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It’s time for gamers and pros to unwind as the TOUR returns to Sea Island, part of the Golden Isles off the coast of Georgia, for The RSM Classic. After grinding out two majors in the last 10 weeks the pros can see the finish line for the 2020 portion of the 2021 season and Sea Island Resort will provide the chance to exhale. This will be the 11th consecutive year the Seaside Course will determine the champion. In calendar 2016 Sea Island Resort added the Plantation Course to the Seaside Course to accommodate the full field of 156 players. Each player tees it up one time on each track to establish the top 65 and ties before returning to Seaside on the weekend to determine the champion. This is the last of four multi-course events of the season. The RSM Classic joins The American Express, Farmers Insurance and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as the others. The Plantation course renovation occurred before last year’s event so it has had a year to settle in. The Love brothers, Davis and Mark, should have things in perfect running order at 7,060 yards and Par-72. With that par and distance, scores should be had. RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks | Sleeper Picks The host Par-70 Seaside course was put together by Tom Fazio and will be the only track using ShotLink this week and annually. With plenty of room to move it off the tee and big targets (read: wind) for approach, it’s hardly a wonder why the average winning score here is pressing 20-under annually. Both tracks use TifEagle Bermuda on the greens and there isn’t much rough that’s going to bother these resort “guests” this week. The RSM Classic has never in 10 tries had a champion post a round OVER par so it’s a wide-open, scoring affair. The host Seaside courses barely tips at 7,000 yards so the door is open for all comers. Signs of a shootout appear everywhere as first-time winners are prevalent and defending or multiple champions don’t exist. In the previous 10 events all but two were decided by a playoff or one stroke so 72 holes of concentration is also expected. Recent Event Winners Stats Recent Winners and Notables 2019: Tyler Duncan (-19, 263) Defeated Webb Simpson on second playoff hole to win for the first time on TOUR. … First winner to have three bogey-free rounds. … Closed with 65, best round of Sunday, to force playoff. … 36 hole leader by two after 61. … Made 18 pars in Round 3 to drop to T5. … Won in his third appearance. … Entered the week with one top 25 in six starts in the new season. Notables: Webb Simpson (P2) was defeated for the second time in a playoff (2011, Ben Crane) here. Led after Round 1 and led the field in birdies with 25. … Sebastian Munoz (3rd) added to his win at Houston and T7 at Greenbrier and was T2 in birdies with 22. … Brendon Todd (4th) set the 54-hole record after 62 in Round but could not win for the third consecutive week on TOUR. … K.H. Lee (T5) made 21 birdies on debut. … Henrik Norlander (T5), vanquished in the five-man playoff of 2017, picked up his second top five in five starts here; made 23 birdies in 2018. … Denny McCarthy (T8) is 24-under in his last seven rounds at this event including 62 in Round 2. … D.J. Trahan (T8) picked up his second top 10 in four tries career and also circled 21 birdies. … T10 was shared by Alex Noren, Brian Stuard, Vaughn Taylor and Will Gordon. … Top 29 players were 10-under or better. 2018: Charles Howell, III (-19, 263) Defeated Patrick Rodgers in a playoff. … Led after 18, 36 and 54 holes. … Not considered “wire-to-wire” because of playoff. … Second in the field with 25 birdies. … Broke the streak of four consecutive first-time winners. … Oldest winner at 39. … First time converting 54-hole lead on TOUR. … Sea Island resident won in his ninth attempt. Notables: Patrick Rodgers (P2) set at TOUR record closing 61-62, the two lowest rounds of the week and led the field in birdies with 26. … Webb Simpson (3rd) closed 63-65 to miss the playoff by a shot. … Luke List (T4) also closed 63-65. … The first champion on two courses, Kevin Kisner (T7) picked up his fourth top 10 in five years. … Resident Zach Johnson (T7) backed up his T8 from 2017, his only two top 10 finishes. … Top 45 players were 10-under or better. 