2021 PGA Tour Betting: The RSM Classic Golf Odds and Prediction

The RSM Classic is the final “official” tournament of the year, although there are a couple of silly-season events remaining (depending on quality of fields, we may preview those). The winner of this earns the final spot in the 2022-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

A handful of PGA Tour pros live on St. Simons Island in Georgia (about 200 miles south of Augusta, home of the Masters) and the Sea Island Golf Club is the host, with players competing on both the par-70, 7,005-yard Seaside course and the par-72, 7,060-yard Plantation course. The Plantation course was renovated by World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III a few years ago with his brother, and the Davis Love Foundation runs this event. He lives in the area. Love III hasn’t been able to win here and at age 57 surely won’t but is playing again.

The event started in 2010 as the McGladrey Classic. Americans have won it every year but once (see below) and the past three have gone to a playoff. The defending champion is also the only two-time winner of the RSM Classic: Robert Streb. He and Kevin Kisner finished 72 holes last year at 19-under 263 (third straight year that was the leaders’ final score). Streb made an eight-foot par putt on the first playoff hole to extend it and then won it with a tap-in birdie (nearly holed his approach for eagle) on the second.

Kisner came from five shots back in the final round thanks to a 63. He also was looking to become the event’s first two-time winner, taking it in 2015 by six shots. Each of the last six winners of the RSM Classic are playing this week.

The RSM Classic Golf Odds

Webb Simpson and Scottie Scheffler are +1200 favourites. Scheffler has played this tournament once and was T5 two years ago. He comes off a runner-up finish Sunday at the Houston Open, finishing two shots behind winner Jason Kokrak. Simpson has had several Top 10 finishes at the RSM Classic, including two runner-up finishes. He didn’t play in Houston.

Cameron Smith is +1800 with Harris English, Canada’s Corey Conners and Louis Oosthuizen all +2500. Smith is playing the tournament for the first time and Oosthuizen missed the cut last year. Kokrak isn’t playing this week – he almost missed the cut in Houston before blowing up on the weekend to win.

Kisner is +5000 this week and has finished in the Top 5 at this event four times, most of any player. Streb is +7000 to repeat.

The lone non-American winner here was Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes in 2016 when he beat Blayne Barber, Billy Horschel, Henrik Norlander and Camilo Villegas in a playoff for his first and still only PGA Tour victory. Hughes has not played well in the event since.

Last year, Conners was the top Canadian finisher at T10, while Roger Sloan was T18. Hughes, David Hearn, Adam Hadwin, Michael Gligic and Nick Taylor missed the cut.

As noted, Conners is +2500 this week (didn’t play in Houston) with Hughes +5000 (T29 in Houston), Hadwin +11000 (didn’t play Houston), Taylor Pendrith +12500 (missed cut in Houston), Adam Svensson (missed cut Houston) and Sloan (also missed cut) each +25000, and Gligic (didn’t play Houston) +35000.

The RSM Classic Golf Predictions

Take Simpson for a Top 10, but Kisner is clearly the best value on the board to win.