Conversations with Champions: 2022 RSM Classic winner Adam Svensson credits a return to Korn Ferry Tour for finding discipline to win on PGA Tour

Conversations with Champions is presented by Sentry.

“Conversations with Champions presented by Sentry” is a weekly series from Golfweek. This week: Adam Svensson, winner of the 2022 RSM Classic.

A slow start Thursday, a late eagle Friday and the lifting of a trophy Sunday.

It was a high-wire act of sorts for Adam Svensson at the 2022 RSM Classic.

The first-time PGA Tour winner shot a 1-over 73 in the first round and it turned out to be the highest opening-round score by a winner in more than two years.

An eagle on the 15th hole Friday assured him of making the weekend and that’s when started heating up in the chilly temperatures at Sea Island’s Plantation Course in St Simons Island, Georgia.

A round of 62 vaulted him up the leaderboard Saturday and a Sunday 64 brought the 28-year-old his first Tour title.

This is everything Svensson said after claiming his maiden victory.

AS: The first round I was playing great, I just got nothing out of it. And going into Friday I was like keep doing what I’m doing. To be honest, I don’t even know. I was playing so good, I knew if I just kept doing what I’m doing and I will work my way up. But to come out on top, it’s unbelievable.

Q: Our second Canadian winner of the season, you move up to No. 6 in the FedEx Cup standings. Just talk a little bit about how this changes your goals going forward.

AS: Yeah, it definitely changes my schedule a lot. Obviously, I’ll be into more events now. I’ll have more time at home to work on my game and prepare for obviously bigger events now, so I’m excited.

2022 RSM Classic
Adam Svensson holds the trophy after winning the 2022 RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo: Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press)

Q: Can you talk about the birdies on 16 and 17 that helped pull you over the line?

AS: I looked on the leaderboard on 15, the par 5 there, and hit a poor wedge shot and made par. But I knew there’s a couple good birdie chances on 16 and 17 with a front flag. And the shot on 16, it kind of spun back but it was kind of an easy putt uphill left to right and I just knew I hit it hard enough and it went in. And the one on 17, I didn’t think it was going to go in and somehow it just dove in, I don’t know.

Q: Was there any frustration at all thinking that, because you started on the Plantation course, it’s the easier of the two courses, what was your mindset?

AS: I was very frustrated. I just knew like I just keep doing what I’m doing. I flushed it on Thursday and I just got nothing out of my round, and going into Friday I just was grinding. I don’t even know, I just was putting great, hitting it great and I just kept hitting the fairway, hitting it on the green and just kept doing what I’m doing. I don’t really know. I just knew if I just keep playing great, good things will happen. Last week I found something in my golf swing and just kind of took it into this week.

Q: What do you think the difference was between Thursday and the rest of the week?

AS: Putting, for sure. I kind of tweaked, I changed my stroke a little bit on Friday and then it was feeling really good. I just kind of stuck with it, yeah.

Q: Adam, on Friday do you watch the leaderboard enough to know how far behind you were behind what you thought the cut might be?

AS: I figured on Thursday I needed to shoot about 4-under par, I told my caddie that. We just had a game plan to shoot that and make the cut and just keep moving up.

Q: The money’s good and the two-year exemption is good, but how soon after the last putt did you start thinking Kapalua, Masters, Players, things like that?

AS: I didn’t even think about it until it was brought up to me 15 minutes ago. I’m more proud of what I’ve accomplished from the direction I was to the direction I’ve gone now, it’s more fulfilling than money to me. I’m more just proud of myself for things I’ve been doing.

Q: When did you start thinking, I could actually win this tournament?

AS: When I teed off. I don’t know, I knew I was playing great, I just had to stay out of my own way. At the start of the day, I told myself just don’t make a bogey and I’m putting well and I just had to keep myself under control.

Q: How long have you been working with John Graham?

AS: About a year now, just over a year.

