RSM Classic picks 2025: Why Pierceson Coody is poised for a breakthrough
It is the final official event of the PGA Tour season, and there is a ton on the line. If you're interesting in who is playing for what and hunting some betting angles, our very own Shane Ryan has you covered right here on that front.
Of course, guys playing for their jobs is no guarantee of good play. In fact, it could actually be a detriment to some. But we've certainly seen the hero story play out before and we will see it again. It's just about finding who the 2025 version of that hero is going to be on your odds board.
The Golf Digest betting panel is comprised of a tour coach reporting anonymously from the grounds of Port Royal Golf Club, Pat Mayo of Underdog/Mayo Media Network, Andy Lack of the Inside Sports Network, your two authors and Keith Stewart, the CEO of Read The Line.
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Scroll down for our complete betting analysis of the 2025 RSM Classic:
RSM Classic picks 2025: Our Experts’ Outright Predictions
Anonymous Swing Coach of the Week: Brian Harman (28-1, BetMGM) — Brian Harman hasn’t played since the Tour Championship but finished well. He has a crazy good short game and lives in Sea Island, where he works with Justin Parsons. Big home week after a bit of time off.
Pat Mayo, Underdog/Fantasy National, Mayo Media Network analyst: Pierceson Coody (45-1, BetRivers) — Coody’s skills line up far more like the past two RSM winners than those who came before. Much like McNealy, Coody can drive and putt consistently at a high level while everything in between is a crap shoot. It’s worth a stab, since most of the odds board at the top is populated with players who haven’t played competitive rounds in two months, and no player has a better average finish in the Swing Season than Coody.
Keith Stewart, PGA, Read The Line: Pierceson Coody (45-1, BetRivers) — Late fall series winners often have success earlier in autumn. Pierceson Coody has finished 14th-third-31st-22nd across four fall starts. As one of the best drivers on the PGA Tour, watch Coody take control of the lead this week with his driver. Similar to Ludvig a few years ago, players can gain on the field with a long and accurate attack. Pierceson has been excellent on two tours this fall, and young stars tend to shine at Sea Island. Coody is poised to win the RSM with a top-tier driver and a great putter.
Stephen Hennessey, Golf Digest managing editor: Daniel Berger (45-1, BetMGM) — We haven’t seen Berger since he withdrew from the BMW Championship in August, but that’s why we’re getting a great number on Berger, who finished runner-up at the RSM Classic last year. It’s a great setup for him on paper—shorter course where approach play is paramount, which is where Berger can eat. Hopefully the time off has Berger in a good mind-set to avenge his loss last year at Sea Island. I’ll bank on that being the case with these odds.
Christopher Powers, Golf Digest senior writer: Davis Thompson (50-1, BetRivers) — One (really) bad hole in Utah and everyone just tosses Davey T aside like that. I’ll take the St. Simons Island resident at nearly double the price he was in Utah, thank you very much. Prior to that catastrophe, he was off to a solid start in the fall, with consecutive finishes inside the top 25.
Andy Lack, Inside Sports Network: Michael Thorbjornsen (25-1, BetMGM) — Michael Thorbjornsen has been circling around the leaderboard all fall swing, specifically due to some very elite ball-striking. The former Stanford standout also finished eighth at this event last year and has gained over four strokes on approach in both of his measured starts this Fall swing.
Past results: We now have 13 individual victories in 2025 after our tour coach’s SEVENTH outright winner this season with Ben Griffin at 14-1 at the World Wide Technology Championship.
RSM Classic picks 2025: Sleepers/Dark Horses Who Could Win
Tour coach: John Keefer (80-1, BetMGM) — Love the way the KFT guys and up and comers have played this fall. This guy’s a stud. Can roll it and bomb it. Weak field. Love his chances. Huge undervalue.
Mayo: Mac Meissner (66-1, BetMGM) — Excellent approach and ball-striking, though putter inconsistent. However, his Bermuda splits have been far superior on the greens than any other surface. He’s trending upwards with his game in general, and Sea Island seems like a perfect spot for a breakthrough.
