Odds Outlook: Defending champ Ludvig Åberg returns as betting favorite at The RSM Classic

The RSM Classic serves as the final event of the 2024 FedExCup Fall season, and there’s a big name atop the betting boards looking to go back-to-back on St. Simons Island.

Defending champion Ludvig Åberg (+1000) hasn’t played since the TOUR Championship in early September, as the Swedish star underwent surgery shortly thereafter to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. But the world No. 5 will return to action this week at Sea Island Golf Club, site of the 25-year-old’s lone TOUR victory. Åberg tied the TOUR scoring record last year, shooting 253 including closing rounds of 64-61-61, and he’ll look to become the first to successfully defend in the tournament’s 15-year history.

One of the five in the top eight selections in the field who call St. Simons Island home, Davis Thompson (+2200) sits as second choice at the BetMGM Sportsbook. The 25-year-old won a shootout at the John Deere Classic in July for his first victory on TOUR. Posting 28-under at TPC Deere Run in victory, he signed for 17-under or lower four times in 2024, including 18-under to share fifth place at the Shriners Children’s Open in his last start in late October. Ranking seventh in Adjusted Scoring Average, he will tee it up for the sixth consecutive season on the Seaside and Plantation courses, but his best result is T23.

Highlighting the group of six at +2800, Sea Island residents Harris English (+2800) and J.T. Poston (+2800) have combined for seven wins on TOUR but only one top-10 payday between them at this event. English, a Georgia native and four-time winner, has finished T14 or better in all three starts this fall. Making his 13th start on Sea Island, he has only cashed one top-10 paycheck in his current backyard. Poston, who was the winner at the shootout at the Shriners Children’s Open in late October, has also secured two other victories where 20-under or better is required to lift the trophy, one at the Wyndham Championship and the other at the John Deere Classic. Making his ninth start, the North Carolina native is looking for his first top-10 result on St. Simons Island.

Resident Ben Griffin (+2800) is one of two players at this number wrangling for a first TOUR victory. The RSM Classic has crowned first-time winners in nine of 14 events. Teeing it up for the 35th time in 2024, the North Carolina native has cashed in seven of his last eight starts, including T8 in Bermuda last week. Not afraid of breezy seaside conditions or posting low numbers, the 28-year-old closed with 61 in 2023 to sneak in a T8 finish. Additionally, he has posted low totals in shootouts at The American Express (T9) and John Deere Classic (T5) this season.

Denny McCarthy (+2800) is also attempting to close the deal for the first time on TOUR. Twice a runner-up in 188 starts, the 31-year-old went close in April, posting 20-under but losing in a playoff at TPC San Antonio. One of the best putters and scramblers on TOUR, the resort courses of Seaside and Plantation provide generous fairways and greens, helpful to the weaker parts of his game. Making his eighth consecutive start on The Golden Isles, he has produced a top-10 payday in three of his last five tournaments and does not have to worry about hosting duties.

A frequent visitor to the upper echelon of players listed as the favorites at BetMGM this fall, Seamus Power (+2800) will look to build on T5-T4 over his last two visits to the coast of Georgia. Since picking up his only top-10 result in 2024 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship (T10), the Irishman has added four paydays of T23 or better in his next five starts. The Las Vegas resident makes his seventh start at Sea Island.

Si Woo Kim (+2800) knocked off any rust from the Presidents Cup at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP with 64-64 on the weekend for T6, his second consecutive top-six payday on TOUR. The Korean, already a four-time winner on TOUR, will make the trip from his home in Dallas and play an event where he’s played the weekend only twice in five starts and never cashed better than T18.

There’s plenty on the line this week for those farther down the standings, with the top 125 in FedExCup points after this week securing fully exempt status for the 2025 TOUR season. Nos. 126-150 will retain conditional status, while those finishing beyond No. 151 will likely head to Q-School.

Previous winners in the FedExCup Fall 2024 include Patton Kizzire (+10000), Kevin Yu (+9000), Matt McCarty (+5500), Nico Echavarria (+8000), Austin Eckroat (+3300) and last week’s winner in Bermuda, Rafael Campos (+20000).

Past champions of The RSM Classic in the field include Mackenzie Hughes (+3300), Chris Kirk (+4000), Adam Svensson (+4500), Tyler Duncan (+17500), Kevin Kisner (+30000), Austin Cook (+75000), Tommy Gainey (+100000) and the only man to win the tournament twice, Robert Streb (+40000).

Here's a look at other notable odds via BetMGM, starting with a Georgia resident and former major champion:

• +3000: Brian Harman
• +3300: Eric Cole, J.J. Spaun
• +3500: Maverick McNealy
• +4000: Andrew Novak, Doug Ghim, Luke Clanton, Matt Wallace, Patrick Rodgers
• +4500: Justin Lower, Lucas Glover
• +5000: Andrew Putnam, Greyson Sigg, Sepp Straka
• +5500: Mark Hubbard, Patrick Fishburn, Sam Stevens, Taylor Moore
• +6000: Jacob Bridgeman, Keith Mitchell, Matt Kuchar
• +6600: Michael Kim, Rico Hoey, Chandler Phillips, Daniel Berger, Joe Highsmith, Michael Thorbjornsen, Vince Whaley
• +8000: Alex Smalley
• +9000: Adam Hadwin, Bud Cauley, Carson Young, Lee Hodges
• +10000: Brendon Todd, Chad Ramey, Garrick Higgo, Henrik Norlander, Pierceson Coody, Sam Ryder, Webb Simpson, Wesley Bryan

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