BlogThe RSM Classic Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

About the rest of the year:

This is the 54th and last event on the PGA Tour in the 2023 season. With the end of the wraparound schedule, the seven fall events were played twice in 2023. That won’t happen in future years as next year will have fewer events. The new fall format seems to have worked, and we have seen some marquee players, which we thought wouldn’t happen. Still, the interest in just having fall events to regain PGA Tour cards for the following season is not as widespread as it has been with the wraparound season with a new year starting in September.

There is a week off for Thanksgiving, so for marquee names, they are off resting on some sunny beach. Then there is the Hero Challenge returning in the Bahamas with the possibility of Tiger Woods playing. Other than that, we are going into a quiet period in the game, and there will be very little interest between now and the Sentry Championship in the first week of January. The European Tour ends its 2023 season in Dubai this week, and with the new rule that gives PGA Tour membership to those in the top ten in the Race to Dubai, lots are on the line. Right now, #3 in the Race to Dubai is Adrian Meronk, #4 Ryan Fox, #5 Victor Perez, #6 Thorbjorn Olesen, #7 Alexander Bjork, #8 Sami Valimaki, #9 Min Woo Lee and #10 Nicolai Hojgaard. These players will be looking to stay in the top ten at the end of the week and earn PGA Tour cards for 2024. Several players are on the bubble looking to move into the top ten, including #11 Robert MacIntyre, #13 Jorge Campillo, and #15 Ryo Hisatsune.

Now, the DP World Tour will still unitize a semi-wraparound schedule as it goes straight into the 2024 season, with both the Joburg Open in South Africa playing the same week as the Australian PGA Championship. The event has been part of the European Tour since 2016 and has a good field with Cameron Smith, Geoff Ogilvy, and Adam Scott, to name a few. At the same time, the Joburg Open is being played in South Africa and doesn’t have that great of a field, mostly of South African players. The first week of December has the Hero World Challenge, and the European Tour will have the Australian Open. After that is the Alfred Dunhill in South Africa, and then the following week, the AfrAsia Mauritius Open. As for us, I am taking the next week off and returning for a preview of the Hero Challenge. We will also prepare for the 2024 season with some new stuff we will introduce at Kapalua.

This is your time to send ideas for things you want to see in the future. Remember, you can get me at Golfersal@aol.com or Sal@Golfstats.com.  If you wish, you can also write to Jason at Jason@Golfstats.com.

The RSM Classic

The RSM Classic is an event in a small resort town or, should we say, an island in Georgia, which has been well-received since it started in 2010. Davis Love III got behind it, and his charities are the benefactors of this event. Love gets behind the tournament to get his friends and fellow players to attend. The event also has a great sponsor in RSM, a tax and consulting firm. The good thing is that folks like Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson, Harris English, Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner, and Brian Harman, who live in Sea Island, are playing. This event has been held at different times during the fall swing, but again, this year will be the last fall event for this fall season. Seven years ago, the field was increased from 132 players to 156 as another course (the Plantation) is used in the first two rounds, so players are on the Seaside Course for three rounds.

• Seaside Course information:
• Sea Island, Ga.
• 7,005 yards     Par 35-35–70

The Seaside course is part of the three courses at Sea Island Golf Club. The Seaside course, which is the venue of the McGladreys, is a classic Harry Colt and Charles Alison design dating from 1929. Tom Fazio completed a renovation in 1999. It’s another of those hidden gems that few people know about. It’s a proper Scottish links course near the Atlantic with ocean views that play fast and firm.

The main challenges could be in the greens, which are nearly impossible to read. The layout features other notable challenges, like the bunkering, which is old-fashioned and genuinely memorable. They offer various sizes and shapes, but they are strategically placed to deliver a formidable test for even the most experienced players.

The first nine goes out and back counterclockwise, while the second one follows a clockwise direction. Each of the four par-3s faces its unique direction, which is unique for any course, so players get a different feel on each par-3 when it’s windy. That is always the case at Sea Island.

The course meanders through marshlands and lakes, with water or marshes coming into play on most holes. There are only 40 sand bunkers on the course, but they are all in strategic spots to catch drives and wayward shots to the greens that are an average size of 7,000 square feet. The course has bermudagrass, with a 72.3 rating and a slope of 137.

It’s been the venue for some significant amateur competitions, including the US Senior Amateur and the US Senior Women’s Amateur.

