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British (Open) Invasion at RSM Classic: Five past Open champions head field at Sea Island

garry smits, jacksonville florida times-union
·3 min read
Padraig Harrington of Ireland will make his fourth appearance in the RSM Classic Nov. 16-19 at the Sea Island Club.
Padraig Harrington of Ireland will make his fourth appearance in the RSM Classic Nov. 16-19 at the Sea Island Club.

They should feel right at home at a Sea Island Club that resembles so many seaside British Open venues.

Five past British Open champions, including the most recent, Brian Harman, are in the field for the RSM Classic Nov. 16-19, the final PGA Tour event of "FedEx Cup Fall" and the end of the wraparound season era on the Tour that began in 2013.

Harman, who won the Open by six shots at Royal Liverpool, will play in his hometown event as usual, along with other St. Simons Island, Ga., residents such as tournament host Davis Love III, Zach Johnson, Harris English, Keith Mitchell and Patton Kizzire.

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Johnson won the British Open in 2015 at St. Andrews. Other past Open champions in the field are Padraig Harrington (who won at Carnoustie in 2007, then successfully defended his title the following year at Royal Birkdale), Stewart Cink (who edged Tom Watson in 2009 at Turnberry) and Francesco Molinari (who held off Tiger Woods at Carnoustie in 2018).

Brian Harman, a St. Simons Island, Ga., resident, won the British Open in July at Royal Liverpool.
Brian Harman, a St. Simons Island, Ga., resident, won the British Open in July at Royal Liverpool.

Harrington, a PGA Tour Champions member who won his sixth title on that circuit two weeks ago at Boca Raton, is playing the RSM Classic for the first time since 2017

Other major champions in the field are Love, Jason Dufner, Webb Simpson and Jimmy Walker. Past Players champions in the field are Love, Simpson, Si Woo Kim and Matt Kuchar.

First Coast players in the field are Billy Horshcel, Russell Knox, David Lingmerth, Jonas Blixt, Lanto Griffin, Tyson Alexander, Doc Redman, Sam Ryder and Carl Yuan.

Adam Svensson is the defending champion. He shot 64 in the final round at Seaside last year.

Other RSM Classic players of note

  • Eric Cole, the son of former LPGA player Laura Baugh, is one of the candidates for PGA Tour rookie of the year -- 50 years after his mother, now teaching at The Palencia Club, won those honors on the LPGA.

  • Twin brothers Maxwell and David Ford, who play for the University of North Carolina after transferring from Georgia.

  • Former University of Florida star Camilo Villegas is making a late run to get his PGA Tour card with a tie for second last week in Mexico and a spot among the top five entering the weekend in Bermuda.

  • Ludvig Aberg of Sweden, who played at Texas Tech and earned his PGA Tour card by finishing first on the inaugural PGA Tour University ranking. Aberg has six top-10s and 10 top-25s in a combination of 15 starts on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and went 2-2 in the Ryder Cup.

Players chasing FedEx Cup points

The field will play one round each on Thursday and Friday at the Seaside and Plantation Courses. After the cut is made, both weekend rounds will be at the Seaside Course, exposed to the wind off the St. Simons Sound, with gaping bunkers and large, undulating greens.

Players who finish among the top-125 on the FedEx Cup points list after the RSM Classic will retain their PGA Tour cards for the 2024 season, which reverts back to a calendar-year format. Players can also vie for Nos. 51-60 on the points list and become eligible for two of the PGA Tour's "Signature Events" at Pebble Beach and the Rivera Country Club.

After this week the Tour won't play an official-money event until the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii Jan. 4-7.

Tickets are available at rsmclassic.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Brian Harman, Padraig Harrington among past British Open champs at RSM