Q: And was the something you changed in your putting Friday something he suggested or something you just came up with?

AS: We really work on flow in my stroke and sometimes on the long ones, especially this week, it’s fast so just having a little bit more flow has helped me with speed control, because I do get a little jabby sometimes. Just having a lot of, a little bit more flow in the backstroke.

Q: What did you change in yourself between the first time you were on the PGA Tour and this second go-round you’ve had?

AS: I relied mostly on talent when I was younger. I didn’t put enough work in, I wasn’t that disciplined. Like I said, two years ago I decided to give it 100 percent and I’ve been super disciplined on, you know, I don’t drink anymore, I go to the golf course every day, I’m up at 6, I give it 100 percent now. That’s the reason.

2022 RSM Classic
Adam Svensson reacts to his putt on the first hole during the final round of the 2022 RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo: Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press)

Q: You mentioned in the Golf Channel interview that a couple years ago you were thinking about quitting golf. What was that point?

AS: Every Tour player wants to quit golf once in a while. You say that, but you obviously don’t. It’s just a feeling because you’re so down and you’re not playing well. I just made a choice to give it 100 percent and there was no, after I lost my Tour card, that’s when I decided to do that.

Q: What were the like conversations like? Like was there anyone you relied on in particular to like set a course or was it kind of self-planning of the change?

AS: It’s all self. You can say you can work hard, but in the end you’ve got
to actually do the work. I’m just proud of myself for doing that.

Q: You hadn’t made a cut yet at this tournament before this week. Was that a product of the course not setting up well for you or playing poorly this week? What do you attribute that to?

AS: This golf course, you know, Seaside, it’s tough, the greens are fast. So I think before, you know, just my putting wasn’t quite there, a couple loose shots here and there. I’m getting better and better and better and that’s, you know, probably the reason.

Q: You mentioned the birdie on 17. Were you aware of the scoreboard at that point, kind of where just, all right, so you hit that. What are you feeling, up two strokes after making that birdie and off to the tee box on 18?

AS: I was pumped, I was super excited. I knew if I could just hit the fairway on 18, I could just get it up there and make par or bogey.

Q: Any sort of nerves knowing, like you said, you just basically have to not mess it up to be able to pull out the first win for you?

AS: Yeah, I was just like swing 50 percent because that 50 percent is probably 80 percent. That was kind of my mindset coming in the last couple holes, just swing 50 percent, yeah.

Q: We’ve seen a few rounds of 62, 63s out of you over the last few years, obviously you went low the last three rounds here. What is it do you think about your game or mentality that allows you to go low fairly often?

AS: I think it’s ball-striking consistency, hitting fairways, hitting greens, giving yourself opportunities, not short siding yourself. I’m definitely getting better at playing away from flags now. Before, I was firing at all the flags. When the putter’s hot, you can shoot low numbers doing that.

Q: How do you think going back to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020-21 benefitted you most as you kind of look back kind of at that part of the journey in your arc?

AS: Realizing I wasn’t as good as I actually was and realizing how hard everyone works on this tour and what it takes to get here. It was a blessing, to be honest. It kind of changed my path and everything.

Q: What’s one area where you worked harder in this second stint of your career since that kind of readjustment?

AS: I would say putting, especially probably the last six months I’ve put in a lot of work with putting. But I try and like even it out chipping, putting, hitting. Just the everyday, you know, putting that work in, you just slowly, slowly get better.

2022 RSM Classic
Adam Svensson shakes hands with Patrick Rodgers after winning the 2022 RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo: Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press)

Q: What was the toughest part of putting at first in your career before these improvements?

AS: For me, it was the short putts with confidence, kind of steering it here and there. When you have confidence when you’re putting, you feel like you can make everything and those two-, three-footers, you just bang them in.

Q: The fact you’ve led the field statistically in strokes gained putting this week, what does that mean to you?

AS: I didn’t even know that. Cool. It means the work I’m doing’s paying off with John, and it’s nice.