• Plantation Course informational
• Sea Island, Ga.
• 7,060 yards     Par 36-36–72

The Plantation is the first course at Sea Island, it was a nine-hole course that opened in 1928. Built by Walter Travis, it opened when a ferry service was first introduced to bring people over to Sea Island. A year later, the Seaside course was built. The land on which the course was built was a working plantation. Some of the oak trees on the course were planted over 200 years ago. In 1998, Sea Island’s ownership brought Rees Jones to upgrade the original course. The course was turned into a “parkland by the sea” course as it has views of the Atlantic but is parkland in nature. It’s different than the Seaside Course, which links nature. The Plantation course will play at 7,060, with a 74.8 rating, a slope rating of 138, and a par of 72. It has wide-open fairways, but lakes come into play on 10 of the 18 holes, so it will present a different challenge for players.

Let’s take a look at vital stats that are important for those playing at the Sea Island Resort

This is based on the most vital stats from the Seaside course at the Sea Island Resort based on data from last year’s RSM Classic and data from all the players in the field with stats from this year.
The Seaside course at the Sea Island Resort has been the RSM Classic’s home since the tournament started in 2010. The Seaside course is one of those gems that has been around since the early 1930s and was renovated in 1999. It’s a true Scottish Links close to the Atlantic with plenty of ocean views and windy conditions that give the players something that isn’t experienced much on the PGA Tour. To get a full field of 156 players with limited daylight this time of year, the event used the neighboring Plantation Course for one of the four rounds, so 54 of the 72 holes are played on the Seaside Course. We will use just stats from the Seaside course for this statistical look. The course has bermudagrass, with a 72.3 rating and a slope of 137.

Last year, the Seaside course played to a 68.99 average score (a full shot under its par 70) and was the 35th toughest course of the 56 courses used for the 2023 season. (the plantation course, used for one round, played to a 69.76 average, but since it’s a par 72, it was over two shots under par and was the 50th hardest course). In 2022, the Seaside course played to a 68.97 average score (a full shot under its par 70) and was the 33rd toughest course of the 50 courses used in 2022. (the plantation course, used for one round, played to a 70.69 average and was the 36th hardest course) In 2021, the course played to a 68.69 average score (a full shot under its par 70) and was the 39th toughest course of the 51 courses used. (the plantation course, used for one round, played to a 71.34 average and was the 25th hardest course) The wind is an essential factor in whether the course will play tough. The wind blew 10 to 15mph daily in the last three years. In 2019, when the course played to a 68.84 average, the wind blew 5 to 10 mph on average. In 2018, the course played to a 69.24 average, and the winds blew 10 to 15 mph. In 2017, the course played to a 68.89 average, the lowest the course has ever played. One of the reasons is the benign conditions due to the lack of wind. In 2014, when the wind blew, the course played to a 70.25 scoring average, the hardest it has ever played. Conditions for this week are calling for windy conditions each day, it being 13 mph Thursday through Saturday and calmer to 9 mph on Sunday. Weather will be different; on Thursday and Friday, it will rain, and the winds will blow at 17 to 20 mph. So, conditions will be challenging. Over the weekend, it will be mostly sunny, with winds down to the 10 mph range.
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/l/USGA0511:1:US

This course is a lot like British Open rota courses. Like at Hoylake last summer, each day had 8 to 20 mph wind, making the course play more challenging. But if you can get the conditions like at Royal Birkdale in 2018, the lack of wind helps make the course a pushover for players since the fairways are very generous with very little rough. So, with the short yardage, the greens are easy targets, as many birdies are made on a course that only has two par 5s. In looking at this event’s 13 winners, except for Charles Howell III, are short hitters to medium length off the tee. An example of that is last year’s winner, Adam Svensson. He is 62nd in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee for the year, ranking 130th in driving distance and 42nd in fairway accuracy. The year before, Talor Gooch in 2023 was 40th in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee, 64th in Driving Distance, and 69th in Fairways hit. In 2021, the winner, Robert Streb, really proved this point. For the year (2021) he was 164th in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee as he ranked T-139th in driving distance and 131st in fairway accuracy. In 2020, Tyler Duncan was T-87th in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee as he ranked 173rd in driving distance and 6th in fairway accuracy. The same for shotmaking, of the 13 past champions, only 2019 winner Charles Howell III is the only great ball striker. So basically, the course allows a person who hits it short and is an average shotmaker to win. But in looking at the stats, the thing that does strike out is that scrambling and putting have made most of the champions at the RSM Classic.
We think that this is still important, so below is a look at the last ten winners and how they ranked in those key stats on or around the greens for the week:

