Now that the last Major of 2020 has been decided, the remainder of the year is set to be played out in a more subdued fashion. The dubious honor of following on from Augusta now falls to the RSM Classic which will naturally have a quieter field as we make the short trip to Saint Simons Island.
This type of field can often return a high-odds winner and that’s the upside for the betting community. Our tip for Augusta, Brooks Koepka, finished in a creditable tie for seventh without really challenging the top so let’s see if we can bring in some profits on Sunday evening with our RSM predictions and picks.
This tournament has retained a number of star names this week including Webb Simpson who leads the outright markets at best industry odds of 10/1. Simpson gave us a return last week as he squeezed into the top 10 finishers at Augusta and he has a strong record in the RSM Classic.
A third place in 2018 can be added to runners up slots in 2011 and 2019 but, more importantly, Webb’s form is solid this season with seven straight top 20s including Sunday’s 10th place finish.
There is a long gap to the next player in the RSM betting with England’s Tyrrell Hatton listed as second favorite at 18/1. Hatton missed the cut on Friday for the third time at a Major this year and, while he has enjoyed a productive season, immediate form is a concern.
One man whose form cannot be doubted is Sungjae Im who did his best to push Dustin Johnson on Sunday. Im was on debut at the Masters and, while he couldn’t challenge strongly enough in the final round, a tie for second marked an impressive start. Im is available at 20/1, as is Tommy Fleetwood who was consistent at Augusta without really threatening the top of the leaderboard.
Also in this section of the odds for the RSM Classic are Russell Henley, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Harris English, all of whom can be picked up at around 25/1 with the sports betting sites for American bettors. Of those names, Henley has the best record coming into Thursday while English has been a less consistent threat in recent weeks.
Heading up the list of outsiders is Australia’s Jason Day who can be found at a best of 33/1. Another former Major winner, Louis Oosthuizen, is also available at that 33/1 figure in places and both could mount a challenge if they find their best game.
Shane Lowry is further back at 35/1 but one figure that really stands out is the 40/1 next to the name of Sebastian Munoz. Despite his low billing in the markets, Munoz is third in the Power Rankings this week following a six for six run that includes four top 25 finishes. Added to that record is a solo third in this event last year so those 40/1 odds could offer the best value of the tournament.
Others to consider in the outside bunch include the first former champion with 2015 RSM Classic winner Kevin Kisner quoted at a top price of 40/1. Justin Rose and Jason Kokrak are also listed at that figure while another man who enjoyed a solid US Masters, Dylan Frittelli, is on offer at a tempting 50/1.
As for the defending champion, 2019’s winner Tyler Duncan is all the way out at 150/1 for what seems to be an unlikely repeat.
Our Preview’s RSM Classic Predictions & Betting Picks with Course & Betting Trends
This tournament made its debut on the schedule in 2010 when it was originally known as the McGladrey Classic. A rebranding came along five years later and it has been referred to as the RSM Classic ever since. To date, no golfer has won this competition more than once so the omens are against a repeat champion in 2020.
Interestingly, finishes have often been tight with 50% of the first ten editions, including the last two, going to a playoff.
The venue is actually on two courses at the Sea Island Golf Club, with players splitting their rounds between the duo. The Seaside course is a par 70 at a fraction over 7,000 yards while the par 72 Plantation course offers a marginally longer challenge at 7,058 yards.
Distance hitting is unlikely to secure an advantage and par 5 scoring stats have been pivotal in recent renewals. Last year’s winner Tyler Duncan also ranked highly in fairways hit, greens in regulation and scrambling.
Multiple venue events can often require a good all-rounder and that is why this RSM preview is edging towards Harris English for the win. He is inconsistent but, if the touch is there then he has those all-round stats that can deliver the profit.
Along with the top 10 finish suggestions, USAbetting will aim for a productive return as the PGA Tour starts to wind down at the end of an unprecedented year. These are the RSM predictions for this preview:
- Harris English to win @ +2500 (25/1) with Intertops. He is 22/1 with Bovada and BetOnline.
- Top 10 Finish Selections: English (best odds +250 Bovada), Russell Henley (+325 BetOnline), Louis Oosthuizen (+325 Bovada) and Sebastian Munoz (+400 BetOnline).
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.