Power rankings: The RSM Classic
This week’s RSM Classic on St. Simons Island, Ga., marks the end of the 2015 portion of the PGA Tour’s wraparound season, meaning it’s the last time before next January that players can cash in and earn critical early-season FedEx Cup points.
Robert Streb won here a year ago in a three-man playoff, but he’s coming in with poor form, while a number of PGA Tour pros who call the island home get to compete in a home game.
Here are our top five players for this week:
1. Justin Thomas — Would seem luck favors the young of late on the PGA Tour, so it’s not unreasonable to make the CIMB Classic winner our top pick this week. Had to hang on to make the cut here last year and was DFL on the weekend, but he’s changed a lot as a player.
2. Graeme McDowell — McDowell may be a little spent from winning on Monday in Mexico, but we have to love what he showed in the win, especially in windy and nasty conditions. Sea Island will get some wind, and McDowell will handle it.
3. Patton Kizzire — After a pair of top-five finishes to start his PGA Tour career, Kizzire was T-58 at Mayakoba. That’s OK. This is a home game for Kizzire, so he should fare well.
4. Zach Johnson — Johnson will be a little rusty since this is his first start since the Presidents Cup. However, he’s a home-gamer, too, and has a couple of top-20 finishes here. He missed the cut here last year, but what’s more important is his incredible 2014-15 season in whole.
5. Brendon de Jonge — We typically don’t rank Brendon de Jonge. Despite the high birdies-per-round average, he can drop off quickly. However, he has a great record here. Playoff loser last year, T-4 in 2012.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