Scrambling
2014 – Chris Kirk ranked 5th
2015 – Robert Streb was 25th
2016 – Kevin Kisner was 3rd
2017 – Mac Hughes was 2nd
2018 – Austin Cook was T-1st
2019 – Charles Howell III was T-70th
2020 – Tyler Duncan was 1st
2021 – Robert Streb was 5th
2022 – Talor Gooch was 4th
2023 – Adam Svenson was T-19th

Strokes gained putting
2014 – Chris Kirk was 11th
2015 – Robert Streb was 2nd
2016 – Kevin Kisner was 3rd
2017 – Mac Hughes was 3rd
2018 – Austin Cook was 13th
2019 – Charles Howell was 24th
2020 – Tyler Duncan was 14th
2021 – Robert Streb was 9th
2022 – Talor Gooch was 6th
2023 – Adam Svenson was 1st

Overall putting average
2014 – Chris Kirk was 10th
2015 – Robert Streb was T-1st
2016 – Kevin Kisner was 3rd
2017 – Mac Hughes was 1st
2018 – Austin Cook was T-12th
2019 – Charles Howell was T-54th
2020 – Tyler Duncan was T-10th
2021 – Robert Streb was T-16th
2022 – Talor Gooch was T-16th
2023 – Adam Svenson was T-20th

One-putts
2014 – Chris Kirk was T-27th
2015 – Robert Streb was T-1st
2016 – Kevin Kisner was 3rd
2017 – Mac Hughes was 1st
2018 – Austin Cook was T-8th
2019 – Charles Howell was T-45th
2020 – Tyler Duncan was T-34th
2021 – Robert Streb was T-13th
2022 – Talor Gooch was T-16th
2023 – Adam Svenson was T-12th

Putting inside 10 feet
2014 – Chris Kirk was T-33rd
2015 – Robert Streb was T-6th
2016 – Kevin Kisner was T-8th
2017 – Mac Hughes was 26th
2018 – Austin Cook was T-34th
2019 – Charles Howell was T-53rd
2020 – Tyler Duncan was T-20th
2021 – Robert Streb was T-12th
2022 – Talor Gooch was T-23rd
2023 – Adam Svenson was 4th

The average distance of putts made
2014 – Chris Kirk was 10th
2015 – Robert Streb was 3rd
2016 – Kevin Kisner was 5th
2017 – Mac Hughes was 1st
2018 – Austin Cook was T-17th
2019 – Charles Howell was 17th
2020 – Tyler Duncan was 45th
2021 – Robert Streb was 13th
2022 – Talor Gooch was 6th
2023 – Adam Svenson was 3rd

One other stat that we feel is important is something that is rarely looked at but should on this course, Strokes Gained Total which basically looks at all the number of strokes for the player on the same course and event
2014 – Chris Kirk was 1st
2015 – Robert Streb was T-1st
2016 – Kevin Kisner was 1st
2017 – Mac Hughes was T-2nd
2018 – Austin Cook was 1st
2019 – Charles Howell was T-13th
2020 – Tyler Duncan was 1st
2021 – Robert Streb was T-11th
2022 – Talor Gooch was 1st
2023 – Adam Svenson was 1st

So we see how a long hitter like Howell has broken things up a bit, but that happens in golf, and you have to believe that what has happened so many times in the past will happen again this year, the good scrambler and putter will be the guy to pick this week.

So in looking at our four categories, we are putting a lot of efficiencies in those stats around and on the greens. Our first stat is Strokes Gained Putting because this is the most important stat that everyone has figures on showing who is putting the best. Now courses don’t average Strokes Gained stats, so we looked at the overall putting average for the seaside course, and last year it ranked 5th on the PGA Tour in 2023 and 4th on the PGA Tour in 2022. Our 2nd stat is scrambling because again, the past winners showed the importance of this stat, and it ranked 24th best on tour in 2023 and 20th best on the PGA Tour in 2022 (remember, that means players do very well in getting it up and down). The third category that we are using is greens hit, this shows the importance of making sure to hit greens, it ranked 50th in 2023 on the PGA Tour and 47th last year (again showing a lot of players hit greens, only three courses, so more greens hit). Our last category is birdie average because it’s important to make a lot of them last year the Seaside course averaged 3.68 birdies per round and ranked T-27th in 2023. In looking at the Seaside course in 2022 it averaged 3.66 birdies per round and ranked T-25th for the year.