Q: When did you decide to quit drinking?

AS: Two years ago. I’ve probably had maybe five drinks, but I quit drinking, I mean like going out with the boys and having drinks and stuff.

Q: Is that for tonight, too?

AS: Well, I’m supposed to drive home tonight, so yeah. Maybe I’ll have one.

Q: The fact no one could ever take away you’re a PGA Tour winner, like that’s something you’ll have on your resume and your mind and memory forever. What does that knowledge mean to you that you’ve accomplished that goal?

AS: It’s been dreams of mine since I was 10 years old, eight years old. It’s just incredible. I don’t think the money does, I don’t think money really does anything. It’s the feeling of coming down the stretch and winning and all that stuff, you just can’t beat it.

Q: Can you paint the picture, tell me a little bit where you were when you had this kind of come-to-Jesus moment that I’m going to really commit and make golf my job and not just rely on the talent?

AS: I can’t remember. It was just one day I woke up and I was like, that’s it,
that’s it. Just kind of went from there.

Q: Was it after a certain tournament where you had a bad result or after a hangover?

AS: Probably a hangover, probably a hangover. I don’t know, I can’t
remember.

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A Joel Dahmen Twitter Q&A featured member-guest alcohol consumption plans, conspiracy theories and more

Dahmen dished on everything from White Claws to his Washington Huskies.

Joel Dahmen tied the low round of the day on Sunday with a 6-under 64 to finish T-5 at the 2022 RSM Classic.

The key to that strong finish?

“I don’t know, not being an idiot,” said Dahmen.

“I was an idiot (Saturday). I wasn’t patient on the first hole and I hit it over the green and made bogey,” he continued while noting he’s “far too often” an idiot on the course. “And then after that I was just like there’s like no more stupid mistakes today, don’t be super aggressive at some pins, there’s birdies out here, there’s plenty of them. So just kind of hung in there and played great on the back.”

Known for possessing one of the best personalities on the PGA Tour, Dahmen was just getting started. Netflix wasn’t working on his trip back home, so the 35-year-old took to Twitter for a little Q&A fun to pass the time. Dahmen didn’t disappoint.

The winner of the 2021 Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship gave a handful of serious answers as he explained the difference between tour pros and average joes, his travel schedule and his love of his alma mater, the Washington Huskies.

Here are some highlights:

Member guest White Claw consumption

Favorite White Claw flavor

Favorite conspiracy theory

Where he plans to retire

Good friend Max Homa’s dad strength

 

Golf’s silly season is officially here.

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Prize money payouts for each PGA Tour player at the 2022 RSM Classic

It pays to play well on the PGA Tour.

It pays to play well on the PGA Tour, folks. Just ask this week’s winner, Adam Svensson.

The 28-year-old Canadian earned his first-ever win on Tour on Sunday at the 2022 RSM Classic thanks to two clutch birdies late in the final round that sealed the deal for a bogey-free 6-under 64 and a two-shot victory at 19 under.

For his efforts, Svensson will take home the top prize of $1,458,000. Callum Tarren, Sahith Theegala and Brian Harman finished T-2 at 17 under to earn $612,900 each.

Check out how much money each PGA Tour player earned this week at the 2022 RSM Classic at Sea Island in Georgia.

