⛳️ Super Quick Update: RSM Classic

Plus: The Match is back, TGL Stadium Collapses, and more.

Author

The Shanks Gator
November 18, 2023

Good Morning. Welcome to Shanks. There’s just two rounds of golf left until the end of the PGA Tour regular season, but there are two events golf junkies can bet on in December. The Hero World Challenge (Nov. 30th-Dec. 3rd) and The Grant Thorton Invitational (LPGA + PGA teams) which will be December 8-10th.

Golf Dad Joke: Your game is so bad you’ll have to get your golf ball retriever re-gripped.

Here's what we've got for ya today:

  • Quick Update: RSM Classic

  • TGL Stadium Collapse

  • Shots Heard Round The World

  • The Match Is Back?

  • Thing We’d Buy If We Weren’t Broke

Quick Update: RSM Classic

Ludvig Goes Bogey Free

This kid is so dang good at golf. He sits in solo-first after opening rounds of 67-64. In those two rounds, he’s only missed four greens in regulation. FOUR!

He’s like a machine out there, but he’s still a rookie.

A win would qualify him for The Masters, Pebble Beach, and The Genesis Invitational.

Sam Ryder Gets On Right Side Of Bubble

Eric Cole, Denny McCarthy and Sam Ryder are T-2 at 11-under.

That was good enough to get Sam Ryder off the bubble and safely in the “next ten” which earns him a spot at Pebble and The Genesis, which are two elevated events with $20 million dollar purses.

Monday Qualifier Makes The Cut

Matt Atkins, a Kornferry Tour winner and Monday Qualifier for the RSM, has made the cut.

This is his first cut made since the Barbasol Championship in 2018 and he was considering quitting golf.

“Making the cut and making a check, we can at least pay our bills next couple months,” said the 32-year-old with conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour for his win in 2017. “You know, I took a big leap of faith trusting in the Lord a couple weeks ago and I told my wife I couldn’t have been more confident in the decision I made. We had been praying for just clarity and just direction on what to do, and discernment. This week was an unknown after I qualified, but I think the Lord has shown, ‘Matt, this is where you’re supposed to be, stop, stop playing for yourself and for worldly things, just glorify me.'”

Shanks Picks

All of our picks made the cut, with the exception of our Top-10 pick, Billy Horschel. 

Outright: Corey Connors is 5-under and T44.

Top Five: Si Woo Kim is 6-under and T32

Top Ten: Cut

Top Twenty: JT Poston is 4-under and T61

Longshot: Ben Griffin is 8-under and T10, just three shots off the leader at pre-tourney odds of +7000.

Tourney Special: Corey Conners and JT Poston to both finish Top-Twenty is also very much alive.

A solid card to end the season!

TGL Stadium Collapse

So, the weather has destroyed the dome on TGLs stadium.

They have 53 days to fix it or TGL could be delayed. Not good.

Shots Heard Round The World

Report: The Match Is Back?

According to a report from Golf Week, The Match, back for its 9th edition, will feature Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Rose Zhang, and Lexi Thompson.

This would be the first time The Match has ever featured any LPGA stars.

Consider us way more intrigued for these pairings then we were for Patrick Mahomes and Taylor Swifts boyfriend vs. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

Golf Week also noted that The Match will likely be played in the first quarter of 2024, and not December.

Golf Thing We'd Buy If We Weren't Broke

Okay, this is clever. The “Stasher” bucket had comes with little slots for your tees, and a little zippered spot for your joints, or ball markers, or whatever.

That’s all folks! See you Monday.