Maverick McNealy and Michael Thorbjornsen are tied for the lead after one round of The RSM Classic on Thursday in St. Simons Island, Ga.
At the finale of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall series, golfers are playing Sea Island Golf Club’s two courses over the first two days of the tournament. McNealy began the week at the par-70 Seaside Course and fired an 8-under-par 62, with one eagle, six birdies and no bogeys on his card.
Thorbjornsen, meanwhile, shot a bogey-free, 8-under 64 at the par-72 Plantation Course. They will switch courses on Friday before everyone who makes the cut plays the Seaside Course on Saturday and Sunday.
McNealy and Thorbjornsen are one shot ahead of Andrew Novak, who posted a 7-under 65 at the Plantation Course.
PGA Tour rookie Adrien Dumont de Chassart of Belgium recorded a career-low 64 at the Seaside Course to get his week going, and he’s in a tie for fourth at 6 under with Chandler Phillips (66, Plantation).
It’s the final opportunity for Dumont de Chassart to climb into the top 125 of the FedEx Cup Fall points standings in order to earn a full PGA Tour card for 2025. As it stands after Thursday, he would jump from No. 142 to No. 124 in the standings. Thorbjornsen can benefit this week, as well; he’d rocket from No. 138 to No. 77 in points if the tournament ended today.
McNealy, 29, began his round on the back nine at Seaside and was 2 under par when he reached the par-5 15th. He chipped in for eagle from almost 58 feet away.
“I drove it awesome. Iron play was about as good as it’s been all year,” McNealy said. “The last three tournaments it’s really been great and that’s the part of my game I’ve wanted to improve the most. I chipped in today, got everything up and down and putted awesome today, too. There’s really nothing weak out there.”
McNealy entered the week No. 52 in the fall standings. He’s guaranteed to finish the fall in the top 60, which qualifies him for two signature events in 2025. But to get in the 2025 season opener — the Sentry in Kapalua, Hawaii — McNealy must win an event, something he’s yet to do in his tour career.
“I started the fall wanting to be in the top 60 and now that that’s pretty much taken care of, (caddie Scout McNealy) and I want to get to Kapalua,” he said.
Thorbjornsen, 23, was back in contention after he had to withdraw from his last start at the Black Desert Championship with a knee issue.
“We got an MRI a couple days later and I sprained my ACL and LCL,” Thorbjornsen explained. “So really glad that nothing was torn. I thought I might have torn my meniscus or something like that. Yeah, we’ve just been doing rehab and PT for the past three, four weeks now.”
Novak, 29, makes his home in St. Simons and would love nothing more than to get his first career PGA Tour victory there.
“It’s a home event so there’s always a little bit more pressure maybe just because you’ve got people in town, it’s your home course, you want to win, you want to do well,” he said.
Swedish star Ludvig Aberg, the defending champion, struggled to a 3-over 73 at the Seaside Course and is on track to miss Friday’s cut.
–Field Level Media