Winner’s bag: Check out the clubs that got the job done at the RSM Classic

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Adam Svensson -19 $1,458,000
T2 Callum Tarren -17 $612,900
T2 Brian Harman -17 $612,900
T2 Sahith Theegala -17 $612,900
T5 Joel Dahmen -15 $277,830
T5 Cole Hammer -15 $277,830
T5 Chris Stroud -15 $277,830
T5 Seamus Power -15 $277,830
T5 Alex Smalley -15 $277,830
T10 Robby Shelton -14 $188,325
T10 David Lingmerth -14 $188,325
T10 Erik Barnes -14 $188,325
T10 Wyndham Clark -14 $188,325
T10 Patrick Rodgers -14 $188,325
T15 J.J. Spaun -13 $127,575
T15 Greyson Sigg -13 $127,575
T15 Seung-Yul Noh -13 $127,575
T15 Will Gordon -13 $127,575
T15 Taylor Pendrith -13 $127,575
T15 Taylor Montgomery -13 $127,575
T21 J.T. Poston -12 $76,646
T21 Russell Knox -12 $76,646
T21 Danny Lee -12 $76,646
T21 Ben Taylor -12 $76,646
T21 Beau Hossler -12 $76,646
T21 Harry Higgs -12 $76,646
T21 Andrew Putnam -12 $76,646
T21 Ben Martin -12 $76,646
T29 Kevin Kisner -11 $51,907
T29 Zac Blair -11 $51,907
T29 Ben Griffin -11 $51,907
T29 Harris English -11 $51,907
T29 Justin Rose -11 $51,907
T29 Paul Haley II -11 $51,907
T35 Chris Gotterup -10 $41,209
T35 Michael Kim -10 $41,209
T35 Patton Kizzire -10 $41,209
T35 Kevin Streelman -10 $41,209
T39 Hayden Buckley -9 $32,805
T39 Keith Mitchell -9 $32,805
T39 Aaron Baddeley -9 $32,805
T39 Henrik Norlander -9 $32,805
T39 Eric Cole -9 $32,805
T39 Carl Yuan -9 $32,805
45 Akshay Bhatia -8 $27,135
T46 Denny McCarthy -7 $21,748
T46 Kevin Roy -7 $21,748
T46 Brice Garnett -7 $21,748
T46 Davis Riley -7 $21,748
T46 Jim Herman -7 $21,748
T46 Stephan Jaeger -7 $21,748
T46 Dylan Wu -7 $21,748
T46 Ryan Armour -7 $21,748
T54 Martin Trainer -6 $18,630
T54 Trevor Cone -6 $18,630
T54 Scott Stallings -6 $18,630
T54 Dean Burmester -6 $18,630
T54 Brandon Wu -6 $18,630
T54 Kevin Yu -6 $18,630
T54 Brent Grant -6 $18,630
T54 Jacob Bridgeman -6 $18,630
T62 Matthias Schwab -5 $17,820
T62 Tyson Alexander -5 $17,820
T64 Joseph Bramlett -4 $17,496
T64 Doc Redman -4 $17,496
66 Justin Suh -3 $17,253
T67 Zecheng Dou -1 $17,010
T67 Andrew Landry -1 $17,010
69 MJ Daffue 1 $16,767

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Winner’s Bag: Adam Svensson, 2022 RSM Classic

Check out the clubs that got the job done in Sea Island.

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A complete list of the golf equipment that Adam Svensson used to win the PGA Tour’s 2022 RSM Classic:

DRIVER: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees), with LAGP shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Adam Svensson’s driver – $549.99″ link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/YgJrzJ”]

FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway Rogue ST LS (15 degrees), with Aldila Rogue Black 70X shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Adam Svensson’s fairway wood – $349.99″ link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/NKrna7″]

HYBRID: Callaway Apex (18 degrees), with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 100 shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Adam Svensson’s hybrid – $269.99″ link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/6bJBZK”]

IRONS: Callaway Apex TCB (4), with  Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 100 shaft, Apex MB 18 (5-9), with Project X 6.5 shafts

WEDGES: Callaway JAWS MD5 (46, 52, 56, 60 degrees), with Project X 6.5 shafts

PUTTER: Odyssey Toulon Palm Beach

BALL: Callaway Chrome Soft X

[afflinkbutton text=”Adam Svensson’s golf balls – $49.99 per dozen” link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/BX6DL1″]

GRIPS: Golf Pride MCC

We occasionally recommend interesting products, services, and gaming opportunities. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Golfweek operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

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Adam Svensson goes from barely making cut to winning 2022 RSM Classic for first PGA Tour win

Svensson went bogey-free in the final round and made two clutch birdies late on Sunday.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Until Adam Svensson sank a 6-foot eagle putt at the 15th hole of his second round, he appeared to be in danger of missing the cut at the 2022 RSM Classic. Winning his first PGA Tour tournament wasn’t a thought in his mind.