*Strokes Gained Putting: A way to see how many strokes gained or lost putting

*Scrambling: Who gets it up and down the most of anyone in the field

*Greens in Regulation: How many greens are hit from the fairway.

*Birdie Average: Who has the lowest average of birdies per tournament

128 of the 156 players from this year’s field with stats from 2023:

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.

Here is a link to get all the player’s stats in our Key Fantasy stats for the RSM

Most DraftKings points earned

We have put together a database beginning at the start of the 2023 season and going through the 2023 Bermuda Championship (We don’t include team events), a total of 52 events. The database consists of how many points a player won during the event and his cost. Out of the database, we can determine the total DraftKing points earned and the players’ average points earned per event and average points based on the number of rounds played.

Of the players in the field, here are the top 50 playing in at least ten events:

DraftKings tips

*Here are the guys that cost the most on DraftKings this week:

• Ludvig Aberg – $10,900
• Cameron Young – $10,600
• Brian Harman – $10,300
• Corey Conners – $9,900
• Russell Henley – $9,700
• Alex Noren – 9,400
• J.T. Poston – $9,300
• Justin Suh – $9,200
• Si Woo Kim – $9,100
• Eric Cole – $9,000

It is not the greatest of fields, but a lot better than last week. First, I have mixed emotions about Ludvig Aberg at $10,900. The negative is that Aberg has been nearly flawless since turning pro in June. Yes, he missed the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open. Since finishing T-14th at the Wyndham, it was his worst finish in seven PGA Tour and DP World Tour events. On top of his outstanding play, he also played in the Ryder Cup. So the dirty secret is if he can keep the good work up or if he will finally stumble and miss the cut. The course rewards those good around and on the greens, which isn’t in Aberg’s wheelhouse. Still, Aberg is excellent from tee to green and is a shotmaker, so maybe he can pull out a Charles Howell III and win in that manner like Howell did in 2019. Now, you take Aberg because he earns a lot of DraftKings points; in his 12 PGA Tour starts, he averages 85.1 points per event, so he makes a lot of points, even at a high cost. The same goes for Cameron Young at $10,600, he averages 74.6 points per event. You don’t take him because he hasn’t had a top-ten since the British Open, and, despite making the cut in Mexico, finished T-54th. He has played once at the RSM and was T-29th in 2022, so I don’t think he will be worth this week’s cost. Brian Harman, at $10,300, is playing for the first time since the Ryder Cup and hasn’t been in a tournament since the Tour Championship. He probably is only playing because he lives on Sea Island. He does have a good record in this event, including a T-2nd last year. Harman’s putter is critical; if it’s hot, he will contend, but if it’s cold, he will struggle. I bet he does well this week. Corey Conners at $9,900 is a tough choice. He hasn’t played since the Tour Championship in August, he has made four of four RSM cuts, with his best being a T-10th in 2020. It’s best to take a pass on Conners this week. Russell Henley at $9,700 is also a tough call. He hasn’t played since the Tour Championship. He was great in his last four events but will be rusty this week. He played in the RSM eight times and was T-4th in 2014, T-6th in 2015, and T-10th in 2016. Sorry, but take a pass on Henley this week. Alex Noren, at 9,400 on the surface, looks like a great buy; he was runner-up last week in Bermuda and T-3rd at the Shriners. Normally, I would say yes to him, but this course puts a lot of pressure on him to chip and putt well, which isn’t a strong point in Noren’s game. J.T. Poston at $9,300 is also a no for me, his record at Sea Island isn’t great, as the course does not suit his game. Justin Suh at $9,200, is a yes for me, he played well at the Zozo Championship, and in Mexico, he is a great putter who should be perfect for Sea Island Resort. The complete opposite for Si Woo Kim at $9,100. He is okay from tee to green but terrible around and on the green. There is an easy he hasn’t played on the course in four years and missed the cut in three of four Seaside starts, so he is a no. Eric Cole at $9,000 is a big yes for me. This guy can putt well, and he is good on courses in Florida, expect big things from him this week.

