Why This Week’s RSM Classic Might Quietly Decide Who Runs 2026
Every November, the PGA TOUR calendar feels like a long exhale, tour cards secured, rookies introduced, veterans catching their breath. But this year’s RSM Classic has a very different pulse.
There’s a quiet tension beneath the Sea Island calm, and the players know it.
Because 2026 isn’t just a new season.
It’s a complete reset.
The new competitive landscape, like LIV expanding qualifying pathways, the TOUR reshaping its early-season rhythm, equipment manufacturers dropping tech leaps, means who finishes strong right now might determine who controls the conversation in January.
This event, once labeled “the final tune-up,” has suddenly become a launchpad.
(Pictured below) RSM Congratulates Maverick McNealy, Winner of the 2024 RSM Classic
The Stakes This Year (And Why They’re Sneaky High)
While the field isn’t loaded with every top-10 superstar, it is packed with players who matter:
1. Bubble Guys Fighting for Priority
The RSM has always been a battlefield for FedExCup fringe players, but with next year’s reshuffles tightening, finishing even three spots higher can be a career-altering shift.
You’ll see guys chasing:
Better start priority, more spring entries, sponsor exemptions becoming less necessary, early points safety from the “danger zone." Think of it like Q-School with better views.
2. The Rookie Class You’ll Know by March
This year’s rookie lineup has an intensity we haven’t seen in a while.
Not because they’re hyped but because they’re proven.
Names to watch on the scoreboard:
Preston Summerhays: The swing looks tour-ready. The composure looks older than 22.
Gordon Sargent: If he gets hot, everyone on Sea Island better bring extra wedges because he’s flying his 4-iron into orbit.
Michael Thorbjornsen: Quietly one of the most efficient ball-strikers in the field.
While most rookies hope to not drown in their first start. These rookies are eyeing the trophy.
3. The Comeback Stories (Always Fan Favorites)
There’s a type of player who thrives at the RSM, someone who’s been beaten up all season and suddenly sees daylight.
This year, keep an eye on:
Mito Pereira: Cleaner tempo, less steering, more conviction.
Beau Hossler: If the flatstick behaves this week, he’s in contention.
Harry Higgs: The full Higgs experience (genius shotmaking + chaos management) always plays at Sea Island.
The RSM is where careers get revived. The data backs it up: Seven of the last 11 winners were outside the top 60 in FedExCup points entering the week.
The Courses: Easier On TV, Never Easy in Person
Sea Island’s Plantation and Seaside courses often get labeled as “gettable.”
But ask anyone who has tried to actually hit a tight, wind-bent 6-iron to those tucked coastal pins. It’s chess, not checkers.
Course Breakdown
Seaside Course:
Par 70, exposed, wind-dependent
Trademark: Cross-breezes create shot-shape stress tests
Best feature: Runoffs that force creative scrambling (think links golf with Southern hospitality)
Plantation Course:
Par 72, tree-lined, more traditional scoring
The greens receive lofted approaches beautifully—but only if you’re on the correct tier
Poor driving = guaranteed dropped shots
Key stat this week:
Strokes Gained: Approach.
Every RSM winner in the last decade has finished top-11 in SG:APP for the week.
This is a ball-striker’s tournament dressed like a Seaside vacation.
The Cultural Angle: Why This Event [Still] Matters
In a golf world that feels fragmented, PGA loyalists, LIV loyalists, casuals, traditionalists, the RSM serves as a reminder of what people love about the sport.
It’s coastal, relaxed, pure, story-driven and community-centric. It’s the type of week where a future Ryder Cup hero quietly figures something out on a Tuesday range session that changes the next 18 months of his career.
These November atmospheres are where breakthroughs are born... quietly, privately, then suddenly “out of nowhere" or "overnight."
And we all know, nothing, especially in golf, comes out of nowhere.
Who takes the W? (The NDG Early Pick)
We’re calling it:
Preston Summerhays makes a Sunday move and grabs his first PGA TOUR win.
He’s got:
- A ball flight that handles coastal wind.
- A wedge game that fits small greens.
- Zero scar tissue on this golf course.
- Enough confidence to not overthink Thursday-Friday on a two-course rotation.
No, it won’t be easy, but we’ve seen this movie before and we know RSM loves coronations.
NDG Takeaway
This week is a reminder that late-season golf matters more than people think. Careers level up here. Rookies define their rookie year here. Veterans find their next chapter here.
And for everyday golfers?
The RSM is a perfect case study in how to handle wind, rhythm, and patience, three things that define every round from Sea Island to your local muni.
Keep your tempo tight.
Choose the shot YOU believe in.
Commit like you’re playing for your 2026 card. (and visit nodirtgolf.com for your 2-in-1 Golf towel)