It's hard to believe, but there are already six tournaments in the books on the 2016-2017 PGA TOUR schedule. The seventh and final official event of the fall wrap-around takes place this week on St. Simons Island, Georgia, where 156 players are vying for the title at the RSM Classic.
The tournament will again be contested on both the Seaside and Plantation Courses at Sea Island Resort. The par-72 Plantation Course will play at 7,058 yards, while the par-70 Seaside Course will tip out at 7,005 yards.
One player who appreciates this week's break from the longer, wider courses that are now the norm on the PGA TOUR is the reigning RSM champion, Titleist golf ball loyalist Kevin Kisner (Pro V1x). Kisner won the event last year relying on four days of solid ball-striking and masterful course management around the tight Seaside and Plantation layouts.
“I love the setup, especially when the wind blows," said Kisner. "It really brings out the ball strikers. You have to be in control of your ball. Around the green, it’s all runoffs, so the ball is always getting further from the hole as you get closer to the green. You have to be confident with your short game.”
Kisner began his title defense with an opening round of 2-under-par 68. A respectable round for sure, but Kisner has some ground to make up as players like Titleist golf ball loyalists Stewart Cink (Pro V1x) and MacKenzie Hughes (Pro V1x) bolted out of the gates on Thursday.
Cink fired his career-low round on TOUR, an 8-under-par 62, while Hughes, a PGA TOUR rookie, went a shot lower, flirting with 59 en route to assuming his first overnight lead on TOUR.
"I don’t know, I found a good thought on the range this morning and it just -kind of clicked," said the Canadian after the 9-under-par 61.
"I was thinking about 59 on 12 tee," said Mackenzie. "I was 7-under through 11, so I was thinking if I could just get four more I'd have a chance at it. You have to temper those thoughts and expectations, but I was playing really well so I knew thinking about it wasn’t going to hinder me too much. I just wanted to be aggressive. They wouldn’t go in at the end, but I made a lot of putts.”
As Kevin Kisner remarked after the first round,"They’re shooting the grass off it", but the Aiken, S.C. native knows these courses well and he has a plan for holding onto his RSM crown.
"I have to go shoot low tomorrow," Kisner said. "I like the Plantation Course. I can make a lot of birdies so I just have to get the putter going."
Good luck to Kevin and all of #TeamTitleist this week at Sea Island!
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This week at the RSM Classic 112 players will be trusting a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball for their success. That's more than seven times the nearest competitor with 15 and more than all competitors combined.
Titleist is also the top choice in the hybrid (29) and irons (46) categories. Vokey Design Wedges top the approach, sand and lob wedge (207) category and Scotty Cameron putters are the field favorite with 64 Cameron putters in play.
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Note: Next week in Melbourne, Australia, the PGA TOUR will stage the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf, an unofficial two-man team event in which a field of 56 players will represent 28 countries from around the globe.
Two additional unofficial events follow, the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas and the Franklin Templeton shoot-out in Naples, FL. Enjoy the action until the official 2106-2017 PGA TOUR schedule resumes at Kapalua in January, where Titleist Brand Ambassador Jordan Spieth (Pro V1x) defends his crown at the Tournament of Champions.
#TeamTitleist