2017: Austin Cook (-21, 261) Won by four on debut for his first TOUR victory in his 14th attempt. … Tied low round of the week with 62 in Round 2. … Led the field in birdies with 23. … Tied 36-hole record and set 54-hole record (-18). … Missed tying Kisner’s tournament record by a shot. … Fourth consecutive first-time winner in the event. … Only squared two bogeys for the week. … T11 in his defense and is 39-under the last three years. Notables: J.J. Spaun (2nd) shot 62 in Round 3 and circled 21 birdies on the week. … Past champions Kevin Kisner (2015) and Chris Kirk (2013) shared T4 with resident Brian Harman and Andrew Landry. … Kirk set the Plantation record with 63 to lead after Round 1. … Zach Johnson and Vaughn Taylor rounded out the top 10 on T8. … Kevin Streelman (T17) only made one bogey on the week but just 12 birdies. … Top 24 players 10-under or better. Key stat leaders Top golfers in each statistic on the 2019-2020 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. * – Top 10 finish here since 2016 Rounds in the 60s 1 Sungjae Im 1 Mark Hubbard 3 Harris English 6 *Brian Harman 9 *Brendon Todd 12 Adam Long 16 Talor Gooch 16 Doc Redman 20 *Kevin Kisner 20 Joel Dahmen 23 Harry Higgs 23 *Patrick Rodgers 23 *Webb Simpson 23 *Henrik Norlander 23 *Sebastian Munoz Ball-Striking 1 Corey Conners 4 Martin Laird 4 Doc Redman 6 Jhonattan Vegas 7 *Webb Simpson 9 Harold Varner III 10 Emiliano Grillo 11 Chesson Hadley 13 Harris English 15 Adam Schenk 15 *Will Gordon 17 *Lucas Glover (T9, 2016) 17 *Henrik Norlander 20 Aaron Wise 22 Tyrrell Hatton 24 Cameron Davis 26 Kyle Stanley 26 *D.J. Trahan Birdie-or-Better Percentage 2 *Webb Simpson 8 Justin Rose 10 Tyrrell Hatton 11 Kristoffer Ventura 14 *Denny McCarthy 15 Charley Hoffman 17 Wyndham Clark 19 Chesson Hadley 20 Bronson Burgoon 23 Ian Poulter 28 Sungjae Im Horses for Courses
It’s not like Morgan Hoffmann could just go to the drugstore and get a prescription filled and he’d suddenly feel better. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy doesn’t work that way. There’s no known cure for the progressive neuromuscular disorder that the PGA TOUR veteran has. For five years, Hoffmann had consulted more than two dozen different doctors in an effort to find out why his right pectoral muscle seemed to be deteriorating. He could tell his swing speed had decreased and he could see the atrophy in his chest when he looked in the mirror. In December of 2016, Hoffmann received the life-altering diagnosis of FSHD, which primarily affects the muscles of the face, chest, shoulders and upper arms. There is no treatment to halt or reverse the progression of the disease that reportedly affects one in 15,000-20,000 adults in the United States. Hoffmann eventually went public a year later, writing a first-person essay in The Players Tribune that touched on not only the diagnosis but also his desire to raise awareness of the disease and continue his long-time mission to promote health and wellness for kids in need. “All the doctors in the U.S. told me there was no cure and pretty much (said) good luck,â€� Hoffmann recalls. “… That’s pretty unfortunate to hear what the doctors had to say, but I don’t believe that.â€� So, Hoffmann, who is playing in this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship, decided to take control of his body and his health. One of the first things he did was go to Nepal for four months to undergo a series of herbal and holistic treatments. Hoffmann actually had been to Nepal before. He and one of his Oklahoma State teammates, Sean Einhaus, whose mother is from Kathmandu, had played 108 holes to raise money to send some computers to a school that his family had built there. Several years later, Hoffmann got to see the technology put to use. This trip was different, though. The actual treatment lasted for 90 days. He’d stretch out on a bed each morning, and therapists would rub herbs and plants mixed with water on him. The mixture would dry and soak into his body, then at night he could finally shower. The next day, they’d do it all again. “I just laid there,â€� Hoffmann remembers. “I kind of like learned the language a little bit. I had a translator and he kind of taught me a bit every day. That was cool.â€� Hoffmann thinks the treatments slowed the progression of the disease. He has also adopted an alkaline diet – eating only fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds – that proponents feel can rid a person’s body of acids that promotes disease and increases inflammation. “I just take it day by day,â€� Hoffmann says. “My muscles aren’t as fast as they used to be, and my energy is pretty good. I think my diet has a lot to do with it.