Paulie’s Picks: 2019 RSM Classic

The PGA Tour concludes its fall season this week with the RSM Classic at Sea Island’s Plantation and Seaside courses in Georgia. The Plantation, which will split the first two rounds with the Seaside, has been redesigned by Davis Love III’s architectural firm. Still, we should expect some familiar dynamics to emerge.

If we look at some of the past champions of this event, we can see clear similarities among the players who succeed at these venues. Past champions such as Austin Cook, Mackenzie Hughes, Kevin Kisner, Robert Streb, Chris Kirk, Ben Crane, and Heath Slocum are very accurate drivers of the ball and solid putters.

This week, I’ll be targeting players of that profile for my DraftKings lineups:

Brian Gay $8,800

In his past four starts in this event, Gay has finished in the top four twice. He comes into the RSM Classic playing very well, having finished 14th, third, 42nd, and seventh in his past four starts. His game suits the Sea Island courses, as he is accurate off the tee and one of the Tour’s best putters.

Russell Henley $8,500

Georgia native Henley is another elite driver and solid putter. The RSM has been good to him: he has finished inside the top 10 in three of his past four appearances. Although he has had trouble stringing together four consecutive solid rounds recently, he was playing well last week in Mexico before getting hit with eight (!) penalty strokes and missing the cut. Those strokes came as a result of him self-reporting an accidental violation of the Tour’s one-ball rule, so he’s due for good karma.

Brian Harman $7,900

Harman, another Georgia boy, is a model of precision off the tee and a dynamo with the flatstick. He has shown upside at the RSM Classic, too, placing in the top ten in two of the past six years. In four of his last seven starts this fall, Harman has finished 18th or better, so his game is trending in the right direction.