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.

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND WEATHER

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.

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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.

Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the RSM Classic   

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Fantasy Golf Predictions Last Season (2021-2022)

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