â€� Hoffmann also has established a foundation to raise money to build a health and wellness center, likely in Florida, where people can learn about everything from nutrition to meditation. Two fundraising pro-ams in the span of 14 months have raised a phenomenal total of nearly $2.6 million. “We’re not raising money for research because you don’t know where it goes exactly,â€� Hoffmann says. “… We’re going to just build a health and wellness center and try to educate people on how to eat properly and make sure that they can alkalize their body and get rid of disease that way.â€� As far as golf is concerned, Hoffmann is playing this season on a major medical extension. He has six more events, counting this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship, to earn 232.40 FedExCup points so he can retain his TOUR card. Last week, Hoffmann opened A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier with rounds of 66 and 65 but shot a pair of 71s on the weekend and ended up tied for 31st. He says he has worked on getting his legs more active in his swing, and he’s excited to see some speed coming back. Most importantly, his attitude is positive. He is not stressing out about whether he can fulfill the requirements of his medical extension. He knows there are more important things in life. “I don’t see it as pressure anymore because it’s just golf and it’s something that I love and I’m just trying to have fun,â€� Hoffmann says. “I’m trying to enjoy the process.â€�
As Quail Hollow Club gears up for the Presidents Cup this fall, TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm has stepped in to host the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship. If the latter course rings a bell, that’s because this staple of Washington, D.C. area golf has seen plenty of PGA TOUR action. It’s going to play long. It’s going to play thick. And if we’re lucky – really lucky – maybe we’ll see a repeat of one of history’s most mind-boggling feats. 1. HISTORY LESSON The Wells Fargo Championship has looked not to a rookie, but to a proven TOUR venue to host this year’s tournament. While TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm spent the last three years off the TOUR schedule, it was a stalwart for much of the previous three decades. In 1987, the Kemper Open (later known as the Booz Allen Classic) moved to TPC Potomac after seven years at Congressional Country Club down the road in Bethesda. The tournament would stay at TPC Potomac through 2006, with the exception of 2005, when it made a one-year return to Congressional while TPC Potomac underwent renovations. In 2007, the Quicken Loans National, hosted by Tiger Woods and the TGR Foundation, replaced the Booz Allen in the Washington D.C. area and set up shop at Congressional. The tournament would shift to a variety of locations, including two stops at TPC Potomac in 2017 and 2018. The course also hosted the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship in 2010 and the Korn Ferry Tour’s Mid-Atlantic Championship in 2012 and 2013. In the Booz Allen Classic era the winners at TPC Potomac included Tom Kite, Lee Janzen, Steve Stricker, Justin Leonard, Rich Beem, Rory Sabbatini and Adam Scott. In the Quicken Loans era, Kyle Stanley knocked off Charles Howell III in a 2017 playoff, and Francesco Molinari shot a final-round 62 and cruised to an eight-stroke victory, his maiden PGA TOUR title, in 2018. Woods handed Molinari the trophy that day, and it was a sign of things to come. Three weeks later, Molinari won The Open Championship in the same group as Woods at Carnoustie. Two months after that, Molinari beat Woods three times at the Ryder Cup. Six months later, Tiger got some revenge at Augusta, winning the 2019 Masters. 2. A NEW LOOK Rory Sabbatini and Adam Scott are part of the bridge from the old TPC Potomac to the new TPC Potomac. The 2003 and 2004 Booz Allen Classic champions, respectively, will play a different track in their 40s than they did in their 20s. After the competition left TPC Potomac, then called TPC Avenel, in 2006, a sweeping renovation of the course modernized the layout. The Rock Run Stream Valley, one of the main tributaries of the Potomac River, had become badly eroded by the end of the Booz Allen tenure and caused frequent flooding. As part of the renovation, 5,000 linear feet of the mainstream and 2,250 linear feet of eroding stream banks were restored, enhancing the presence of water on the course while leading the way to a new, modern