Scottie Scheffler took a lead into the final nine holes of the Houston Open last Sunday, seeking a maiden PGA Tour title, feeding off home-state support – then it all went horribly wrong.
Scheffler bogeyed the tenth, 11th and 14th holes, plummeting down the leaderboard, allowing a fast-finishing Jason Kokrak to take the trophy.
Scottie Can Shine
The 25-year-old, who eventually tied for second place in Houston, will attempt to avenge his Houston horrors by winning the RSM Classic. The RSM, staged in Sea Island, Georgia, takes place over two different tracks – the Seaside Course and the Plantation Course – and the Texan is 10/1 market leader.
Scheffler is generally a carefree character – and his levels of self-belief were boosted by an excellent Ryder Cup debut in September – but it will be a challenging task for Scheffler to get over his Houston heartbreak quick enough to focus on a solid 72 holes in the RSM. He finished fifth in his only previous RSM start, so has shown a liking for the venues.
Smith May Fall in Love With Seaside Course
Cameron Smith is making his RSM Classic debut this week, but the Seaside Course is the kind of layout he loves, so there is every reason for believing the 14/1 chance can make a serious impression.
Smith’s
mind often wanders forward to tournaments in his homeland at this time of the year – he likes to tee up in the Australian PGA Championship – but the schedule Down Under is different this time and the Brisbane boy has been able to enjoy some Stateside autumn action.
The 28-year-old’s ability to perform well in the wind – and his awesome short-game skills – make him a natural for the Seaside Course. Smith’s only previous PGA Tour victory came in the Sony Open in Hawaii – his affection for coastal layouts is obvious.
From the Olympics onwards, the Presidents Cup star has been in great form, finishing fifth in the WGC-St Jude Invitational, runner-up in the Northern Trust and ninth in the CJ Cup. This trip from his Florida home to breezy Georgia could turn out to be extremely worthwhile.
Thompson Can Employ Local Knowledge
Former world number one amateur, Davis Thompson, could be worth backing each-way at 200-1, with terms of a quarter the odds, the first five places.
Thompson is ultra-comfortable in Sea Island and has played the Seaside Course about 100 times. He attended the University of Georgia and lives in Sea Island, winning the Jones Cup – a prestigious amateur event there – by a nine-shot margin.
Featured Groups for @TheRSMClassic:
@MaxHoma23
Scottie Scheffler
@Louis57TM@AdamScott
Cameron Smith
@JoacoNiemann@Harris_English
@K_Kisner@TheRealStrebber
@WebbSimpson1
@JustinRose99@JDayGolf pic.twitter.com/KIbs5Itvzc
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 16, 2021
He tied for 23rd place in the 2019 RSM Classic when he was still an amateur. This time he tees up with a few PGA Tour spins under his belt and could make an even greater impression.
Thompson starts his RSM campaign on the Plantation Course, before moving to the Seaside Course on Friday. His father Todd is the RSM Tournament Director.
*All odds correct at time of writing.