts suggest the breeze will be somewhat slower this year at around 9-12mph. However, down by the coast, it could be windier than that.
There doesn’t seem to be much rain around until Sunday, when the risk of a shower or two seems to be at its highest.
Last Year’s Results from the RSM Classic
Talor Gooch showcased the kind of form that would see him gobbled up by the LIV Golf machine when winning the RSM Classic 12 months ago.
His final score of -22 took him three clear of MacKenzie Hughes in solo second, four ahead of Sebastian Munoz in solo third, and a mammoth seven clear of the chasing pack in a display of consummate professionalism.
Gooch’s 64-65 salvo to open proceedings earned him a commanding lead from the get-go, and he didn’t relent from there – a bogey-free 64 on Sunday an outstanding way to land your maiden PGA TOUR title.
By the way, if you need any further instruction on the conditions this week, both Munoz and Tyler McCumber struck rounds of 60 here 12 months ago.
Where to Play Fantasy Golf for the RSM Classic this Week
Aside from the Hero World Challenge, this is technically the last DFS golf contest until January, and so you may decide now is the time to pull the trigger on some big entries. With that in mind, here’s a few options to consider:
- PGA $100k Drive the Green: To really maximize your possibilities this week, you’re going to need a few different lineups to call upon in what is a wide-open event. With that in mind, you might be able to squeeze in a few different teams in this $5 contest, which pays a top prize of $25k.
- PGA $8k Mulligan: With three entries allowed at $8 a pop, you can invest in a few different options in this contest and feel good about the fact there’s a maximum of 1,176 teams to take on. The winner walks away with $750.
This Week’s Fantasy Notes
Gooch, Robert Streb, Tyler Duncan, Charles Howell III, Austin Cook.
Trying to predict the winner of the RSM Classic in recent years has been like trying to crack the Da Vinci Code, such is the head-scratching unpredictability of it all.
The truth is that this is something of a putting contest given the size of the greens on the Seaside course, but it’s arguably not as simple as that.
Instead, we’re looking for those who can control their ball in the sea breeze, and historically finding fairways has been an essential component of success here – driving distance is of little consequence given how short the two tracks are.
Building a score on St. Simons Island is vital, because one errant tee shot into the drink can completely derail a title challenge. The watchwords are patience, grind and – given the cool temperatures expected – plenty of grit and determination.
The recent trips to Bermuda and Mexico can be called upon as correlating courses, as can traditional PGA TOUR favourites such as Pebble Beach and Waialae – these are short, coastal tracks where strategy is every bit as important as hitting bombs.
Finding fairways, hitting it close from m150 yards and closer, and making putts….it’s a simple enough plan, but predicting who might do that best of all is another matter entirely.
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Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the RSM Classic
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Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win the RSM Classic
Top Tier Pick #1
Brian Harman (Odds: 25/1, FPPG: 98.7, GPGP: 94.72 Salary: $10,300)
One of the unique things about the RSM Classic is that it’s an event where you need to make birdies – between -17 and -22 has been needed to get the job done in recent times, but Sea Island is a place where staying out of trouble is of vital importance.
For context, Wyndham Clark led the field last year in birdies made (25) and yet only finished T29, which shows you that breaking par – but protecting your score – is key.
Brian Harman is pretty handy at doing exactly that, and he heads into the 2023 RSM Classic in fine fettle having delivered two top-three finishes in his last six outings, and no finish worse than T35.
The lefty’s record on Sea Island is a mixed bag, but he does have a pair of top-10s in there, and one thing that the former Georgia Bulldog won’t be lacking in is motivation to do well on home soil.
Key Stats:
- Scoring Average – 16th
- Driving Accuracy – 17th
- Greens in Regulation – 20th
Top Tier Pick #2
Tom Hoge (Odds: 30/1, FPPG: 81.6, GPGP: 80.78 Salary: $9,800)
With three top-10s, a T12 and a T13 within his last six outings, it’s fair to say that Tom Hoge is one of the most in-form players on the PGA TOUR right now.
Even the aberration in that run, a missed cut at Mayakoba, came curiously after he opened up with a round of 66, and perhaps was on the wrong end of the draw bias in Mexico.
Even so, we can still plenty of positives from his recent form, as well as the sense that these Sea Island courses are perfect for Hoge’s natural game.
Generally accurate and tidy from tee-to-green, he was T4 here last year. And he franked his credentials for this assignment by winning at Pebble Beach earlier on in 2022. There’s plenty to like about Hoge’s chances this week.
