Tag: 2020 RSM Classic

Robert Streb holds off Kevin Kisner to win RSM Classic in a playoff

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak recaps Robert Streb’s win at the 2020 RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort.

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak recaps Robert Streb’s win at the 2020 RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort.

Robert Streb holds off Kevin Kisner to win RSM Classic in a playoff

With no wind on Sunday, golfers attacked the Seaside Course in the final round. Only 12 of the 65 golfers were unable to break 70.

Cameron Tringale and Harris English roared through the final round of the RSM Classic on Sunday, each posting 8-under 62 at a windless Sea Island Resort’s Seaside Course to make a run to the top of the leaderboard.

The course could be had on Sunday as 53 of the 65 golfers shot in the 60s on the par-70 layout.

That included third-round leader Robert Streb, who shot a 68, and Kevin Kisner, who fired a 63. After Streb missed a birdie putt on 18, he and Kisner, two former RSM champs, went to a playoff.

After each golfer parred the first playoff hole, Streb almost holed out from the fairway with his second shot on 17, the ball rolling over the left side of the cup and stopping inches away. Kisner flew the green and needed to chip in for birdie to extend the event to a third playoff hole but could not.

Streb tapped in for birdie to nab his first PGA Tour win since he won the RSM in 2014 when the event was called the McGladrey Classic. He shot in the 60s all four days (65-63-67-68) after having done so just three times in 12 rounds this season entering the tournament.

Kisner, who is now 0-for-5 in playoffs, was seeking his fifth win on Tour.

Streb is the first two-time winner of the RSM.

RSM CLASSIC: Leaderboard | Photo gallery

Tringale finished solo third. Bernd Wiesberger and Andrew Landry finished T-4 at 17 under. English, Camilo Villegas, Kyle Stanley and Zach Johnson finished T-6 at 16 under.

Corey Conners and Patton Kizzire finished T-10 at 15 under.

The PGA Tour is off next week for Thanksgiving. The final official event on the 2020 calendar is Dec. 3-6 at the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico. The QBE Shootout, an unofficial event in Naples, Florida, is Dec. 11-13.

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RSM Classic: Zach Johnson looks to win one for the ‘Sea Island Mafia’

Zach Johnson shot 65 on Moving Day and trails leader Robert Streb by three strokes heading into the final round of the RSM Classic.

SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Zach Johnson is a gamer. He’s the guy who wasn’t even the No. 1 player on his Drake University golf team and yet he’s won 12 times on the PGA Tour. In fact, until DJ won the Masters last week, Zach was low-Johnson with two major championships. Few golfers have run every ounce of talent out of his game the way Johnson has.

“I’ve always been the guy that’s had his back against the wall,” Johnson said after shooting 65 on Saturday. “That was my mentality and I’m going to stick with it.”

All his effort has been for naught the past few years. Johnson hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since hoisting the Claret Jug in 2015 at St. Andrews, but he birdied three of his first four holes and three of his final five en route to tying for the low round of the day and climbing to 14-under 198, tied for second and three strokes behind RSM Classic leader Robert Streb.

Johnson, who grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and rushed off from his press dealings to watch his beloved Iowa Hawkeyes play football, already has claimed the John Deere Classic, his true home game, and now he’s gunning for his adopted hometown tourney. Johnson is a proud member of the Sea Island Mafia, the affectionate nickname given to the Tour pros who call this picturesque corner of Southern Georgia home. Somehow, none of the local boys have ever had bragging rights as champion of the RSM Classic, which is in its 11th year.

“If you look at the history of the event, it’s not like locals have just dominated here,” Johnson said. “Based on the amount of talent that lives here, based on the resumes that live here and having that course knowledge, it is a little bit surprising. I find it a little bit odd. But it’s hard.”

Here’s the thing about Johnson: he embraces the challenge and it might be why he could be the perfect homebody to track down Streb on Sunday and break the streak. It should be noted that technically a resident already has won the RSM. Kevin Kisner, a longtime Sea Island member, won the 2015 title and was living on the island while his home in Aiken, South Carolina was being renovated. But Kisner’s home course is Palmetto Golf Club and he’s only an unofficial member of the Sea Island Mafia. Johnson is a full-blooded member, seen about town and active in his local church community and practices his craft at nearby Frederica Golf Club.