“I was just trying to make the cut,” he said. “I didn’t want to go home when I knew I was playing this well.”

So, Svensson first grinded out the cut, then vaulted into contention with a 62 on Saturday and fired a 6-under 64 at Sea Island Resort’s Seaside Course on Sunday to win the RSM Classic by two strokes over Brian Harman, Callum Tarren and Sahith Theegala.

“I knew if I just kept doing what I’m doing I will work my way up, but to come out on top, it’s unbelievable,” Svensson said.

The 28-year-old Canadian’s slow start at Sea Island’s Plantation Course, a 1-over 73, was the highest opening-round score by a winner since Jon Rahm at the 2020 BMW Championship. It left him T-108 entering the second round and he was seven strokes back at the start of the weekend. The last player to be outside the top 100 through 18 holes and go on to win was Ian Poulter at the 2018 Cadence Bank Houston Open. It didn’t hurt that Svensson played the last 52 holes bogey-free.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old, 8 years old,” Svensson said. “It’s just incredible.”

Svensson’s ball striking has never been questioned, but ever since he began working with putting coach John Graham a year ago, he’s made leaps and bounds on the greens. This week, he led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.

“When you have confidence when you’re putting, you feel like you can make everything and those two-, three-footers, you just bang them in,” he said.

Svensson, bundled up in a winter hat and windbreaker on an unseasonably cold day in the Golden Isles, was on fire with his putter. He holed more than 150 feet of putts in the final round. After failing to make birdie at the easy par-5 15th hole and watching Harman and Theegala join the tie at the top with Tarren, Svensson canned an 18-foot uphill, left-to-right birdie at 16. He walked it in from more than 2 feet out and pumped his fist as he assumed sole possession of the lead.

One hole later, he stuck an 8-iron to 10 feet at the par 3 and pumped his fist again – this time with authority – as his ball circled the cup to give himself a two-stroke cushion.

“It looked like we’d have a four-way playoff and next thing you know it wasn’t even close,” the winning U.S. Presidents Cup Captain Davis Love III and RSM Classic host said.

Svensson, who closed with a 6-under 64 for a 72-hole total of 19-under 263, originally earned his PGA Tour card in 2019. He showed flashes of brilliance but lacked consistency. He concedes that he relied on talent alone and didn’t work hard enough at his game. Too many weeks he’d finish a tournament, go to the bar and nurse a hangover for a day or two.

“If you’re doing that,” he said, “you’re falling behind.”

He spent a humbling season on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020, but considers it a blessing.

“It changed my path,” he said.

During that time he looked himself in the mirror – “probably after one of those hangovers,” he said – and decided he had to make some changes if he wanted to reach his full potential. He committed to treating golf like a job and “made a choice to give it 100 percent.” The changes included quitting drinking, or as he put it, “no more going out with the boys.”

“It’s turned my life around,” he said.

Svensson turned his week around with a flurry of birdies on the weekend and earned his first trip to the Masters – or any major for that matter. One person who didn’t doubt that Svensson had the ability to get to the winner’s circle was his caddie A.J. Montecitos.

“I told him when I first got on his bag that we’d win in six weeks,” Montecitos said. “I was wrong. It took him 10.”

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2022 RSM Classic Sunday tee times, TV and streaming info

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s final round in St. Simons Island.

It’s time to crown the winner of the final PGA Tour event that awards FedEx Cup points of the calendar year.

