All to Play For at The RSM Classic

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After eleven months of drama and brilliant golf, the PGA Tour will conclude this week with the season ending RSM Classic.

Since September the world’s best players have been resting and preparing for 2025, but for those unfortunate not to qualify for the season ending Playoffs, they have had a busy time of things as they have been competing in the FedEx Fall Series of events in the hope to retain their PGA Tour card for next season. 

With only the top 125 secure with their full playing rights for next season there is plenty on the line this week as some of the best players in the world will be battling for their futures, here are some of the notable names who will need a big week by the time Thursday rolls around. 

Rafael Campos a Surprise Winner in Bermuda as Pack Moves 

Plenty of big names were hoping to assure their place of a top 125 finish at the PGA Tour’s penultimate tournament, the Bermuda Championship but they were all to be denied by surprise package Rafael Campos.

Starting the week at 147 in the FedEx Standings, Campos’s PGA Tour future looked murky but an inspired weekend performance saw him hold his nerve and change the course of his life and career forever.

Now completely safe at 80 in the standings, not only did Campos earn the biggest payday of his career, but his victory saw him assure his place on the PGA Tour card for the next two seasons and also earned him a spot at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and 2024 Masters. 

He is the second Puerto Rican to ever taste success on the PGA Tour. 

Rafael Campos

Some Names to Keep an Eye on This Week

Joel Dahmen

Starting the week at 124 in the standings, Joel Dahmen is right on the bubble when it comes to determining whether he will have a PGA Tour card for next season or not.

All eyes will be on Dahmen due to his starring role in Netflix’s golf documentary ‘Full Swing’. Whereas most of the documentary’s focus is on some of the elite of the golfing world, Dahmen has been able to bring a new perspective to audiences as they see him chart his way  through the difficulties that life as a professional golfer can offer.

Open and honest, Dahmen has endeared himself to thousands all over the world and has quickly risen to become one of the PGA Tour’s most popular players. 

Despite his rising popularity off the course, on it, 2024 has been a struggle. 

Once ranked as high as 58 in the world, Dahmen has slowly but surely been sliding down the standings and now finds himself at 237 in the rankings. Without a top ten finish all season, things looked to be on the up at the World Wide Technology Championship where he finished 14th, however missing the cut at last week’s Bermuda Championship has left him with plenty of work to do this week. 

Despite his love/hate relationship with the game, Dahmen would be a big loss to the Tour and many will be hoping that he can produce the goods when it really matters.

Daniel Berger 

One man who has been in and out of the projected 125 cut line has been Daniel Berger. Arguably the biggest name who stands to be in danger of losing his playing rights, Berger is a four time PGA Tour winner and was once ranked as high 12 in the world and was part of a victorious Ryder Cup team back in 2021.

Since those giddy days the American has had to contend with a loss of form and injuries and it has left him in a spot where he faces a real battle to keep his PGA Tour card. 

Set to start the week at 127 in the FedEx list, Berger knows that a decent result this week is a must. Previously inside the 125, a disappointing 62nd place finish at the Bermuda Championship saw him fall the wrong side of the dreaded cut line. 

Certainly more than capable of winning this week, many will be watching to see how Berger fares.

Berger

Jason Dufner 

Jason Dufner has achieved the ultimate aim in professional golf by winning a major, however since Dufner joined golf’s elite club, his career has taken a tailspin and he tees it up this week hoping to save his career. 

Well outside of the top 125, nothing but a victory at this week’s RSM will do and it’s certainly fair to say that the American faces an uncertain future. The beauty of golf is that anybody can win on any given week and Dufner will certainly be hoping that it can be him this week. 

Gary Woodland 

Another major winner who will be teeing it up this week is former U.S. Open Champion Gary Woodland. 

Heading into this week at 139 in the FedEx standings, Woodland has a real task on his hands to try and save his full PGA Tour card.

In some ways Woodland has already won, as he has battled back admirably from an almost career and life ending brain injury and the fact he is playing at all deserves a huge amount of praise.

Since making his comeback to the Tour, Woodland has been in fairly good form and his chances of making the top 125 are certainly alive and kicking. 

A 16th place finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship was combined with a top ten finish at the Shriners Children’s Open. Travelling to Japan for the ZoZo Championship a promising start was curtailed and the man from Kentucky was only able to finish 33rd. 

Needing to make sure his schedule is carefully managed, Woodland has been off the course since and has been saving his efforts for one last effort this week. 

Looking like the player who once climbed as high as 12 in the world, there would be no more popular winner than Woodland this week.