Geoff Ulrich gets you set for the RSM Classic with winning trends and his picks for your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups.

The Cheat Sheet provides DraftKings fantasy golf players with course info, player history and the most noteworthy trends of the week to help them with their roster selections.

Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $150K Sand Trap Special [$50K to 1st]

The Field

The RSM Classic represents the final official tournament of the year for the PGA TOUR. The fall swing used to be part of the FedEx Cup standings for the upcoming season, but this year, it only works for reseeding purposes, so all the results gained here and over the last few months won’t flow into next year.

The event itself will be played at two courses due to the fading daylight, and it features a full 156-player field. We do have a stronger field than we have seen in the last couple of weeks, with some bigger names like Harris English and Daniel Berger taking part. English is leading the betting odds at +1800 on DraftKings Sportsbook with Brian Harmon and Si Woo Kim behind him at +2500, as of writing.

Even with two courses in play, this week will feature the regular PGA TOUR cutline, which means only the top-65 and ties will play after Friday.

The Course

Seaside Course, Sea Island, Georgia: Par 70, 7,055 yards

Plantation Course (Thursday/Friday only): Par 72, 7,058 yards

The tournament will once again feature two different courses. On Thursday and Friday, players will play the Seaside (the host course) and the Plantation course once each, and then the weekend players will play on Saturday and Sunday on the Seaside Course only. The dual courses at this event always add an extra element, as the weather can often play a large role in how the courses play on different days. The Plantation Course carries four par 5s (compared to only two for the Seaside course) and is generally much less wind-exposed, meaning it has the potential to play up to two shots easier than the host course. In 2022, we saw Sebastian Munoz open with a 60 on this easier venue, which gives you an idea of the kind of scoring available at this course. The Seaside course isn’t exactly tough either, as both of its par 5s will measure in under 570 yards in length, with eight to nine of the par 4s landing between 400-450 yards.

The Plantation Course typically plays as one of the easiest on the PGA TOUR and yielded a -1.561 stroke average in 2020, while the Seaside course played as the 16th-easiest at -1.1 strokes under par for the same year. Knowing which days your players will be on which course is important, and I’d suggest using the weather forecast to help you make decisions. Getting players with fewer breezy days on the Seaside course could be crucial to success.

The courses themselves are shorter in yardage and generally favor players who rely on accuracy over power. Both are positioned near the sea and feature TifEagle Bermuda greens, although it’s only the Seaside Course that is directly exposed to the sea with its more open and near-links-style setup. Many players who have had success at this event have also had success at other short seaside course like Hilton Head, Pebble Beach, and Waialae Country Club, which also feature Bermuda grass and smaller greens.

Three of the past five winners have excelled primarily through their approach play. In 2021, Talor Gooch secured victory at Sea Island with a margin of multiple strokes, thanks to gaining 6.3 strokes on approach over the week. The following year, Canadian Adam Svensson won by two strokes, mainly by excelling on the greens with a total gain of 9.3 strokes putting. The 2023 winner, Ludwig Aberg, balanced his strengths by gaining over 6.0 strokes with the putter and 2.4 strokes on approach; in 2024, Maverick McNealy gained more than 3.5 strokes both on approach and putting. Aberg shattered the scoring record at this course, finishing 29-under-par after shooting 61-61 on the Seaside Course during ideal conditions. Last season, McNealy navigated tougher conditions to claim his first win at -16. 

This is a short track, so there will be lots of birdie chances, but players will also need to handle themselves well around these tricky green structures. Emphasize Bermuda putting specialists with great short games and short iron proximity stats this week when possible.

2025 Weather Update: The players are split between the Seaside and Plantation courses Thursday and Friday before the weekend rounds are played on Seaside only. This week sets up with some classic late-fall coastal golf weather. Plan for mild temps and some humidity, expected with a little bit of breeze but nothing too extreme. The first day starts off with lower winds, which build throughout the day, while Friday sees gusts pick up a bit to 10 mph. Overall, it’s hard to see a huge wave split forming but the earlier starters on Thursday will likely have the best conditions. That’s the wave I would be targeting if looking to stack tee times.

