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The 156-man field for the RSM Classic, the final of eight events making up the FedEx Cup Fall, is nearly complete, bringing together an eclectic mix of future and established stars, past champions, and players fighting for full PGA Tour status next season. Four spots remain up for grabs through Monday qualifying, while golfers can still crack the field via top-10 finishes in Austin or through the final unrestricted sponsor invites.
Rising Talents and Youth Movement
Sea Island resident Blades Brown captured the World Wide Technologies Championship earlier this month, becoming the fourth-youngest winner in PGA Tour history at 19 years, 5 months, and 18 days old, as well as the first teenager to win on Tour since Jordan Spieth in 2013. Ben James, 22, has recorded five top-10 finishes since graduating from Virginia in June, which includes a playoff loss to Brown for his second runner-up result in five starts. Jackson Koivun, a 21-year-old Auburn standout, secured his third start victory of the year at the 3M Open and won his singles match to help the U.S. mount a Sunday comeback at the Presidents Cup. Other young rising stars scheduled to compete include Luke Clanton, 23, David Ford, 24, Marco Penge, 28, and Neal Shipley, 25.
Major Champions and Local Competitors
The tournament field features several major championship winners, such as Sea Island resident Brian Harman, who won the 2023 Open Championship, five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, and 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley. Harman and Brown are among 12 Sea Island Tour players entered in the tournament, alongside Harris English, Steven Fisk, Will Gordon, Patton Kizzire, Keith Mitchell, Andrew Novak, Paul Peterson, J.T. Poston, Davis Thompson, and Michael Thompson.
Past Winners and Season Victories
Defending champion Sami Valimaki will be joined by previous RSM winners Maverick McNealy, Ludvig Åberg, Adam Svensson, Mackenzie Hughes, Kevin Kisner, and Chris Kirk. This season’s tournament winners include Austin Smotherman and Michael Brennan, who have both won twice this fall, alongside Brown, Koivun, Ricky Castillo, Bud Cauley, and Steven Fisk.
The top 100 players in the FedEx Cup Fall standings following the conclusion of the RSM Classic will receive full exemption for the 2027 season, while those finishing from 101 to 110 and 111 to 125 will secure conditional status. Players had until 5 p.m. ET on Friday to commit to the 156-player field for the event hosted by the Davis Love Foundation at Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island, Georgia, as reported by Golfweek.
