Halfway through two rounds of the RSM Classic it was Patrick Fishburn who led the way on -11.
The world number 127 is one of those players who doesn’t have to worry about his PGA future as that was wrapped up weeks ago, instead the American will be hoping that this weekend will see him lift his first ever PGA Tour title.
In what always promised to be a week of high drama, here are some of the best storylines from the first two days of action.
Patrick Fishburn shoots brilliant second round to lead the RSM Classic by one stroke at the halfway stage
Patrick Fishburn has put himself in a great position to capture a first ever PGA Tour title thanks to some brilliant golf through the first two rounds of the 2024 RSM Classic.
A new face to the PGA Tour this year, Fishburn found himself in the middle of the pack heading into the second round after an up and down opening round on the tougher Seaside Course.
His opening round 67 contained six birdies and three bogeys but he certainly made his move during the second round.
Playing on the easier Plantation Course and managing to avoid the worst of the conditions, Fishburn was able to take the course apart, posting a brilliant eight under par round of 64 which included six birdies and one eagle.
Managing to keep his card blemish free, the American returns to action weekend looking to build on the positive momentum he built during that impressive second round.
The weekend will take place at the tougher and more iconic Seaside Course but Fishburn knows what it takes to hang around the top half of the leaderboard. Third place finishes at the Procore and Barracuda Championships have seen him go close to winning, he will hope it can all come together this weekend.
Ludvig Aberg finds himself nicely positioned in first tournament back
After not teeing it up since the 2024 PGA Tour Championship, Ludvig Aberg finds himself nicely positioned six shots back as he heads into the weekend.
The world number five is without doubt the headline act this weekend and has teed it up this week in the hope of defending the title he won so brilliantly last year.
Having taken the PGA Tour by storm this season, Aberg has found himself taking some time away from the game thanks to a knee injury that required surgery.
Forcing him to have missed the end of the DP World Tour season and probably stopping him from becoming a leading contender in the Playoffs, Aberg will want to make up for lost time and through the first two rounds of play finds himself six shots off the pace.
However he carries plenty of momentum into today. A poor opening round 73 around the Seaside Course was bettered dramatically when he shot a brilliant second round of 64. His round included six birdies and one eagle.
Scoring conditions will be tougher over the weekend and the harder Seaside course will present its challenges but Aberg knows what he needs to do to win around here and will certainly fancy the challenge.
Leaderboard is stacked ahead of moving day
As can often be the way at tournaments like the RSM Classic, the leaderboard is stacked and there are contenders everywhere you look.
Hopeful of having a good third round will be Lee Hodges. The world number 102 is one stroke behind Fishburn at the halfway stage and will be looking to add to the 3M Open title he won last year.
Also starting a stroke behind is Maverick McNealy. Another who is already assured of his PGA Tour future, McNealy is one of the highest ranked players in the field and after several near misses he will hope his time has arrived for a first ever PGA Tour title.
Other names to keep an eye on are Nico Echavarria who won the ZoZo Championship a few weeks ago, Mackenzie Hughes who has competed well at this tournament before and old timer Stewart Cink who is a former winner on the Seaside Course. With birdies and eagles very much the order of the day, expect plenty of low scoring during round 3.
Race to secure PGA Tour cards heats up
This is the final stop on the road for those down the FedEX Fall Standings to try and earn or keep their PGA Tour cards and for those who fall outside of the top 125, their PGA Tour future will be murky to say the least.
Currently in the dreaded 126 spot is Joel Dahmen. Having to battle hard to maintain his PGA Tour card, Dahmen snuck through to the weekend, making the cut by one stroke.
Knowing that he has two rounds to try and preserve his status for next season, he will be giving it his all over the next two days.
The biggest climber over the last two days has been Michael Thorbjornsen. Starting the week out at number 138 in the standings only a top five finish was likely to secure his future and so far the American is doing exactly that as he has moved up to 119 in the overall list.
At -9, he is two strokes off the leaders and will be hoping to stay exactly where he is over the course of the weekend.
Another name who has climbed inside the bubble is Daniel Berger. A five time PGA Tour winner and a member of America’s convincing 2021 Ryder Cup win, over recent years Berger has become plagued with injury and a loss of form but a top twenty effort is likely to be enough for him to maintain his tour status and he will be hopeful of improving the 17th place position he currently finds himself in.
Spare a thought for Wesley Bryan, Sam Ryder and Zac Blair, all three missed the cut over the weekend and they all look likely to fall outside of the top 125 bubble.
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
