Mackenzie Hughes Defends RSM Classic

published 14 November 2017

It's the eighth event of the 2018 PGA Tour season in Georgia where Canadian Mackenzie Hughes defends the RSM Classic

Mackenzie Hughes Defends RSM Classic

The PGA Tour returns to Sea Island Golf Club in Georgia this week for the RSM Classic.

2016 rookie Mackenzie Hughes won his first event here last year with a dramatic finish in the form of a five-man playoff on Monday.

The Canadian drained a long putt from off the green on the second sudden-death hole before Blayne Barber, Henrik Norlander and Camilo Villegas all missed from within 10 feet.

This will be the tournament's eighth playing after entering the PGA Tour schedule in 2010 as the McGladrey Classic.

Heath Slocum was the inaugural champion, followed by Ben Crane, Tommy Gainey, Kris Kirk, Robert Streb, Kevin Kisner and Mackenzie Hughes.

The first two days sees play alternate over Sea Island GC's Seaside and Plantation courses to accomodate the 156-man field. The final two rounds are on the Seaside Course.

The Seaside course was opened in 1929 as a nine holer laid out by Harry Colt and Charles Alison. A further nine was added in the 1970s and Tom Fazio put the two together in 1999.

It's a tough par-70 with its main protection being the wind, although scoring has been low in this event historically.

Tommy Gainey shot a 60 in 2012 and Kevin Kisner was -22 in 2015.

Venue: Sea Island Resort, Sea Island, Georgia Date: Nov 17-20 Course stats: par 70, 7,005 yards Purse: $ 6,000,0000 Winner: $1,026,000 Defending champion: Mackenzie Hughes (-17)

TV Coverage: Thursday 16 – Sky Sports Golf from 6.30pm Friday 17 – Sky Sports Golf from 6.30pm Saturday 18 – Sky Sports 4 from 6.30pm Sunday 29 – Sky Sports Golf Red Button from 6.30pm, Main Channel from 9pm

Not a Sky Sports customer and want to watch the RSM Classic?

Why not buy a Now TV pass? For £6.99 you can get a day pass, if you just wish to watch one of the rounds, or for just £10.99 you can get a week pass to see the whole tournament.

Buy a Now TV Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99

Buy a Now TV Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99

The week pass will also allow you to watch this week's DP World Tour Championship on the European Tour.

Player watch:

Chesson Hadley - The Web.com Tour graduate has had a great start to life on the main tour, with three top-four finishes already

Charles Howell III - Howell has had a decent start to the 2017 season, finishing T4th last week where he was second in GIRs. He has played here every year so far and made the cut all seven times with three top-10s

Kevin Kisner - The 2015 champion plays his first event of the season here. His total of -22 at Sea Island GC two years ago is five lower than anyone has ever posted.

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Elliott Heath is our Senior Staff Writer and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news, features, courses and travel sections as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as four Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays at West Byfleet Golf Club in Surrey, where his handicap index floats anywhere between 2-5. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max

Hybrid: TaylorMade SIM Max

Irons: Mizuno MP5 4-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x