SIMMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Finland’s Sami Valimäki made 4 straight birdies to shut out the entrance 9 with a 5-under 65 and a two-shot lead on Saturday on the RSM Traditional, the ultimate spherical of the PGA Tour season.
The ultimate race of the season at Sea Island stands out as the final likelihood to carry onto a full card for subsequent yr’s PGA Tour. It was an opportunity for the gamers to win their first PGA Tour title.
Valimaki shot 19-under 193, two spots forward of Michael Thorbjornsen and Patrick Rodgers (68 every), each of whom are Stanford graduates a era aside.
When Rodgers left Stanford in 2014, he was the No. 1 newbie on the earth. Thorbjornsen was No. 1 within the PGA Tour school rankings when he graduated from school in 2024.
Rogers has performed in 311 tournaments on the PGA Tour and has 4 runner-up finishes, together with a playoff loss to Charles Howell III at Sea Island in 2018.
“Sadly, we won’t management the result on this sport,” Rodgers stated. “I am attempting laborious to regulate the outcomes, but it surely’s not working. I must be the most effective I might be and attempt to construct a very high quality golf sport, which I consider will give me essentially the most alternatives all through the season.”
Zach Blair (64) is within the group three strokes behind, and he wants a win to have an opportunity to interrupt into the highest 100 within the FedEx Cup.
Additionally in 196th place at 16 beneath had been Andrew Novak (70) and Korn Ferry Tour Participant of the Yr Johnny Keefer (67). Kiefer’s card is locked till 2026, however he has a fantastic likelihood to stay within the high 50 on the earth to qualify for the Masters.
Novak teamed up with Ben Griffin to win the Zurich Traditional of New Orleans, however has by no means received a person title on the PGA Tour.
Valimaki started his breakthrough by hitting a 12-foot shot for birdie on the par-3 sixth gap. He reached the inexperienced in two on the par-5 seventh gap, pushed his wedge to 18 inches on the eighth gap, and pushed his method to 3 ft on the ninth gap.
“There was no applause this week, so after I heard the applause I assumed it have to be fairly shut,” Valimaki stated.
He has been a runner-up twice, each occasions south of the border. Valimaki was runner-up on the Mexican Open a yr in the past and tied for second with Griffin on the Worldwide Know-how Championship in Baja California two weeks in the past.
As for the race and strain to complete inside the highest 100 to earn a PGA Tour card? Eire’s Seamus Energy (65) and Lee Hodges (66) are tied for seventh and will have an honest likelihood relying on the type of the gamers in entrance of them.
Andrew Putnam is 119th. He shot a 69 and it was just like the slightest little bit of wind would set him again. Putnam fell 10 spots off the leaderboard to tie for seventeenth place.
