Monday qualifiers: The RSM Classic

A rising Korn Ferry Tour star and the roommate of a TOUR rookie are among this week’s qualifiers for The RSM Classic in coastal Georgia. Akshay Bhatia (62), Bryson Nimmer (63), Brett Drewitt (65) and Conner Godsey (65) earned spots in the field at Sea Island GC via Monday’s four-spot qualifier at Brunswick CC. With his girlfriend Presleigh Schultz on the bag, Bhatia delivered a signature performance to earn a spot in this week’s field. The 20-year-old began the calendar year of competition with a win at the Korn Ferry Tour’s The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay in January, and he’ll aim to conclude the year with a bookend sterling showing. Temperatures hovered in the high 50s and low 60s Monday, with wind strength reaching double-digit mph, but Bhatia was up to the challenge. “I’ve done this Monday so many times, and today I just knew I was going to do it,” Bhatia said. “It was freezing, and for whatever reason, I always play well with (Presleigh) and I always feel super comfortable … Couldn’t really feel my hands, trying to stabilize the putter as much as I could. “I haven’t played much this offseason. Not to get my card last year was tough, but to play this event this week, it will be great. I’ve played here before, I love this golf course and I know a bunch of people here.” This marked the final PGA TOUR qualifier of the 2022 calendar year. The next open event on TOUR will be the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. In all, 104 players competed for four spots in this week’s field. Click here for all scores from the qualifier. Here’s a capsule look at the four Monday qualifiers for The RSM Classic … Akshay Bhatia (62) Age: 20 Hometown: Wake Forest, North Carolina PGA TOUR starts: 19 Cuts made: 5 Best PGA TOUR finish: T9, 2020 Fortinet Championship Notes: Carded nine birdies against one bogey Monday, with girlfriend Presleigh Schultz on the bag … Holds full 2023 Korn Ferry Tour status after finishing No. 30 on 2022 season-long standings. Won season-opening The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay in January with Presleigh also on the bag … Also competed in last month’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship on TOUR, finishing T17 … Korean barbecue enthusiast. Bryson Nimmer (63) Age: 26 Hometown: Bluffton, South Carolina Alma mater: Clemson PGA TOUR starts: 10 Cuts made: 6 Best PGA TOUR finish: T11, 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship Notes: Carded five birdies and an eagle Monday, and he was without a bogey … Lives with TOUR rookie Ben Griffin in St. Simons Island, Georgia, down the street from Sea Island GC … Made three cuts in five TOUR starts last season, including a closing 65 for a T11 in Punta Cana … Made four cuts in seven starts on 2022 PGA TOUR Canada … Four-time first-team All-ACC selection at Clemson, joining Jonathan Byrd and D.J. Trahan as Clemson men’s golfers to accomplish the feat … Boating enthusiast. Brett Drewitt (65) Age: 31 Hometown: Taree, Australia PGA TOUR starts: 44 Cuts made: 17 Best PGA TOUR finish: T25, 2018 Fortinet Championship Notes: Carded seven bogeys Monday against two bogeys … Held 2022 PGA TOUR membership, making seven cuts in 23 starts and finishing No. 219 on the FedExCup … Has made 150 career Korn Ferry Tour starts, including a victory at the 2020 Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS … Twice earned PGA TOUR card via Korn Ferry Tour; 2016 Finals and 2020-21 Regular Season … Cricket enthusiast. Conner Godsey (65) Age: 30 Hometown: Rogersville, Alabama Alma mater: University of Montevallo PGA TOUR starts: 0 Notes: Made six birdies against one bogey Monday to earn his first career PGA TOUR start … Played 2022 Korn Ferry Tour, making 12 cuts in 22 starts and finishing No. 113 on the season-long standings. Best finish was T10 at The Ascendant presented by Blue in July … Finished T3 at PGA TOUR Canada’s CRMC Championship presented by Gertens in August … Finished No. 3 on 2020-21 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Totalplay Cup, winning Banco del Pacifico Open in June 2021.

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