irrigation system. The renovation also brought the addition of 15 acres of trees, the restructuring of the course to a 7,124-yard par 70, and a re-building of bunkers to their intended Mid-Atlantic style, while adding some Scottish-themed traps. Greens, tees and fairways were rebuilt with Bentgrass. The 2006-08 renovation also dramatically altered the middle of the course. The par-5 sixth hole was turned into a long par 4. The par-3 ninth hole was rebuilt, while the 10th and 11th holes were combined into a par-5 10th hole playing around the restored creek. The 12th hole became the 11th hole, and the par-5 13th hole was split into a par-3 12th hole and short par-4 13th. TPC Avenel was now TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. This name was intended to pay tribute to the history of Avenel Farm, once Maryland’s largest short-horned cattle farm, while also ushering in a new era for the PGA TOUR’s TPC Network venue. 3. ARNIE’S ACES TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm made its 1986 debut by way of a couple of legends. It served as the first site of the Chrysler Cup, a senior team event featuring a U.S. squad captained by Arnold Palmer and an international roster captained by Gary Player. This would serve as a precursor to the Booz Allen Classic’s arrival in 1987. On the Tuesday before the event, Palmer, one week before his 57th birthday, was playing a practice round when he hit a 5-iron on the 182-yard par-3 3rd hole and watched the ball land and roll right into the cup – the first hole-in-one at one of golf’s newest competitive tracks. The next day, on the same hole, with the same club, Palmer hit another beautiful iron shot at the pin. “Don’t go in the hole again,” he yelled. “Don’t do that!” It did. Palmer’s amazing two-fer marked his 12th and 13th career aces, and a commemorative plaque was promptly installed on the third tee. He would credit his hole-in-one theatrics as important for publicizing the Chrysler Cup in its first year. A TV camera had caught the Wednesday (second) hole-in-one, and while the world was still 20 years from Twitter, local TV news would pick up the clip while newspaper writers worldwide gushed about the unlikely feat. 4. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE By the final years of the Booz Allen, TOUR pros had figured out TPC Potomac. Adam Scott won with a 21-under total in 2004. Ben Curtis followed with a 20-under score to win in 2006. But after the renovation, scores cooled off. Mark O’Meara shot 7 under to win the 2010 Senior PLAYERS at TPC Potomac. On the Korn Ferry Tour, David Lingmerth shot 8 under to win there in 2012, as did Michael Putnam in 2013. When the PGA TOUR returned in 2017, Kyle Stanley knocked off Charles Howell III in a playoff with both players finishing 72 holes at 7 under. Francesco Molinari was the exception to the rule, shooting a post-renovation record of 21 under to win here in 2018. But to be fair, runner-up Ryan Armour was all the way back at 13 under. And as history now shows, Molinari was about to play lights-out golf for the next few months. This Wells Fargo Championship probably won’t be a birdie-fest. The new TPC Potomac features more water hazards, more tree trouble, and more distance at a lower par. It’s no pushover. 5. A TOUGH 5 Most weeks on TOUR, the par 5s are players’ four best friends. At TPC Potomac, there are only two, and they’re beasts. The first, No. 2, is scheduled to play 641 yards this week, already making it a three-shot hole by distance. The tough decision on the second shot is not about taking aim at the green, but whether players feel comfortable carrying a dry gulch two-thirds of the way down the fairway. Around the green, a deep bunker awaits on the left side, hoping to gobble up any approach shots that miss left. Hit the bunker and par becomes an outstanding save. The par-5 10th hole, a combination of the old 10th and 11th holes, plays to 591 yards, and the greater challenge here is the angle. A slight dogleg left requires a player to hit a long enough tee shot down the right side of the fairway – away from the hole – to have an angle into the green. A narrow landing area short of the green and a sea of bushes, plus no shortage of thick rough short and left of the green, present all sorts of stress for the second shot. This explains much of the challenge at TPC Potomac. Without gettable par 5s, and two-putt birdies rare, birdies must come the old-fashioned way on the grounds of the old Avenel Farm.
