RADIO
Hello PGA DFS family and welcome back to Horse For The Course! Jason Kokrak scored an out-of-nowhere victory at the HPE Houston Open over the weekend, running down Scottie Scheffler thanks to a back-nine birdie run in the final round. We often hear about "the floodgates opening" for players after their first win, and that certainly seems to be the case for Kokrak, a guy who - according to Jason Sobel of the Action Network - was winless in his first 233 starts on the PGA Tour, but has now won three times over his last 27 starts.
There's a bittersweet feeling as I type this week's RSM Classic intro because this event signifies the last HFTC - and golf tournament - of 2021. It has been a very long season thanks to the jam-packed "super season" and I'm definitely ready for a break. That said, it seems as though I always miss my PGA routine by about the first week of December. I won't say goodbye to you guys, just thanks for reading, watching, and/or listening to all of my content this year and I'll see you soon!
Horse For The Course is an article that highlights players in this week's field with elite course history and is part of our free PGA DFS content here at RotoBaller. For my favorite DFS plays of the week check out my Core Four article here at RotoBaller every Wednesday. It's part of our amazing PGA Premium package that includes an all-new PGA Research Station, Lineup Builder & Optimizer, and some of the best articles in the PGA DFS industry! You can sign up now using Promo Code: NICE for an extra discount at checkout!
2022 RSM Classic
We close out the calendar year with the RSM Classic, or as I like to call it, the "Sea Island Club Championship". A staple of the fall schedule, the RSM is somewhat infamous for all of the "homers" (residents of, or those with strong ties to, Sea Island) that pack the field each year.
As a result, we see a very similar field assemble for this tournament each year and we have lots of course history to draw from. This layout (pair of layouts, really) is a unique one due to its relatively short length, as well as the often windy conditions it's played in. Sea Island is one of the very few courses on the PGA Tour schedule on which distance is of basically no importance.
Due to length not being a factor - as well as the "home course" slant - we've seen a very narrow archetype of winners at the RSM. Accuracy and precision is certainly king. Robert Streb will be back to defend his title against the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Webb Simpson, Louis Oosthuizen, and Cameron Smith.
You can also find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week. And be sure to read all of our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS articles to help you win big!
The Course: Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course & Plantation Course)
Par 70 - 7,005 Yards, Greens: Bermuda, Architect: Tom Fazio
We're thrown a little curveball this week, as every player in the field will play two courses (Seaside & Plantation) in the first two rounds. We'll focus on the Seaside Course here, because it's the layout that those players that make the cut will be playing on the weekend... a "plodder's course" is a pretty apt label for the RSM this week, as the bombers will - for the most part - take a back seat at Sea Island. We'll see a lot of less-than-driver holes and we should place a premium on accurate and precise ball striking, as well as course management. For that reason, I'll be targeting traits of "grinders"...driving accuracy, greens in regulation, and consistent ball striking, while also glancing at putting splits on Bermuda greens.
Check out RotoBaller's PGA Premium Course Breakdown by Josh Bennett for an in-depth breakdown of this week's golf course!
Recent Houston Open Winners
- 2021 Season: Robert Streb (-19)
- 2020: Tyler Duncan (-19)
- 2019: Charles Howell III (-19)
- 2018: Austin Cook (-21)
- 2017: Mackenzie Hughes (-17)
The Horse
Kevin Kisner
Notable Course History: 2nd (2021 Season), T7 ('19), T4 ('18), Win ('16)
DraftKings Price: $9,200 FanDuel Price: $
Since a rousing victory at the Wyndham Championship in August, the Kiz has not been lit. Kisner has lost strokes both T2G and on Approach in all four of his starts following the win at Sedgefield with a T54 at the CJ Cup in his most recent start serving as his best result since. However, we shouldn't be too quick to count out the South Carolina native in this Sea Island event that is basically a home game. Kiz has had a win and two top-five finishes in the RSM since 2016. There's also a case to be made that we shouldn't totally discount him due to his recent poor form. The week prior to his win at the Wyndham, the veteran posted his worst ball-striking stats of the season, losing an abysmal 11.5 strokes T2G at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude. So...there is certainly precedent for Kisner turning his game around on a dime when teeing it up on a course that he's comfortable with. Sea Island certainly qualifies.
The Ponies
Webb Simpson
Notable Course History: 2nd ('20), 3rd ('19)
DraftKings Price: $10,700 FanDuel Price: $
Webb Simpson heads to Sea Island in an attempt to end an un-Webb-like season on a positive note. While top-30 finishes at the Masters, PGA Championship, and the Open would qualify as a great year for most golfers on the PGA Tour, his performances in those majors were the only real bright spots for Simpson. Normally one of the most consistent producers on Tour, the Wake Forest alum battled a nagging neck injury that forced him to WD from his hometown event at Quail Hollow and, we have to suspect, led to his most erratic ball-striking output in recent memory. However, we have seen some small signs that he's coming around - he gained 8.5 strokes on Approach at the Wyndham - and this Sea Island layout could bring out the best in Simpson, as his game is simply tailor-made for this course. His 67.35 career scoring average in the RSM is the best of any player in the field that's made at least two Sea Island starts.
Russell Henley
Notable Course History: T30 ('21), T10 ('17), T6 ('16), T4 ('15)
DraftKings Price: $9,600 FanDuel Price: $
There is an unquestionable University of Georgia connection when it comes to Sea Island and Russell Henley is one in a long list of former Bulldogs that have performed exceptionally well in this event. Henley does have a couple of recent missed cuts on his RSM resume, but I'm willing to chalk that up to his game being in shambles at the time. However, he's managed to noticeably turn things around over the past 18 months, once again showing the form that helped him to run off three straight top-10s at Sea Island between 2015 and 2017. He's gained an average of 4.1 strokes on Approach over his last five starts and comes in hot off a T7 result in last week's Houston Open. It's also encouraging that Bermuda greens like he'll see this week at Sea Island are historically his best surface by a wide margin.
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Chris Kirk
Notable Course History: T18 ('21), T4 ('18), T4 ('15), Win ('14)
DraftKings Price: $8,000 FanDuel Price: $
Yet another Georgia Bulldog that's put together an impressive resume at Sea Island. Chris Kirk won the old McGladrey Classic on this golf course and has posted a pair of top-five results in subsequent years, with a T18 in the most recent edition of the RSM Classic. Kirk holds an impressive 68.05 career scoring average over 11 starts in this event. He resided in the Sea Island community for several years and, like many with ties to the area, we have to imagine there is a very high level of comfort on this golf course. After a dramatic run in Hawaii to hold on to his PGA Tour card nearly a year ago, Kirk played extremely well throughout the summer, before tailing off a bit at the end of the season. He's looked solid in the Swing Season, making the cut in all four of his fall starts, while gaining an average of 1.7 strokes T2G over his last five outings.
Robert Streb
Notable Course History: Win ('21), Win ('15)
DraftKings Price: $7,500 FanDuel Price: $
I don't think anyone is ever going to confuse Robert Streb with a golfer ranked inside the OWGR top-10. However, there's a lot to be said for maximizing the tools that you have and Streb has certainly made the most of his skill set on this Sea Island layout, as evidenced by his two RSM Classic wins. Those performances tell us that Streb is extremely comfortable on this golf course, but it is his recent form that is the truly encouraging factor for me this week. The Kansas State alum (surprisingly not a Georgia Bulldog) has logged top-10 finishes in two of his last three starts, including a T7 last week in Houston. This recent output sends him to St. Simons with a truly elite blend of current form and course history.
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