2023 RSM Classic: Power Rankings, Prize Money, Defending Champion and Other Major Details

After making a stop at Mexico and Bermuda, the PGA Tour will finally land in the USA before heading out to the Bahamas for the final event of the season. The RSM Classic, despite coming at the last leg of this season, holds a lot of significance for players. This is because the Top 125 players from a field of 156 will get an exemption.

Headlined by names such as Ludvig Aberg, Camilo Villegas and Brian Harman, the Davis Love III hosted event also carries importance because of the first two events of the next calendar year. For the linksmen who couldn’t qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, the $8.4 million event will offer a chance to retain their PGA Tour cards. Surprisingly, eleven of the Top 50 OWGR rankings will compete at Sea Island Club. Who are the Top 5 players to watch out for?

Five big names in the 156-men field of RSM Classic

Ludvig Aberg

The Norwegian sensation only turned pro in June this year and made it to the European Ryder Cup squad. In the patriotic showdown, Ludvig Aberg, along with his Scandinavian counterpart Viktor Hovland, won by the biggest margin. They defeated US heavyweights, Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler, reducing the latter to tears.

Despite being young in age and lacking in experience, the 24-year-old sensation performed quite well in the next few tournaments as well. Coming on the back of a 10th-place finish at the World Wide Technology Championship 2023 in Mexico, the Swedish pro will be looking for his first PGA Tour victory in Georgia.

Brian Harman 

This year’s British Open Champion, Herman is perhaps the second biggest name on the RSM Classic after the Swede. Harman’s last PGA Tour event was the BMW Championship in August 2023, where he bagged a Top 5 finish. The fifth-place finish also sealed his spot in this year’s USA Ryder Cup squad. At Marco Simone, he brought home two points from his four outings. 

The American pro will certainly not be the only past Open champion on the green, though. Accompanying him will also be five other past British Open champions, including Padraig Harrington, Webb Simpson, and Jimmy Walker.

Camilo Villegas

Villegas is coming to the RSM Classic after ending his nine-year title drought at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship 2023. After coming a close second at the Tiger Woods-designed golf course in Mexico, the Colombian golfer knocked off a 6-under 65 in the final round at Port Royal Golf Course to edge past Alex Noren. A victory nine years after his last win and three years after a heartbreaking tragedy is sure to fire up the 41-year-old golfer. 

However, just a week ago, Villegas was on the verge of going back to the qualifying tournament. The Latin American star only made eight cuts in his 18 starts in the Korn Ferry Tour this season. A turnaround is better late than never for the Colombian pro. Striding forward with a stormy momentum,  RSM Classic will give him a chance to comfortably slide back into the top-tier tour.

Cameron Young

The 2022 PGA Tour rookie of the year is lining up at the final event of the PGA Tour’s 2023 calendar. The American pro is also the highest-ranked player on the field. 

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Young notched four Top 10 finishes this year, including an eight-place finish at the British Open. However, the World No.17 is still on a hunt for his maiden PGA Tour victory this season. 

Adam Svensson

The Canadian golfer will come to the Sealand Golf Course to defend his title. The 29-year-old PGA Tour Pro has bagged only two Top 10 finishes this season so far. His last outing was the Worldwide Technology Championship where the the one-time PGA Tour winner finished on the 45th spot on the leaderboard. In the penultimate event of the PGA Tour calendar, Svensson will hope to leave a mark before wrapping up the season for himself.

The final event of the FedEx fall series is set to tee off on November 16. Being an official event in the PGA Tour calendar, winner will receive 500 FedEx points. After the last two tours gave us perhaps two of the most wholesome moments of this season, the final event of the FedEx Fall series is on us. Who do you think has the best chance of winning this tournament? 

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