St. Simons Island, Georgia, plays host to the 2022 RSM Classic, which moved to The Seaside course only on the weekend. It will play as a par 70 with a length of 7,005 yards. The Plantation course was also used during the first two rounds.

Patrick Rodgers and Ben Martin sit atop the leaderboard after round three, one shot ahead of three players, a group that includes Sahith Theegala. Seven players are 12 under, two back.

Here’s a look at Sunday’s tee times. All times ET.

RSM Classic: Leaderboard

1st tee

Tee time Players
9:05 a.m.
Martin Trainer, Hayden Buckley, J.J. Spaun
9:16 a.m.
Joel Dahmen, Denny McCarthy, Zac Blair
9:27 a.m.
Russell Knox, J.T. Poston, Robby Shelton
9:38 a.m.
Cole Hammer, Scott Stallings, Ben Griffin
9:49 a.m.
Erik Barnes, David Lingmerth, Seung-Yul Noh
10:00 a.m.
Wyndham Clark, Justin Rose, Paul Haley II
10:11 a.m.
Callum Tarren, Danny Lee, Chris Stroud
10:22 a.m.
Ben Taylor, Will Gordon, Seamus Power
10:33 a.m.
Kevin Streelman, Beau Hossler, Harry Higgs
10:44 a.m.
Taylor Pendrith, Taylor Montgomery, Alex Smalley
10:55 a.m.
Sahith Theegala, Andrew Putnam, Brian Harman
11:06 a.m.
Patrick Rodgers, Ben Martin, Adam Svensson

10th tee

Tee time Players
9:05 a.m.
Keith Mitchell, Kevin Kisner, Justin Suh
9:16 a.m.
Chris Gotterup, Akshay Bhatia, Michael Kim
9:27 a.m.
Trevor Cone, Aaron Baddeley, Greyson Sigg
9:38 a.m.
Patton Kizzire, Dean Burmester, Kevin Roy
9:49 a.m.
Brandon Wu, Harris English, Henrik Norlander
10:00 a.m.
Davis Riley, Brice Garnett, Matthias Schwab
10:11 a.m.
Zecheng Dou, Tyson Alexander, Eric Cole
10:22 a.m.
Jim Herman, Kevin Yu, Carl Yuan
10:33 a.m.
Stephan Jaeger, Dylan Wu, MJ Daffue
10:44 a.m.
Jacob Bridgeman, Joseph Bramlett, Brent Grant
10:55 a.m.
Ryan Armour, Andrew Landry, Doc Redman

How to watch

You can watch Golf Channel for free on fuboTV. All times Eastern.

Sunday, Nov. 20

TV

Golf Channel: 1-4 p.m.

RADIO

Siruis XM: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

STREAM

Peacock: 1-4 p.m.

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Harry Higgs ‘spiraling up,’ Joel Dahmen playing with fear among 5 takeaways from 2nd round of RSM Classic

Harry Higgs shot 63 to vault into a share of the 36-hole lead with Cole Hammer and Andrew Putnam at 12 under in the RSM Classic.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — After shooting 7-under 63 on Friday, Harry Higgs was asked whether he has been putting pretty well of late. He smiled and corrected the writer. “No, I’ve been putting really good,” Higgs said.

Indeed, he has. Higgs gained more than three strokes to the field on the greens at Sea Island Resort’s Seaside Course on Friday, the second best performance in the field and it propelled him into a share of the 36-hole lead with Cole Hammer and Andrew Putnam at 12-under 130 in the RSM Classic.

“It’s usually pretty good,” Higgs said of his putting. “I feel like I have very good touch, and I feel like I read the greens really well, so that should be pretty easy. The only poor putt I hit today was kind of the first one that I had that was slow and I just kind of laughed.”

His ballstriking has been equally as impressive. Higgs has hit 33 of 36 greens in regulation through two rounds.

“The way that I’m putting, I just have to get it somewhere on the green and it’s probably going to come close to going in the hole,” he said.