Last 5 winners

2024 — Maverick McNealy -16 (over 3 players at -15)

2023 — Ludvig Aberg -29 (Mackenzie Hughes -25)

2022 — Adam Svensson -19 (over three players at -17)

2021 — Talor Gooch -22 (over Mackenzie Hughes)

2020 — Robert Streb -19 (over Kevin Kisner -18 playoff)

Winning Trends

Eight of the last 15 winners had achieved a T7 or better result at either the RBC Heritage (Hilton Head) or the Sony Open (Waialae Country Club) at some point in their career before their win at The RSM.

Six of the last nine winners had recorded a T6 or better in one of their last eight starts on the PGA TOUR before winning here.

Five of the last six winners have been first-time winners on the PGA TOUR.

Winners Stats and Course Overview

2024 Winner: Maverick McNealy (16-under-par)

(2024 lead-in: T17/T6/T16)

SG: OTT — 2.3

SG: APP — 3.7

SG: TTG — 6.8

SG: ATG — 0.7

SG: PUTT — 3.6

**We only have three measured rounds at the Seaside course to go off for data.

Aberg came in piping hot to this event, having won in the fall over in Switzerland and getting chosen for one of the final two spots for the Ruder Cup on Team Europe.

The Swede was gaining everywhere but was very sharp on the greens last fall and scrambled extremely well.

In 2022, Adam Svensson had a decent week ball-striking but did gain most of his damage on the greens, gaining 9.2 strokes putting for the week.

In 2021, Talor Gooch had one of the more dominant wins we’ve seen at this event over the past decade. He gained multiple strokes on APP, ATG, and PUTT, allowing him to cruise down the stretch to a three-shot win.

In 2020, Robert Streb did most of his damage with his putter, and we have seen several winners get uber hot on these greens before, with 2016 winner Mackenzie Hughes gaining +6.2 strokes putting during the week of his win while actually losing strokes on his approach.

Looking at putting percentages from 15 feet and out this week is something to consider, as we see a lot of putts made from longer distances at this event.

Good approach play certainly sets a player up for success, though, and in 2020, each of the top-9 finishers all gained strokes on approach for the week.

Finding Values on DraftKings Sportsbook

Odds to win are one factor to think about when picking players (but not the only thing, so be careful putting too much weight on them). This section is going to detail a few of the players who have the best fantasy value compared to their DraftKings Sportsbook odds of winning this week.

Vince Whaley +3000 and $8,700

Comparables:

Bud Cauley +4500 and $8,000

Comparables:

All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.

HORSES FOR COURSES

1. Denny McCarthy ($9,300; best finish: T5-2023, T8-2020): McCarthy is the prototypical great putter/iron player who tends to excel at these shorter courses. He’s coming off another solid season, and while he hasn’t played much of late, Sea Island is a place he’s landed multiple top-10 finishes in the past, including in 2023 when he finished T5.

2. Mackenzie Hughes ($7,900; best finish: 2nd-2023, T2-2021, win-2016): This was the site of Hughes’ first PGA win back in 2016. He gained an impressive 4.7 strokes ATG and 6.2 strokes putting that week to overcome a five-man playoff that included the likes of Camilo Villegas and Billy Horschel. He’s added two runner-up finishes since then, making Sea Island like a second home for the Canadian.

3. Keith Mitchell ($8,200; best finish: T12-2022, T14-2020): Mitchell has shown good upside at this venue with multiple top 20 finishes. He hasn’t blown the doors off at this event yet, but his history suggests there is good upside lurking.

4. Kevin Kisner ($6,300; best finish: win-2015, 2nd-2021): Kisner won this event back in 2015, his first win on the PGA TOUR, and has finished T20 or better at this event/venue six times in his last eight visits — including a playoff loss in 2021. Kisner is a master of the shorter technical tracks and shouldn’t be overlooked, especially coming off a couple of strong finishes in the summer.