*Players in that $7,500 to $8,900 price range, which ones are worth the money?:

I am intrigued by Matt Kuchar, who is priced at $8,900. He has played a lot at the RSM and has played okay of late, including a T-7th at the Fortinet and runner-up in Mexico. I also like Denny McCarthy at $8,700, mainly due to his excellent putting. He has taken some time off, not playing since the BMW in August. I still think he will do well. Usually, I don’t particularly appreciate defending champions, but I feel that Adam Svensson, at $8,600, could surprise us again. His putting around the green game is good, and he earns many DraftKings points. He can make the cut and earn 60 to 70 DraftKings points. Billy Horschel, at $8,400, has been playing in Europe and has been remarkably consistent. He putts and chips well, but his green game is not very good. He has played well in past RSM, including runner-up in 2017. Harris English at $7,800 is a steal, hitting the ball terribly but good with the putter. Thomas Detry at $7,700, was a disappointment in Mexico when he missed the cut but feels that the Seaside Course suits his game more and feels he will be back in the saddle and play well. Camilo Villegas is still cheap at $7,700 after coming from the dead to now having his tour card for two more years. Can he keep the good play going? I think he has one more good event left in him. Taylor Pendrith at $7,600 is also a good buy. Playing well right now and has played well at the RSM. Can Ben Griffin, at $7,500, keep the good play going? I think so, and he is cheap enough to take him.

*Some of the “bargains” this week at the RSM Classic

Very surprised to see Mackenzie Hughes at $7,300. He is playing well, has won the RSM, and was 2nd in 2022. He is just screaming to steal him at such a cheap price. Webb Simpson is only $7,200 and could be a great pick. 2023 has not been a banner year for him, but he has shown a liking to this event and course, so ride him this week. It’s the same thing with Sam Ryder at $7,200. He has played well of late, but I say watch out. In six starts, he only made the cut once, so don’t take him for his low price. Padraig Harrington at $7,100 is good because he will make the cut and earn you points. I feel that Dylan Wu at $7,000 will be the best bargain of them all. His stats for the year line up perfectly for the course, which he has played twice on making the cut twice. Kevin Kisner at $6,800, is a gamble since he is struggling to make cuts, but he does play well at the RSM, which is worth the risk.

Here are some of the secrets of what it takes to play well at The RSM Classic:

Key stat for the winner:

• This is a true links course, so players must be able to play firm, fast fairways, and be good in the wind. Hitting into the greens tends to be tricky, and getting it up and down is critical for those who miss them. Looking at the first three winners, they aren’t among the leaders in scrambling. Slocum in 2010 was T20th, Crane in 2011 was T41st, and Gainey was T35th in 2012. But the three have one big stat in common, and that is they all led the scrambling from the fringe stat, while 2014 winner Chris Kirk, was 5th in scrambling, the 2015 winner Robert Streb, was 25th, the 2016 winner Kevin Kisner, was 3rd, 2017 winner Mac Hughes was 2nd in scrambling and 1st in scrambling from the fringe and 2018 winner Austin Cook was T-1st in scrambling so this is an important stat. In 2020, Tyler Duncan was 1st in scrambling, so that is a good stat; 2021 winner Robert Streb was 5th in scrambling. 2022 winner Talor Gooch was 4th while defending champion Adam Svensson was T-19th last year. For those wondering if I forgot 2019 winner Charles Howell, he was the worst of the winners, ranking T-70th in scrambling. In going to the page on Golfstats it’s the leaders from this year’s scrambling category. Look, and you will see guys like Brian Harman, one of the favorites. But here are some sleeper picks who scramble well J.J. Spaun, Brendon Todd, Austin Cook, and Matt Kuchar in the top ten, they could be sleeper picks for this week.

Here are some more key stats to look to for this week:

