The nine-event fall segment of the 2021-22 PGA Tour season will come to an end with the 2021 RSM Classic, which tees off Thursday on St. Simons Island, Ga. The past three events at Sea Island Golf Club have gone to a playoff, making it six of the 11 tournaments overall since the tournament’s 2010 debut. Robert Streb won the RSM Classic last season, shooting 19-under, beating Kevin Kisner on the second hole of the playoff for his second win at Sea Island. He is one of six former champions in an RSM Classic field that also includes major winners Webb Simpson, Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Scott and Jason Day.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Simpson and Scottie Scheffler as the 14-1 co-favorites in its latest 2021 RSM Classic golf odds. Others in the 2021 RSM Classic field who are expected to contend include Cameron Smith (16-1), Oosthuizen (25-1) and Corey Conners (25-1). Before you lock in any 2021 RSM Classic bets or make any PGA Tour predictions, you need to see what proven golf insider Sal Johnson has to say.
The esteemed golf insider has been around the game for many years and knows what it takes to win. Johnson has been on a strong run during the fall season.
Before the Mayakoba event in Mexico, Johnson had Viktor Hovland among his players to watch, while he predicted Koepka would miss the cut.
“We still don’t know if he is healthy and ready to go,” Johnson told SportsLine of Koepka. “He tried to play last year and missed the cut. I have a funny feeling that we will see the same this week.”
The 31-year-old didn’t break par and went home early again, while Hovland shot 23-under to cruise to a four-stroke victory.
Johnson has been on a strong run already this season. Before the Zozo Championship in Japan, Johnson tabbed Hideki Matsuyama in his best bets, and he was right on the money. Matsuyama shot a final-round 65 and won by five strokes after trailing by one with eight holes to play on Sunday.
At the Sanderson Farms Championship, Johnson nailed Burns as his winner. Anyone who has followed Johnson’s advice has cashed in huge.
Now Johnson, the first producer of “Inside the PGA Tour,” a longtime ABC Sports golf producer who worked with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, and founder of the world’s top golf stats database, has released his highly confident 2021 RSM Classic picks, and they will surprise you. You can only see Johnson’s expert PGA Tour golf picks at SportsLine.
Top 2021 RSM Classic golf predictions
Shockingly, the expert is slightly fading Oosthuizen, who is among the favorites at Caesars and the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 9. The South African has played the RSM Classic only twice, missing the cut last year but finishing in fourth place way back in 2011. He had eight top-10 finishes (including four as a runner-up) last season, but his stats are wildly different this year. Johnson isn’t sure what to make of that, and he doesn’t pick him among his likely winners.
On the other hand, Johnson is eager to see how Scheffler follows consecutive weeks of great play. The 25-year-old shot 62 in the second round last week in Houston and has eight rounds in the 60’s in his past 12, going 40-under par over his past three events. He is sixth in par breakers (30.56 percent), 12th in scoring average (69.723) and 25th in greens in regulation (73.41 percent). He shot a third-round 63 and went 13 under in 2020 at Sea Island to tie for fifth.
Johnson also knows Smith grew up in Australia and now lives in Jacksonville, Fla., about 75 miles south of St. Simons Island. That means he should be familiar with the wind the players will see coming off the Atlantic. He is making his debut at the RSM Classic, but he has finished in the top 15 in both events this season, shooting in the 60’s in seven of the eight rounds. The 28-year-old sixth in scoring average (69.485) and 18th in strokes gained putting in 2021-22.
How to make 2021 RSM Classic golf picks
For this week’s event in Georgia, the golf expert is backing a long shot to contend for the win who comes in at more than 30-1. This veteran has a solid history on St. Simons Island, and he is hitting a ton of fairways and greens this season. He could pull off a stunning result at Sea Island, and anyone who backs this underdog could cash in huge. You can only see this 2021 RSM Classic pick and the rest of Johnson’s PGA Tour golf betting advice at SportsLine.
Who wins the 2021 RSM Classic at Sea Island? Where do Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith finish? And which massive long-shot is a must-back? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Sal Johnson’s full leaderboard, picks and analysis for the 2021 RSM Classic, all from the red-hot insider who knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour.
2021 RSM Classic odds, field, top contenders
Scottie Scheffler 11-1
Webb Simpson 12-1
Cameron Smith 16-1
Louis Oosthuizen 22-1
Corey Conners 25-1
Harris English 25-1
Russell Henley 28-1
Joaquin Niemann 33-1
Adam Scott 35-1
Talor Gooch 40-1
Kevin Kisner 40-1
Alex Noren 40-1
Mito Pereira 50-1
Keegan Bradley 55-1
Justin Rose 55-1
Mackenzie Hughes 60-1
Brendon Todd 60-1
Brian Harman 66-1
Matt Wallace 66-1
Max Homa 66-1
Seamus Power 66-1
Joel Dahmen 66-1
Kevin Streelman 66-1
Jhonattan Vegas 66-1
Danny Lee 66-1
Chris Kirk 66-1
Robert Streb 70-1
Charles Howell 70-1
Matt Kuchar 70-1
Lanto Griffin 80-1
Hayden Buckley 80-1
Denny McCarthy 80-1
Emiliano Grillo 80-1
Patrick Rodgers 80-1
Luke List 80-1
Alex Smalley 80-1
Jason Day 80-1
Branden Grace 80-1
Troy Merritt 80-1
Aaron Rai 90-1
Adam Long 90-1
Sebastian Munoz 90-1
Taylor Moore 100-1
Matthias Schwab 100-1
Henrik Norlander 100-1
Chad Ramey 100-1
Keith Mitchell 100-1
Chez Reavie 100-1
Lucas Glover 100-1
Harry Higgs 100-1
Tom Hoge 100-1
Adam Hadwin 100-1
Adam Schenk 100-1
Cameron Young 125-1
Cameron Davis 125-1
Scott Piercy 125-1
Hudson Swafford 125-1
Brian Stuard 125-1
Stewart Cink 125-1
Tyler Duncan 125-1
Zach Johnson 125-1
Dylan Frittelli 125-1
Stephan Jaeger 125-1
Taylor Pendrith 125-1
Brendan Steele 125-1
Sahith Theegala 125-1
Rory Sabbatini 125-1
Patton Kizzire 125-1
Kyle Stanley 125-1
J.J. Spaun 125-1
Matt Jones 125-1
Russell Knox 125-1
Camilo Villegas 125-1
Doug Ghim 125-1
Kevin Tway 150-1
Scott Stallings 150-1
Davis Riley 150-1
John Huh 150-1
Matthew NeSmith 150-1
Michael Thompson 150-1
Andrew Putnam 150-1
Andrew Landry 150-1
Greyson Sigg 150-1
Vincent Whaley 150-1
Lee Hodges 150-1
Hank Lebioda 150-1
Wyndham Clark 150-1
Brice Garnett 150-1
Kramer Hickok 150-1
Kiradech Aphibarnrat 150-1
Bronson Burgoon 150-1
Sepp Straka 175-1
Nick Hardy 200-1
Andrew Novak 200-1
Justin Lower 200-1
Davis Thompson 200-1
Graeme McDowell 200-1
Roger Sloan 200-1
Anirban Lahiri 200-1
Adam Svensson 200-1
Austin Cook 200-1
Kelly Kraft 200-1
J.T. Poston 200-1
David Lipsky 200-1
Ludvig Aberg 200-1
Brandt Snedeker 200-1
Peter Uihlein 200-1
Vaughn Taylor 200-1