Higgs struggled last season and is playing out of the Nos. 126-150 category this season. His confidence lagged and it took a hard look in the mirror to realize he’s been his own worst enemy.

“It’s miserable, it sucks, but it’s part of what we have to do,” he said of battling to keep playing privileges each season. “You have to deal with it. It’s OK to be fearful, it’s OK to feel the pressure. It’s just kind of how you react to it, right? Whether you kind of want to run and hide in the corner. Like I wouldn’t say I necessarily ran and hid in the corner, but I was very down on myself.”

Higgs spoke recently about how instead of spiraling down, he’s trying to spiral up and not be so hard on himself. His attitude on the course has improved, and he’s shown some signs of finding life in his game. His Friday 63 marked his fourth bogey-free round of 65 or less already this season.

“I’m going to at some point get out of this rut, which I felt like I was really close to doing in Bermuda and then played a poor day Friday. You know, a couple weeks ago in Mexico it felt like I was at least – the tires were spinning the other way, I was going to get out of it,” he said. “Come here and sure, I could do a lot of things better than I did this week so far, but I think I’m tied for first place, so you can take it easy, man. Like it’s OK to hit a few poor shots and smile a little bit and joke.”

PGA Tour: these players missed the cut at the 2022 RSM Classic

These golfers have the weekend off and an early start to their Thanksgiving week.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — The fall portion of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season comes to an end this Sunday with the conclusion of the RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort. But for some players, the end came prematurely with a Friday missed cut.

Sixty-nine golfers from a field of 155 are on to the weekend and a chance to hoist a trophy and collect a winner’s check for $1.24 million. That should make Thanksgiving turkey taste a little better. But it took some quality golf to be in the trophy hunt, as 4-under 138 was necessary to survive the 36-hole cut after a round at Sea Island’s Seaside Course and Plantation Course. Here’s a closer look at some of those who weren’t so lucky.

RSM Classic: Leaderboard

2022 RSM Classic Saturday tee times, TV and streaming info

Everything you need to know for Saturday’s third round in St. Simons Island.

It’s time for moving day of the final PGA Tour event that awards FedEx Cup points of the calendar year.

St. Simons Island, Georgia, plays host to the 2022 RSM Classic, which moved to The Seaside course only on the weekend. It will play as a par 70 with a length of 7,005 yards. The Plantation course was also used during the first two rounds.

There’s a three-way tie at the top between Cole Hammer, Harry Higgs and Andrew Landry. Hammer, who led after the first round, shot 4 under Friday at the Seaside course. Landry and Higgs each fired rounds of 7 under on Friday to move into a tie for the lead. That trio will be off in the final group Sunday.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s tee times. All times ET.

RSM Classic: Leaderboard

1st tee

Tee time Players
9:10 a.m.
Scott Stallings, Akshay Bhatia, Ben Griffin
9:21 a.m.
Michael Kim, Danny Lee, Ben Taylor
9:32 a.m.
Chris Stroud, Henrik Norlander, Wyndham Clark
9:43 a.m.
Taylor Pendrith, Justin Rose, Taylor Montgomery
9:54 a.m.
Hayden Buckley, J.J. Spaun, Paul Haley II
10:05 a.m.
Keith Mitchell, Greyson Sigg, Patton Kizzire
10:16 a.m.
Justin Suh, Patrick Rodgers, Dean Burmester
10:27 a.m.
Will Gordon, Chris Gotterup, Seamus Power
10:38 a.m.
David Lingmerth, Alex Smalley, Ben Martin
10:49 a.m.
Kevin Streelman, Seung-Yul Noh, Callum Tarren
11 a.m.
Joel Dahmen, Beau Hossler, Sahith Theegala
11:11 a.m.
Andrew Putnam, Harry Higgs, Cole Hammer