Key Stats:
- Greens in Regulation – 9th
- Scoring Average – 17th
- Driving Accuracy – 55th
Mid-Tier Pick #1
Brendon Todd (Odds: 55/1, FPPG: 76.9, GPGP: 61.52 Salary: $8,000)
A short test of accuracy and putting skill? Of course Brendon Todd is on the shortlist.
Hitting fairways and greens in regulation is his modus operandi, and it’s no surprise his two recent wins have come at Mayakoba and in Bermuda – both short and placing an emphasis on keeping your ball in play.
It’s perhaps somewhat of a shock that he’s not made a more forceful go of things at Sea Island, but he was T4 here in 2019 and that perhaps confirms our suspicions about his suitability for the test.
With two top-10s in five starts this term, Todd is knocking on the door of a fourth PGA TOUR title. He’ll know courses that suit his game, like those on Sea Island, don’t come along that often.
Key Stats:
- SG: Approach – 30th
- Driving Accuracy – 31st
- SG: Putting – 41st
Mid-Tier Pick #2
Greyson Sigg (Odds: 80/1, FPPG: 86.6, GPGP: 68.28 Salary: $7,500)
In his adventures to Bermuda and Mexico, Greyson Sigg played five of his eight rounds at 67 or better.
But after tripping over himself in one round in each tournament, he couldn’t return anything better than T11 and T42 for his efforts. But both are handy way-markers for where Sigg’s game is at.
The St. Simon’s Island resident will feel at home at a pair of golf courses he has surely played countless times, and the Georgian born-and-bred will be desperate to improve two missed cuts on home soil.
With six consecutive weekends made on TOUR, surely Sigg will snap that run this week….and the two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner might just fancy his chances at the top of the leaderboard given his recent form.
Key Stats:
- SG: Putting – 20th
- Birdie Average – 36th
- SG: Off-the-Tee – 73rd
Low-Tier Pick
Russell Knox (Odds: 110/1, FPPG: 68.1, GPGP: 85.77 Salary: $7,000)
Once again, Russell Knox was amongst the frontrunners in the field for GIR at Memorial Park, and while that stat isn’t always the most insightful, it shows how well the Scot is playing given that Memorial Park’s considerable length is out of his comfort zone.
Back in shorter surroundings, Knox can flourish this week and take advantage of a much-improved showing with the flat stick in Houston.
T2 at the RBC Heritage, T2 at Mayakoba, T7 at the Sony Open….Knox’s career is littered with strong performances at short coastal tracks, and while his record on St. Simon’s Island is patchy, the Scot has made the cut in five of his last seven trips.
That is at least a firm foundation on which to build….
Key Stats:
- SG: Approach – 16th
- SG: Putting – 57th
- Greens in Regulation – 61st
Sleeper Pick for the RSM Classic
Austin Cook (Odds: 150/1, FPPG: 66.8, GPGP: 62.77 Salary: $6,800)
The RSM Classic has a habit of throwing up a surprise winner, and it’s fair to say that Austin Cook entered such folklore when he prevailed here back in 2017.
That remains, arguably, the pinnacle of his golf career, but recently he has shown some signs of life, and it’s no coincidence that has come at shorter coastal tracks like those at Sea Island.
T44 at the Bermuda Championship was harmed by a final round of 74, and a week later in Mexico the 31-year-old finished T27.
He even ground out another T27 finish at Memorial Park, despite conditions there being far from ideal for his short and accurate game, and so Cook heads for a happy reunion on St. Simon’s Island feeling pretty chirpy about life.
Key Stats:
- Driving Accuracy – 44th
- SG: Approach – 55th
- SG: Putting – 72nd
Alternative Sleeper Pick for the RSM Classic
Brian Stuard (Odds: 300/1, FPPG: 72.1, GPGP: 82.89 Salary: $6,300)
If Brian Stuard were to win the RSM Classic, it would be an underdog story for the ages.
It’s unlikely to say the least, but those that draft him may just end up getting an excellent run for their money from this bargain basement pick.
After three outings this term, Stuard ranks 18th for SG: Approach, 43rd for SG: Putting and 79th for Driving Accuracy.
Those numbers mean little in isolation, but do show what a plotter Stuard is, and reveals why the RSM Classic has been one of his better events in what has been a mixed bag of a PGA TOUR career.
Finishes of T10, T22 and T25 at Sea Island reveal the upside that he brings in this event, and a solid start to the campaign suggest we can hope for something similar this week too.
Key Stats:
- SG: Approach – 18th
- SG: Putting – 43rd
- Driving Accuracy – 79th
This Week’s Sample Fantasy Lineup
Note: Sample lineups provided as examples only. Be sure to mix-and-match players to best fit individual contests.
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Fantasy Golf Predictions Last Season (2021-2022)
Tourneys Played '21 -'22
Season Earnings YTD
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