5. Webb Simpson ($6,900; best finish: second-2019, second-2011, third-2018): Simpson has a long history of playing well at this event, stretching all the way back to 2010. He finished solo third here in 2018, lost in a playoff in 2020, and was T8 at this venue in 2021. The venue plays to his strengths, so even with poor form, he is a candidate to surprise in this wide-open field.

Recent Form

Vince Whaley ($8,700; T3-T17): Delivering consistent top-20s, including a T3 last week. Whaley is a strong mid-to-high-tier option offering a reliable floor and good upside for his price. He’s got the putting and ATG game to survive windy conditions.

Rico Hoey ($9,800; T22-T21): Consistent in the low 20s for recent placings, but his high salary demands a big week. He’s a safe bet to make the cut, but limited GPP upside unless specific course fit or stats strongly align. I’m a little scared of his putter tanking on this volatile setup.

Pierceson Coody ($8,600; T22-T31): Making cuts consistently (T22, T31) but his finishes are modest for his mid-range salary. Coody offers a moderate floor, but needs a breakout performance from his putter, and doesn’t have a ton of experience at this venue. 

Alex Smalley ($9,000; T3-MC-T4): A true boom-or-bust play with recent T3 and T4 finishes alongside a missed cut. Ideal for GPPs seeking high ceiling, and he does have the sort of ATG game that can carry him on these tricky courses.

Adam Schenk ($7,100; win-T69): Extreme value potential after a win, despite the subsequent T69 and some other poor weeks. At a very low salary, Schenk is a high-risk, high-reward GPP play, and you have to like the fact he won in windy conditions last week.

DRAFTKINGS DFS STRATEGY

Tournaments: Could be spot for Cauley

Bud Cauley ($8,000) hasn’t been very active lately, with his most recent start being T36 in Japan. Despite this, he fits the profile of many past winners of this event and has the necessary short game and short irons to handle a windy, coastal course like Sea Island. He’s priced low because of his recent inactivity, but I wouldn’t hesitate to include him in GPPs based on the course or field. Additionally, Stephan Jager, another veteran, seems poised for a rebound after a poor start, and at just $7,000 flat, he appears too cheap. He finished T11 in Utah two starts ago, so the significant price drop seems unwarranted given the field. Jackson Suber ($7,000) is another player I’d consider at the same price. For some cheaper GPP punts under $7K, check out my sleepers Doc Redman ($6,500) and Dylan Wu ($6,600), the latter coming off a strong performance in windy Bermuda conditions. 

MY PICK: Michael Thorbjornsen ($10,200)

Thorbjornsen cooled off after a T3 in Japan, where he went off in the final group, but comes in off a week of rest and is a player I expect to perform well in this spot. Unlike many of the other top players in this field, Thorbjornsen comes in having played a pretty full fall schedule, which should give him a competitive advantage much like it did for the last two winners of this event in Maverick McNealy and Ludwig Aberg. 

While the wind can get up at Sea Island, this season does look like we’ll be getting more benign conditions. An easier course should help Thorbjornsen, who can get off the rails sometimes ATG but is a high-efficiency birdie maker and has been hitting his approaches great most of the fall. Just like Aberg, I expect he’ll be able to attack on many of these short par 4s and get himself to a couple of low rounds early on, which should set him up for a big week. His T8 finish at this venue last season is just another reason to like his chances of paying off in DFS and capturing his first PGA win. 

MY SLEEPER: Doc Redman ($6,500)

Redman tops of list of sleepers at this week’s event. The American was once a rising star on the PGA who came close to winning multiple times. However, he’s recently been toiling away on the Korn Ferry Tour and has seen a nice rebound in his game this fall. He finished a solid T9 at the Sanderson Farms in September, gaining over 8.0 strokes on approach for the week in the process. He also landed a T20 finish in Utah, where he gained strokes across the board. 

An accurate hitter who lines up well with the sort of venue we’re getting this week in Sea Island, I don’t see much downside with backing Redman at this price for DFS. And for betting, his long odds make him a great longshot play in the outright market, and also someone to consider for placing bets as he’s as big as +550 in the top 20 and ties market in the DraftKings Sportsbook.