“This would be amazing. I mean, obviously this is home. I love playing in front of family and friends here. Clearly it’s different this year, 2020’s never been very convenient or it’s just been crazy. There’s not a whole lot of fanfare out there,” he said. “But it is home, it is my RSM family (for whom Johnson is an ambassador). It is Davis Love, who’s one of my buddies and obviously models in life, let alone golf. So, when you couple all that together and combine it all, it would be ultra-special. But I mean it’s not going to be given to me just because I check things off the list. I’ve got to go out and earn it and I love that.”

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RSM Classic: Robert Streb leads by 3, celebrates with ice cream every night

Robert Streb fired a 3-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead headed into the final round of the RSM Classic.

SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Six years ago, the night before the final round of the RSM Classic during which Robert Streb enjoyed a putting day for the ages at Sea Island Resort’s Seaside Course, he enjoyed ice cream at Dairy Queen. The flavor is long forgotten and that Dairy Queen is now a burger joint called Frosty’s (partially owned by Davis Love), but the next day Streb shot 63 and won his first and only PGA Tour title, one-putting 11 greens on his way to a playoff victory.

Six years later, Streb is poised to have another ice cream celebration. He has made sure to treat himself to ice cream every night this week – “probably a large,” he said – and he said he’d definitely be going after shooting 3-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead over Zach Johnson and Bronson Burgoon heading into the final round of the RSM Classic.

“I’ve just been doing like a chocolate-vanilla and caramel or something,” he said.

Six years ago when he was victorious at what was then called the McGladrey Classic, Streb’s wife Maggie was pregnant with their first child. They have added a son, David, who is 2½, and this is the first week the Streb family has joined him. To really make it a family affair, Streb also has his in-laws with him to lend a helping hand, and away from the course the Streb’s have enjoyed some beach time while staying amid the Golden Isles.

“My problem is when I hit the beach, I want to plop down with a cooler of beer,” he said.

Who can blame him? On a postcard-perfect breezy day that attracted bass-fishing rigs in and around the marshland, Streb got off to a nervy start, snap-hooking his opening tee shot into a native area before scrambling for par, and while it wasn’t pretty, he managed to par the first seven holes. Colombia’s Camilo Villegas briefly tied him for the lead at the par-5 eighth hole, but Streb answered with a birdie of his own and turned in 1-under 34. On No. 10, Streb wedged to 8 feet and, putting through his shadow, canned the birdie putt. When Villegas took three putts at the same hole, Streb’s lead stretched to three and he tacked on one last birdie at the par-5 15th to improve to 17-under 195, tying the record for the largest 54-hole lead in tournament history.

Streb, 33, had only shot in the 60s three times in 12 rounds this season entering the RSM, but now he’s done it three days in a row. He may need to turn the trick one more time to become the tournament’s first two-time winner. Local resident Zach Johnson (-14), who is seeking his 13th Tour title, tied Emiliano Grillo (-13) and Andrew Landry (-11) for the low round of the day with a 65. Johnson’s round included bookend birdies – a 42-foot birdie putt on the first hole and a 32-foot birdie putt at 18, that Johnson called, “a gift.” Kevin Kisner, who won the RSM Classic in 2015, posted a bogey-free 66 and will be going for broke tomorrow.

“Just can’t get the lead too far away,” he said. “I think we’re going to have less wind tomorrow and it’s going to be a shootout.”

Camilo Villegas got to 14 under before backing up to 12 under and posting an even-par 70.

Streb handled adversity well early in his round on Saturday and he’s definitely got good vibes at Sea Island, home of the only tournament where there is a champion’s banner hanging for his previous victory. He’d like to add another one of those – almost as much as he’d like to have another ice cream cone.

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RSM Classic: Camilo Villegas, two back, trying to win for Mia

Camilo Villegas shot 6-under 66 in the second round of the RSM Classic and trails by 2 strokes just four months after his daughter’s death.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Camilo Villegas has been chasing a little white ball around and trying to get it into a hole long enough to know that only half the work is over at the RSM Classic and half is still to come. He’s taking a very pragmatic approach to chasing his first PGA Tour title since 2014.

“A lot of golf to be played,” he said. “We’ll do the same thing tomorrow, come out here, try to be free and just add them up at the end of the day.”

On Friday, the scorecard added up to 6-under 66 at the Plantation Course and combined with 6-under 64 a day earlier at the Seaside Course at Sea Island Resort, Villegas enters the weekend at 12-under 130 and two strokes behind 36-hole leader Robert Streb. For the 38-year-old Colombian native, it marks his career-low 36-hole score on Tour.