• One of two stats is critical, you either have to hit many greens or putt well. Look at the 13 winners, Slocum in 2010 was T7th in greens hit and 39th in Strokes Gained putting. Crane in 2011 was T26th in greens hit but 2nd in Strokes gained putting, while Gainey in 2012 was T23rd in greens hit but 3rd in Strokes Gained putting. In 2014, Chris Kirk was T15th in greens hit and T11th in Strokes Gained putting, while in 2015, Robert Streb was T-47th in greens hit but 2nd in Strokes Gained putting. In 2016, Kevin Kisner was T-9th in Greens hit and 4th in Strokes Gained putting, while Mac Hughes was T-11th in greens hit and 3rd in Strokes Gained putting in 2017.  2018 champion Austin Cook was T-2nd in Greens hit, and 13th in Strokes Gained putting. 2019 winner Charles Howell III was 1st in Greens hit and 24th in Strokes Gained putting, So you can see what is essential to win this week.
• 2021 winner Robert Streb hit 60 of 72 greens and ranked T-7th, 2022 winner Talor Gooch was T-4th in Greens hit and 6th in Strokes Gained Putting, while last year’s winner Adam Svensson was T-4th in Greens in Regulation and 1st in Strokes Gained Putting.
• All 13 winners had one thing in common: the ability to play the par 4s. In 2010, Slocum was 11 under on them. The next closest player was 9 under. In 2011, Crane was 12 under, the next closet was 11 under, and in 2012, Gainey was 12 under. The next closest was 11 under. In 2014, Chris Kirk was 6 under, in 2015, Robert Streb was 7 under the best for the week was 8 under. In 2016, Kevin Kisner was 15 under (the best of anyone in the event’s history); in 2018, Mac Hughes was 9 under on the par 4s. In 2019, Austin Cook was 11 under, and in 2019, Charles Howell was 9 under. In 2020, Tyler Duncan was 7 under on the Par 4s, while Robert Streb was 10 under on the par 4s. In 2022, Talor Gooch was 10 under on the Par 4s, while last year, Adam Svenson was 12 under on the par 4s, so if it’s Sunday and you’re looking for someone with the edge, look at that stat. Two players in the field are in the top ten in Par 4 averages for the year Denny McCarthy and Akshay Bhatia.
• Driving accuracy means nothing on the Seaside Course that makes sense since it’s a resort course. Last year, it was 46th, in 2022 it was 43rd, and 44th in 2020. It was 40th  in 2019, it was 47th. In 2018 it was 48th, in 2017 44th, in 2016, it was 47th, in 2015 it was 43rd, while in 2014, it was 42nd. In 2012, it was 44th in driving accuracy, while it was T-43rd in 2011 and 38th in 2010, so poor drivers could do well this week.
• Most people disregard putts per round, but this is important on this course. As you don’t have to drive the ball straight on this course to succeed, you do have to take the least amount of putts. In the putts per round category, Seaside was 5th last year, 4th in 2021 and in 2020, T-6th in 2019, 6th in 2018,  7th in 2017, and 4th in 2016, 2015 and 2014. It was 2nd in 2012 and 2011, 3rd in 2010. In a way, this is because it’s a resort course, but still putting is essential.
• Look for a good mix of players from Sea Island, Jacksonville, and Ponte Vedra to be in the field with some local knowledge.
• We find a course entirely in Bermuda, which is essential because it takes a particular player to win on Bermuda grass. Last year’s winner, Adam Svensson, may have been born and raised in Canada, but he went to school at Barry University in Miami and lived in Palm Beach Gardens, so I have to think that since he practices in Florida, he is good on Bermuda grass. 2022 winner Talor Gooch was born, still lives in Oklahoma and plays on Bermuda grass. Robert Streb was the winner for a second time in 2021. He was born and raised in Oklahoma and lives in Kansas, but he is still a player who loves Burmuda. In 2020, Tyler Duncan was a Florida guy residing in Ponte Vedra Beach, so he plays a lot on Bermuda. The same happened with 2019 winner Charles Howell III, who was from Orlando (via Augusta, Ga), in 2018 Austin Cook was from Arkansas, so both were used to Bermuda. Of course, Mac Hughes, who is from Canada and lives in Charlotte, ruined this stat, but in the other years, it was exciting. In 2016, Kevin Kisner won, and he was from up the road in Aiken, South Carolina, and knows how to play on Bermuda. Robert Streb won in 2015 and is from Kansas, which has Bermuda grasses. But previously, Chris Kirk (born and lives in Atlanta), Gainey (born and lives in South Carolina), and Slocum (born in Louisiana and lives in Georgia) are southern boys who have been around Bermuda all of their lives. Ben Crane was born in Portland and went to school in Portland, Oregon, which isn’t a place to learn Bermuda, but look at Crane’s wins, three of the four have come on courses with Bermuda, and he does live in Texas today. The point is, look for a player that does well on Bermuda courses. Of course, Mac Hughes ruined the trend in 2017, but you have to think that someone born or raised in the North or Midwest has very little chance of winning.