Stewart: Seamus Power (65-1, DraftKings) — In his last three RSM Classic starts, Seamus Powerhas a fifth and fourth place. The reason for Power’s consistency in the Golden Isles is his approach game. Seamus regained his iron control at the Sanderson Farms Championship and continues to get better. A solid fairway finder off the tee, when Power’s wedges are working, he’s a contender. Why? The putter, Seamus can score with the best of ‘em on Bermuda greens and especially on windswept layouts.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Andrew Novak (66-1, BetMGM) — Novak was in early Ryder Cup conversations based on how well he played at the beginning of the year. He nearly won Harbour Town, losing in a playoff to Justin Thomas. And he followed that up with a victory at the team event with Ben Griffin. Griffin used that victory to propel him to a banner year—and you know Novak would love to do the same while at home in Sea Island.
Powers, Golf Digest: Kris Ventura (100-1, Caesars Sportsbook) — The wind got the best of Ventura on Sunday last week, but he did get off to his usual hot start with a 68 on Thursday. His combo of driving and putting prowess is going to earn him a victory at some point in 2026, in my opinion, but let’s see if we can sneak one in at triple-digit odds before the season ends. Sitting at 116th in the FedEx Cup standings, he’ll need a huge week to earn full status on the PGA Tour next year (top 100 players earn their cards).
Lack: Max McGreevy (50-1, BetRivers) — Max McGreevy is coming off a third-place finish at the RSM Classic where he lead the entire field in greens in regulation percentage. McGreevy is an excellent driver of the ball in great approach form with a prior 16th-place finish at Sea Island.
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RSM Classic picks 2025: Players We’re Fading
Tour coach: Si Woo Kim (22-1, FanDuel) — Just think he’s overvalued here. Only two top 10s in 2025.
Mayo: Harris English (18-1, DraftKings) — No player with fewer than 3 Swing Starts has won the RSM classic in over a decade.
Stewart: Si Woo Kim (22-1, FanDuel) — In six trips to the RSM Classic, Si Woo Kimhas never gained on approach. Kim’s ball striking is never in question, but for some reason, this Low Country layout gives us tremendous cause for concern. Couple it with Si Woo’s propensity to struggle with the putter (lost strokes at Sea Island in five straight), I don’t think Kim is going to play over the weekend.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Harris English (18-1, DraftKings) — We haven’t seen English since the Ryder Cup where he really struggled. I think this is an easy fade on the Sea Island resident with only one top-10 finish in 13 starts here.
Powers, Golf Digest: Denny McCarthy (27-1, FanDuel) — A hefty price for a guy still in search of his first win who has not played a competitive event since August.
Lack: Harris English (18-1, DraftKings) — Harris English had a great 2025, with some high-end major finishes, but this is an inflated number for a player with a rather disappointing RSM resume. The former Ryder Cup selection has just three top-25 finishes in 13 appearances at Sea Island, despite it being his primary residence.
RSM Classic picks 2025: Matchups
Tour coach: Bud Cauley (-110) over Max McGreevy (DraftKings) — Bud Cauley has had a great 2025 and could be and should be a favorite this week. Matched against Max McGreevy at basically even money. Take this to bank. Love this bet.
Mayo: Matt Kuchar (-110) over Bud Cauley (Coolbet) — Cauley’s played just once since the Playoffs and it was an uninspiring T-36 versus a weak field in a no-cut event in Japan. Kuchar has made all his cuts in the Swing season with three Top 20s in four starts.
Stewart: Matt Kuchar (-110) over Bud Cauley (BetMGM) — Matt Kucharhas played a full schedule this fall. Second in the field for putting, and eighth in par 4 scoring, Kuchar is coming off four top 18 results in his last six starts dating back to the John Deere. We last saw Bud Cauleyin the Baycurrent Classic back in October. Four missed cuts in his last six Sea Island starts, Cauley’s recent form has not been producing birdie chances. Cauley is ranked 133rd in the field for birdie or better percentage, which is not good in an event where scoring is your top priority.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Si Woo Kim (+100) over Harris English (DraftKings) — I’m happily fading English this week, and Si Woo hasn’t finished outside the top 25 in his past five starts, and this shorter, coastal track should be the type to really fit his eye.
Powers, Golf Digest: Thorbjorn Olesen (-115) over Denny McCarthy (DraftKings) — Olesen is in game shape, having played a ton this fall out of necessity. Olesen sits just inside the top 100 at 96th, meaning one more solid week should lock up his tour card for 2026. McCarthy, meanwhile, is safe and secure for 2026 and hasn’t played since the BMW Championship.