10th tee

Tee time Players
9:10 a.m.
Zecheng Dou, Denny McCarthy, Zac Blair
9:21 a.m.
Harris English, Brian Harman, Jacob Bridgeman
9:32 a.m.
Martin Trainer, Adam Svensson, Russell Knox
9:43 a.m.
Davis Riley, Tyson Alexander, Eric Cole
9:54 a.m.
Trevor Cone, Aaron Baddeley, Stephan Jaeger
10:05 a.m.
Brice Garnett, Kevin Kisner, J.T. Poston
10:16 a.m.
Ryan Armour, Jim Herman, Erik Barnes
10:27 a.m.
Joseph Bramlett, Kevin Roy, Matthias Schwab
10:38 a.m.
Andrew Landry, Doc Redman, Dylan Wu
10:49 a.m.
Robby Shelton, Brandon Wu, Brent Grant
11 a.m.
Kevin Yu, Carl Yuan, MJ Daffue

How to watch

You can watch Golf Channel for free on fuboTV. All times Eastern.

Saturday, Nov. 19

TV

Golf Channel: 1-4 p.m.

RADIO

Siruis XM: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

STREAM

Peacock: 1-4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 20

TV

Golf Channel: 1-4 p.m.

RADIO

Siruis XM: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

STREAM

Peacock: 1-4 p.m.

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‘I’m starting to have confidence again’: Webb Simpson breaks down his ace and his switch to instructor Cameron McCormick

“I’m finally on the right track. I’m healthy…I’m starting to have confidence again.”

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Webb Simpson isn’t embarrassed that he carries hybrids in his bag.

“I do love my hybrids,” he said. “My 3-iron hybrid’s been with me since 2013 and this 4-hybrid’s been with me now since 2016.”

The latter was the pick from 219 yards at the par-3 third hole at the Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort on Thursday.

“I don’t like left-to-right winds with my hybrids or woods, but it was a left-to-right wind and the 4-hybrid was only enough club if I hit it really low,” Simpson explained. “It was one of those where I had a little too much face rotation in a good way and it overdrew, so yeah, perfect club.”

RSM Classic: Watch PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ | Friday tee times

Perfect, indeed. Simpson’s ball bounced once and circled the cup for a hole-in-one, his fourth career ace on the PGA Tour.

“My target was about 15 feet right of the hole there, so I did pull it, but I did hit it good enough to where I knew it would cover on that line,” he said. “Yeah, it was a great moment, great memory.”

The one on the card propelled him to a 5-under 67 in the opening round of the RSM Classic, his 34th round in the 60s in 39 career rounds in the event. Simpson has feasted at the RSM, recording five top-10 finishes in 10 previous starts, including a pair of seconds and a third.

Simpson, who has plummeted to No. 111 in the world and hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish since last year’s RSM Classic, recently parted ways with instructor Butch Harmon and started working with Cameron McCormick, who is best known for his work with Jordan Spieth. Of moving on from Harmon, who helped Simpson reach new heights in 2020, Simpson said, “It was so hard to get to him, you know, for just one lesson and make it back to Charlotte.”

Simpson has had three lessons from McCormick, including a day shortly before the CJ Cup last month.

When asked to explain what has held him back, he said, “I think I’m going to blame myself for a couple years there I tried to hit the ball so much further that I got into a number of bad habits that it was hard to see because it happens incrementally over time. But Cameron, he pulled out a bunch of swings from 2011 and 2020 and showed those similarities, so we’re just trying to get it back to where that was.”

Simpson added: “I’m finally on the right track. I’m healthy, I feel like what I’m working on is simple for me and I’m starting to have confidence again. You know, I didn’t have that much confidence last year. It’s hard to create confidence out of nothing. I’d work on my game and I just wasn’t quite getting over the hump, but I feel like the last five, six weeks since I’ve been home, my practice sessions are different and they’re reminding me of what it used to feel like and the shots I’m hitting, the way I’m striking the golf ball. So I’m optimistic. I feel like, I’m 37, I still have a number of years of good golf in me.”

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