Bronson Burgoon, who made six birdies in a seven-hole stretch en route to 63 on Friday, played with Villegas and came away impressed with his performance.

“I tried to just get behind, do what he was doing,” Burgoon said. “He made it look pretty easy yesterday. Made a few putts today.”

RSM CLASSIC: Leaderboard | Photos | Tee times, TV info

It’s all the more remarkable given that it was just four months ago that Villegas’s daughter, Mia, lost her battle with cancerous tumors in her brain at the tender age of 22 months. Villegas and wife Maria have a wonderful attitude about life and are committed to making Mia’s legacy live on through their foundation, Mia’s Miracles.

Earlier this week, Villegas, who wears a rainbow ribbon on his hat when he plays in his daughter’s memory, spent time with sports psychologist Gio Valiante, author of “Fearless Golf,” and someone who he’s had a relationship with since his days at the University of Florida.

“It was perfect to have him,” Villegas said. “We spent some nice time, had a couple meals, talked some crap and a little bit of golf. Obviously, you know how it is with golf, it’s all about being free and I think he’s helped me to be a little more free these last couple days.”

Villegas played his first 28 holes without a bogey, but it was how he played after the bogey that he was most proud of.

“I was patient in the middle of the round. I know I was playing good and I just didn’t take advantage of that 8th hole and 9th hole and 10th hole and then I made kind of a silly bogey on 11,” he said. “You start adding those and it’s two, three shots and you feel like you’re leaving some out there. At that point you’ve just got to be patient, know that you’re playing good.”

It all came together at the last hole, the par 5 at the Plantation Course, where he made eagle to cap off the round.

“I got a little lucky to be honest,” he said. “I pushed my drive, it bounced on the cart path. I only had 9-iron in so I was able to be a little more aggressive to a front pin that’s in a tough place with the way it was playing downwind.”

Can Villegas win one for Mia? It’s the type of story that would bring tears to the eyes of the biggest curmudgeon. Villegas, for one, said he feels his confidence building, but reiterated that he has a long way to go to Tour title No. 5.

“It’s not a two-day thing, it’s a process,” he said. “The swing feels good, the speed is better than it was and I’m pain free, so that’s good.”

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RSM Classic: Robert Streb shoots 63, leads by 2 at midway point

Robert Streb equaled his lowest score on the PGA Tour to claim the 36-hole lead at the RSM Classic, which he won six years ago.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Robert Streb had only shot in the 60s three times in 12 PGA Tour rounds this season, so he might not have been the most likely player to open with a pair of rounds in the 60s and equal his lowest score on Tour on Friday, a 9-under 63 at the Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort.

Streb said he’d like to say he found something but had a hard time explaining why, after recording only one top-10 finish last season, his game suddenly clicked during the first two rounds of the RSM Classic, allowing him build a two-stroke lead over Camilo Villegas. But this Streb knows about putting: “It seems a lot simpler when they’re going in.”

Indeed, it does. Streb’s putter heated up at the end of his opening round on the Seaside Course on Thursday as he finished with four straight birdies en route to posting 5-under 65. He made more than 142 feet of putts and ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting, and picked up where he left off on Friday making nine birdies, including at his final two holes of the day.

It was reminiscent of his performance in the final round of the 2014 RSM Classic when Streb’s putter caught fire and he had 11 one-putt greens, including five from more than 10 feet and shot 63 at the Seaside Course to rally from five strokes back, force a playoff and eventually win his first Tour title.

“Just got on a hot run there at the end and ended up in the right place,” he said.

Streb, 33, left that night with a trophy, the biggest check of his life and the security that he’d have a Tour card long enough to secure his pension. He ranked No. 18 in the FedEx Cup that season, but he wasn’t able to build on what looked to be his breakthrough year.

RSM CLASSIC: Leaderboard | Photos

“Kind of thought I would just keep trucking along,” he said. “Didn’t play quite as well and I guess kind of gone through a lull for a little while. I don’t really have a good answer for you other than it’s just taken me too many shots to get the ball in the hole.”

The last few years he’s struggled to maintain his Tour card, including last season when he missed the cut at 12 of 19 events.

“I haven’t been doing anything all that exciting for quite a while,” he said.

But he hit 17 of 18 greens on Friday and he feels comfortable at a place where he takes his kids to look for crabs in the sand and where he enjoys looking at his mug on one of the tournament banners as he drives into the property. Given that he’s unable to explain his sudden good form, he shouldn’t even bother wrestling with this stat and just go with it: The last four winners of the RSM Classic all have held the 36-hole lead.

