As is the case with most coastal courses, the wind’s strength is the X-factor. Yet even with numerous windy rounds, over the 15 tournaments played at Sea Island, the average winning score has been -18.\u00a0With daylight at a premium in mid-November, this event is still able to pack a full field of 156 thanks to the use of two courses. Golfers will play both the Sea Island and Plantation courses one time before the 36-hole cut takes place, with the top 65 and ties advancing on to play the weekend solely on the Seaside course.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The Field<\/h2>\r\n
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In what is typically a weak-field event here on St. Simons Island, this final event of the year has a solid field with four major champions, 10 winners during the 2025 season, and 12 winners of multiple PGA Tour events. There are 28 players in the field among the top 100 in the world rankings. Headliners include Brian Harman<\/a>, Denny McCarthy<\/a>, Harris English<\/a>, Andrew Novak<\/a>, Davis Thompson<\/a>, J.T. Poston<\/a>, Sahith Theegala<\/span>, Daniel Berger<\/span>, and Si Woo Kim<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The top 100 players in the FedExCup Fall standings after this week will secure their 2025 Tour membership, earning spots in each full-field Event along with THE PLAYERS Championship. Those who finish ranked 51-60 will get into the first two “Signature Events” in 2026.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The RSM Classic has provided some memorable finishes as four of the last six editions have been decided by one stroke or less, with three going to a playoff. One of the ironies of this event is that first-time Tour winners have had more success at Sea Island than the locals who call this course their home, none of whom have actually won the RSM Classic. Numerous members of the “Sea Island Mafia” will tee it up once again this week on their home course, hoping for better results, including J.T. Poston<\/a>, Brian Harman<\/a>, Harris English<\/a>, Patton Kizzire<\/a>, Zach Johnson<\/a>, Matt Kuchar<\/a>, Keith Mitchell<\/a>, Andrew Novak<\/a>, and Greyson Sigg<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The Sea Island Golf Club and Resort originated in 1926, when its founder, Howard Coffin, purchased a former cotton plantation on the island with the intention of transforming it into one of the area’s first golf courses. Coffin brought in Walter Travis, a former three-time U.S. Amateur Tournament winner and renowned architect. He was known for designing classic Scottish Links-style courses along with “chocolate drop” mounds in the fairways and small, elevated greens.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Halfway through the completion of the Plantation course, Travis unexpectedly passed away. Coffin would not be deterred and brought in two other legendary architects, Harry S. Colt and Charles Alison, to finish what Travis had started. By 1929, the nine-hole Seaside and nine-hole Plantation courses were finally completed. In 1999, Tom Fazio was brought in to perform a complete renovation on the Seaside course that created the current routing of the holes.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Meanwhile, in 2019, the Plantation course was completely renovated by Davis Love III<\/a> and his brother Mark, along with the Love Golf Design team. The goal was to take parts from both the original nine holes from the Plantation course and historical features from Walter Travis’s original layout to create a modern course that can be enjoyed by golfers of all playing levels.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The RSM Classic made its debut on the PGA Tour in 2010 at the Seaside course. Since 2015, the tournament has been played on both the Seaside and Plantation courses.<\/p>\r\nSea Island Golf Club – Course History<\/h2>\r\n