This week, the PGA Tour heads to Sea Island for the RSM Classic, the final event that counts toward the FedEx Cup Fall rankings. While the tournament is a familiar stop on the schedule, its two-course rotation and coastal conditions make it a unique late-season challenge that often produces surprise contenders.
Let’s take a look at this week’s odds as golf expert Craig Edwards (@EdwardsTips_) delivers his best bets for the 2025 RSM Classic, breaking down players poised to take advantage of Sea Island’s links-style test and the high-stakes implications of the season’s final event.
RSM Classic: Course Notes
For the opening two rounds, the Seaside Course and the Plantation Course are used, with the Seaside Course hosting rounds 3 and 4.
Seaside Course
A links-style American layout featuring manufactured sand dunes, ridges, and elevations. It uses Bermudagrass fairways with 2″ rough and TifEagle Bermudagrass greens that run close to 12.5 on the Stimpmeter.
- Location: Sea Island, Georgia
- Par/Yards: Par 70, 7,005 yards
- Designer: Originally Harry Colt; redesigned by Tom Fazio in 1998 (merging the original “Marshside” and “Seaside” nines)
Plantation Course
A quirky course with no real trouble off the tee but a very demanding challenge thereafter, requiring precise approach play.
- Location: Sea Island, Georgia
- Par/Yards: Par 72, just over 7,000 yards
Can David Ford Recreate His Sea Island Magic?
Over the years, the Jones Invitational has been one of the premier amateur golf tournaments, and interestingly, it has been held on Sea Island.
There have been many notable winners, such as Ludvig Aberg, Davis Thompson, Akshay Bhatia, and Patrick Reed, to name a few. The 2023 champion, David Ford, is a 23-year-old from Georgia now in his rookie season on the PGA Tour.
Two tournaments ago, Ford placed 3rd at the Bank of Utah Championship, his best result in eleven PGA Tour starts. Now, he faces a new challenge at the RSM Classic, the final counting event towards the FedEx Cup Fall ranking, which will determine how many starts Ford receives next season.
This week is the “Last Chance Saloon” for David Ford. His choices are simple: win at all costs. For that reason, the former world number three must go for it and channel his Sea Island memories from two years ago.
David Ford is a long-shot prop play. He appeals at BetOnline, which features a wide range of props markets.
Golf Pick: David Ford to Win (+12500) at BetOnline
Golf Pick: David Ford Top 10 (+1100) at BetOnline
Hogey Rarely Makes a Bogey!
For a while now, I have believed that the sportsbooks have not accurately priced Tom Hoge, and once again, as we have seen several times in 2025, we have value, particularly in the place props markets.
Hoge is one of the shortest hitters on tour, but that is his only weakness, something that is never a problem this week in Sea Island.
Two starts ago, Hoge showed significant promise, illustrating that his neat tee-to-green game was in sound nick after several weeks off.
Tom Hoge thrives when there is a premium on accuracy, with his best finish of the season being third at the Players Championship, which proves that theory. He also loves quirky seaside tests, with his only PGA Tour win coming on the Monterey Peninsula at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Hoge has recorded two top-10 finishes in eight appearances at the RSM Classic, and this setup once again suits him perfectly. Consider both his top-10 and outright win plays at Bovada.
Golf Pick: Tom Hoge to Win (+15000) at Bovada
Golf Pick: Tom Hoge Top 10 (+1200) at Bovada
Thornberry Poised for a Big Week
Braden Thornberry is another notable winner on the Jones Invitational roll of honour, claiming the title at Sea Island in 2017 during the RSM Classic research.
The 28-year-old caught my attention after a strong tournament in Bermuda, where he held the 54-hole lead. Professional golf has been a struggle for the Tennessee man, after rising to prominence with a remarkable PGA Tour debut as an amateur in 2017 at his local event, the St. Jude Classic, where he finished in fourth place. Remarkably, his next PGA Tour top-10 finish didn’t arrive until last week.
Given how much he likes Sea Island, it is great timing for this week’s RSM Classic—a place that holds fond memories for him. Thornberry needs a huge week to secure full playing privileges for next season.
For our top plays this week, consider taking Thornberry with his top-20 and top-10 prop markets at BetOnline.
Golf Pick: Braden Thornberry to Finish Top 20 (+1200) at BetOnline
Golf Pick: Braden Thornberry to Finish Top 10 (+2800) at BetOnline
Your RSM Classic Betting Gameplan
This week’s RSM Classic offers strong value across multiple long-shot and place-prop markets. Here’s a quick recap of our top recommendations:
- David Ford: Win (+12500), Top 10 (+1100)
- Tom Hoge: Win (+15000), Top 10 (+1200)
- Braden Thornberry: Top 20 (+1200), Top 10 (+2800)
As always, securing the best number is critical in golf betting. Odds vary significantly between sportsbooks, so consider opening accounts at multiple trusted books. Doing so ensures you can shop for the best prices on outrights and placement props, often the difference between a good week and a profitable one.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