Lack: Si Woo Kim (+100) over Harris English (DraftKings) — This is one of my favorite matchup bets, as Si Woo Kim has been playing some great golf this Fall, while I do not have the same confidence in Harris English. Kim is coming off the back of four top-20 finishes in a row and is a far superior middle iron player.
Matchup Results from the Butterfield Bermuda Championship: Hennessey: 1 for 1 (Perez (-125) over Clanton); Mayo: 1 for 1 (Car. Young (+100) over Hossler); Powers: 1 for 1 (Power (-110) over Fisk); Stewart: 1 for 1 (Perez (-125) over Clanton); Tour coach: PUSH (Coody (+120) over Hoey); Lack: 0 for 1
Matchup Results from this season (Wins-Losses-Pushes): Tour coach: 18-15-4 (up 3.32 units); Hennessey: 21-18-1 (up 0.69 units); Mayo: 17-20-2 (down 0.68 units); Powers: 19-19-2 (down 1 unit); Lack: 18-19-1 (down 2.51 units); Stewart: 18-21-1 (down 3.97 units)
RSM Classic picks 2025: Top 10s
Tour coach: Harris English (+300, BetRivers) — By far along with Harman the strongest in this field and a home game as well (another Justin Parsons guy). They have been working and prepping.
Mayo: Matt Kuchar (+500, BetRivers) — Let’s do it one more time. Kuch has been solid all swing season with strong strokes gained totals and results, despite his plunge down the leaderboard a week ago. Needs to put it all together, but has the game to win if everything clicks, especially if one of the young bombers doesn’t run away from the field.
Stewart: Mackenzie Hughes (+550, BetRivers) — I could not believe it when I saw Mackenzie Hugheswas +550 to finish inside the top 10. In his last four RSM starts, Hughes has two runner-up finishes and a fifth. Mackenzie’s putter has always been the key as he converts on these beautiful Bermudagrass greens.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Kevin Roy (+900, DraftKings) — The other Succession brother continues to play really consistent golf and be undervalued by oddsmakers. He will do his best work when approach play is important, so I could see him continuing his hot play from the past few months at Sea Island.
Powers, Golf Digest: Jackson Suber (+1000, FanDuel) — Last chance to bet Suber before 2026. Not missing out on that. He MC’d in Bermuda but went T-15 / T-11 in Utah and Mexico.
Lack: Nico Echavarria (+500, BetRivers) — Nico Echavarria has been playing some great golf this fall swing, with top-15 finishes already at the Baycurrent Classic and World Wide Technology Championship. He is also coming off a runner-up finish at this event last year.
Top-10 results from the Butterfield Bermuda Championship: Everybody: 0 for 1
Top-10 results from this season: Mayo: 10 for 40 (up 15.27 units); Tour coach: 9 for 37 (up 12.8 units); Lack: 11 for 39 (up 11.6 units); Stewart: 13 for 40 (up 9.65 units); Hennessey: 8 for 39 (up 3.9 units); Powers: 2 for 40 (down 28.5 units)
About our experts
Pat Mayo is an award-winning video host and producer of long and short-form content, and the host of The Pat Mayo Experience daily talk show. Mayo helped create the golf stats and research website Fantasy National along with the Race for the Mayo Cup One and Done contest. Mayo won the 2022 Fantasy Sports Writing Association Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year and is a finalist for three FSWA Awards in 2023 (Best Podcast, Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year, Golf Writer of the Year). His 27 FSWA nominations lead all writers this decade and are second-most all-time. Follow him on Twitter: @ThePME.
Brandon Gdula, managing editor and analyst for numberFire, a FanDuel daily-fantasy analysis company, recently won the 2018 FSWA Golf Writer of the Year. Gdula also co-hosts the DFS Heat Check podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @gdula13.
Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor for Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA TOUR. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith's winning content can also be found on Sports Grid, Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_.
Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster from New York City who now resides in Los Angeles. Andy is the founder and CEO of Inside Sports Network, a website devoted to the predictive quality of advanced analytics and golf course architecture. He came to Golf Digest’s betting panel after previously writing for Run Pure Sports, RickRunGood.com, the Score and GolfWRX. In his free time, Andy can likely be found on a golf course. Follow him on Twitter: @adplacksports.
