Power Rankings: The RSM Classic

Editor's note: Tony Finau withdrew from The RSM Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

In a twist of cosmic balance, the sunset of the fall portion of the wraparound era takes place in a spot that the sun first touches the U.S. mainland every morning.

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The RSM Classic at Sea Island Golf Club on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, concludes not only the fall portion of the 2022-23 season but the fall portions, period. As announced in June, after 10 years of wraparound seasons, the PGA TOUR will be returning to a traditional schedule in January of 2024.

So, for one last time in its current construct, a field of 156 descends on the Golden Isles.

POWER RANKINGS: THE RSM CLASSIC

Webb Simpson, Matthew NeSmith, Sahith Theegala and two-time RSM champion Robert Streb will be among the notables reviewed in Draws and Fades.

All fully exempt members who committed are in the maximum field at Sea Island. This includes the entire class of Korn Ferry Tour graduates who will be reordered for the first time when the results are official. Only a few have passed on the last start before their category qualifies again for the next at the Sony Open in Hawaii in two months.

The Seaside Course is the host, while the Plantation Course shares in duties for the first two rounds. Every entrant will play both courses once before the 36-hole cut. Thereafter, only Seaside will be used to determine the champion.

Seaside is one of the easier par 70s on the docket. It surrendered a scoring average of 68.970 across four rounds last year, and that included second and third rounds of almost one stroke over par due to strong winds. The opening-round split was a sporty 66.308! Since data has been recorded in earnest (1983-present), it’s the second-lowest single-round aggregate among all courses. (Indian Wells Country Club, a par 72, turned over for a 66.281 in the third round of the then-Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in 2003.)

Plantation is a stock par 72. In its single roll for each in last year’s field, it averaged 70.688, but that’s merely a matter of math, not method. It was a gift in the first round at 68.701, but when the wind machine was on, scoring ballooned to 72.675 in R2. Yet, because swings in scoring relative to par on each course were similar, and because the top of the leaderboard represented an even cross section of both draws, the object is simple – get after it on a pair of gettable tracks. Hit greens, sink putts and have a happy holiday season.

This week’s weather grants a fair test on both courses over two rounds. It’ll be cool with daytime highs potentially short of 60 degrees, and northerly breezes will test at times, but all of the most challenging conditions will be awaiting the finale when there’s a decent chance of rain and winds could push 20 mph, also from the north.

Both courses featured bermuda greens that are not overseeded. The surfaces on Plantation are governed to 12 feet on the Stimpmeter, while their softer counterparts on Seaside could roll another foot longer.

NOTE: ShotLink is utilized only on Seaside.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled.

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Draws & Fades
WEDNESDAY: Pick ‘Em Preview
SUNDAY: Payouts and Points, Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Rookie Ranking

* - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.