Ain’t no lie, baby, Dubai bye bye

We’re so close.

The final fall event of the PGA Tour season gets underway in Sea Island this weekend. Golfers head to this player sanctuary for the RSM Classic as the Tour finally ties a bow on 2018. The European Tour also ends its season this weekend with the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

To the East Coast we go.

RSSSS & M Classic (shoutout Rihanna)

This year marks the 8th edition of the RSM Classic on Sea Island. Davis Love III is our tournament host, but there are plenty of other Tour staples that live on St. Simons Island. Zach Johnson, Patton Kizzire, Hudson Swafford and Harris English are also locals who are in the field this week. Tee Times

Last year saw PGA Tour rookie Austin Cook notch his first career victory at Sea Island. The win set Cook up for a very solid rookie campaign that included eight top 10s and got him to 38th in the FedExCup standings. Cook has played three events so far this fall season but is yet to notch a top-10 finish.

Storylines

The Shuffle – This weekend marks the final event before the new Web.com graduates have their priority reshuffled for the 2019 season. Just about all of them are in the field, and some really need a good week. Amazingly, a poor fall season sets new graduates behind the 8 ball for the season, and their chances of retaining their card are slim. Best of luck gents.

Island Dwellers – With all the players who live near the golf course, you’d think that one of them would have won the event by now. A couple of temporary residents have won, but never has a full-time resident won the event. Kizzire and Big Mitts possess the best chances to win the event this season, but neither has played great golf lately.

Randoms – The RSM Classic is one of my favorite events because many random names find their way into the field. Some of our favorites this year are D.A. Points, Tommy (Two Gloves) Gainey, and Tyrone Van Aswegen. They have each had success on Tour, but it has been a long time for the trio.

Aloha – After this event, we will not see the Tour again until Kapalua in January. The only way to get there is a victory, so players are playing for much more than FedExCup points this week.

Paulie’s Picks

At Sea Island, Paulie likes players who are dialed in from 100-150 yards. Check out his picks here.

DP World Tour Championship

The strongest field of the week belongs to the European Tour and the city of Dubai. Those left in the Race to Dubai are left with their final event of the season. Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari are the only two players who are able to win the year-long race, but a litany of other names are in the field. Patrick Reed, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, Eddie Pepperell, Haotong Li, Alex Noren, and Jon Rahm will all tee it up this week along with the top pairing. Tee Times

CME Group Tour Championship

Going along with the theme of the newsletter, the LPGA ends its season in Naples this weekend. World #1 Ariya Jutanugarn leads the pack and hopes to cap her fantastic season at Tiburon Golf Club this weekend. Tee Times

Shotgun Start: Fixing the Australian Open, Rory doesn’t hold back, and RSM picks with Paulie

Andy is still riled up as this Wednesday episode navigates the busy golf schedule from around the globe. Brendan begins with his argument questioning the existence and need for the RSM Classic. They then discuss Geoff Ogilvy’s article on the fall of the Australian Open and suggest a few ways the event could return to the prestige it deserves. A review ensues of several candid Rory McIlroy comments that took aim at the Tiger-Phil match, the Euro Tour’s strength, and even maybe his equipment sponsor. Brendan discloses some unnerving details about the Dunlop Phoenix venue before Paulie joins with a few picks and some intel for the RSM. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify

Quick Hooks

Rory is considering forfeiting his European Tour membership next season to focus on the PGA Tour. That decision would have long-term consequences when it comes to a certain team event… Full Story

The Australian Open gets underway this weekend. Matt Kuchar, Abe Ancer, Keegan Bradley, Norman Xiong, Viktor Hovland, and Cameron Davis are all in the field. Tee Times

Manish Goel started a way for country club members to connect and play each other’s courses. Check out the story of Thousand Greens here.