“I don’t want to be the one that breaks it,” he said. “There’s still a lot of golf left, still got to go play and we’ll see what happens.”

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Camilo Villegas sees a rainbow, shoots 64 for daughter Mia

Camilo Villegas is tied for the lead at the 2020 RSM Classic, after shooting a 6-under (bogey-free) 64 in the first round.

Camilo Villegas is tied for the lead at the 2020 RSM Classic, after shooting a 6-under (bogey-free) 64 in the first round.

Stewart Cink hires son, Reagan, as permanent caddie ahead of RSM Classic

The 47-year-old Cink finished first-T12-T4 in his first three starts with son Reagan looping for him.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Stewart Cink made it official. Son Reagan, who was on the bag for his first victory in more than nine years at the Safeway Open in September, is permanently taking over his dad’s bag – at least for next 12 months, anyway.

This all began on a lark earlier this summer when Reagan, who has been living at home with his parents during COVID-19 after graduating from Georgia Tech to save money for his upcoming wedding, told his dad he’d like to caddie for him at an event.

“I said, ‘How about the Safeway?’” Stewart recalled.

He credited his son with being a calming influence, as at age 47, he shot a final-round 7-under 65 to win the tournament in Napa, California, by two strokes over Harry Higgs. It was the PGA Tour’s feel-good moment since the resumption of play in June.

A taste of success had Reagan happy to resume duties during the next event, the Sanderson Farms Championship, and they shot another Sunday 65 to finish T-12. But father knows best and Stewart suggested it was time for son to return to the real world and put his industrial engineering from Georgia Tech to work as a member of the technology product management team at Delta Airlines.

“He’s a great caddie, he’s doing a great job, but I don’t think I want him to become a caddie,” Stewart said at the time. “He’s just a little bit too good at doing this to where I think if he keeps going, he might find a home out here.”

Stewart played the following week in Las Vegas and shot a final-round 81 to drop to T-64 with regular caddie, Kip Henley, on the bag. After a few weeks off, Reagan got the call to the bullpen to caddie at the Bermuda Championship and father and son teamed to finish T-4 with a Sunday 64. Stewart couldn’t ignore the results with his son on the bag.

“We didn’t have to leave until Monday so we were kind of sitting around the room with nothing to do. Reagan was there and he caddied, and my wife was there, all sitting around. Probably like sort of how nothing good happens with idle time and idle hands, we all sat around and said, ‘Hey, this has been really fun. You’re supposed to go back to work next week, but maybe this is the right time for you to push work back for a year. I like you caddying and I think you’re having a good time and you’re good at it, and it’s nice to spend time with our son,’” Stewart recalled.

“He got it worked out with Delta Airlines that he was going to be able to just sort of push his job back. He’ll go to work next year after he gets married in July and he’ll caddie the rest of this season. So, a change for us, but something I’m really looking forward to and I think he is, too.”

Father and son missed the cut at the Vivint Houston Open, but Stewart pointed out that it is more than mere coincidence that he’s played well with his son by his side. He’s contributed more than simply adhering to the caddie mantra of show up, keep up and shut up.

“He’s not just a guest caddie, he’s not just a family member out there carrying the bag. He understands golf really well and he understands me and he’s been a real asset to me in maybe like a little bit of an intangible kind of way,” Stewart said. “I just feel really calm out there with him. I know that when he’s standing across with the bag and after we’ve made our decision, I know that he has like full trust and 100 percent confidence that I’m going to be able to do what we just talked about doing.

“That’s just a big asset, to know that your caddie is just really behind you and believes in you and also has that sort of unconditional relationship with you that if it goes great, it goes great, if it doesn’t, then hey, we’re still father and son. I think that’s been a real big asset and it’s helped me to be calm and to be confident and really to just be myself.”

Stewart also noted that Reagan may give up the bag at some point to his older brother, Connor.

“We’ve already discussed that,” Stewart said. “I don’t know where it’s going to be yet, but he’ll come out and caddie.”

But this week at Sea Island, Stewart will look to add to his early-season haul with Reagan toting his bag. Asked what young player he’d suggest one of his boys try to caddie for to make a good living on Tour, Stewart said, “I don’t know that I would want either of my kids to be on the bag of any other player because they’re both too big of an asset. There’s enough disadvantage I have, I don’t want to give anybody else more advantage.”

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