Golf Network News
Sunday 23 November 2025PGA TourYear in Review
Välimäki wins the RSM Classic
Sea Island Golf Club, St. Simons Island, Georgia · Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 November 2025 · Sami Välimäki’s win no. 1 on the PGA Tour · purse $7,000,000 USD · RSM
The headline is set by GNN from the record. Reports from the papers of the day are below as they are found.
The weather
10 h 14 m
of daylight on the final day, the sun 38° up at noon, and that night a waxing crescent moon (computed from the date and the place).
- R125°/15°C · wind 11 km/h WNW, gusts 17 · 0 mm rainERA5 reanalysis at the course Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis
- R226°/16°C · wind 10 km/h SW, gusts 23 · 0 mm rainERA5 reanalysis at the course Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis
- R326°/16°C · wind 17 km/h WSW, gusts 33 · 0.2 mm rainERA5 reanalysis at the course Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis
- R425°/17°C · wind 16 km/h WNW, gusts 24 · 0.2 mm rainERA5 reanalysis at the course Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis
The name over time
Not yet traced: its earlier names, sponsors and courses come with research.
The ones it got away from
- Max McGreevy USA · 260Closed with 63, holing a 30-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to post the clubhouse lead at 22 under; Välimäki birdied 15 and saved par from 18 feet at 16 to win by one. Sami Valimaki wins first PGA Tour event at season-ending RSM Classic (NBC Sports / AP)
156 started · cut -7, 73 made it
Same week
PGA Tour event
The RSM Classic
Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course); rounds 1-2 also on the Plantation Course, Sea Island Golf Club, St. Simons Island, Georgia
5 of 5 researched
Winner
Sami Välimäki
Runner-up not yet researched.
From the papers
NBC Sports (AP)
23 November 2025
I feel like it's a really tough year even when I kind of played decent golf, and then to keep pushing and find some good grooves in the last few tournaments, it feels amazing.
CBS Sports
23 November 2025
I hate to hear that I was the one that did that. I'm playing alongside Lee, who's one of my good friends.
NBC Sports (AP)
23 November 2025
I never felt that nervous. I felt like I was playing to win. Luckily, my best golf came out at the end of the year.
Top 10
| Pos | Player | Rounds | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sami Välimäki | 66 · 62 · 65 · 66 | 259 | −23 |
| 2 | Max McGreevy | 64 · 67 · 66 · 63 | 260 | −22 |
| 3 | Ricky Castillo | 65 · 65 · 69 · 62 | 261 | −21 |
| T4 | Nico Echavarria | 66 · 65 · 67 · 65 | 263 | −19 |
| T4 | Si Woo Kim | 65 · 67 · 65 · 66 | 263 | −19 |
| T4 | Lee Hodges | 66 · 65 · 66 · 66 | 263 | −19 |
| T7 | Sam Stevens | 67 · 67 · 67 · 63 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | Rico Hoey | 62 · 70 · 67 · 65 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | Doug Ghim | 60 · 71 · 67 · 66 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | J.T. Poston | 65 · 65 · 68 · 66 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | John Pak | 66 · 67 · 64 · 67 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | Séamus Power | 64 · 68 · 65 · 67 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | Zac Blair | 68 · 64 · 64 · 68 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | Johnny Keefer | 65 · 64 · 67 · 68 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | Andrew Novak | 61 · 65 · 70 · 68 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | Patrick Rodgers | 65 · 62 · 68 · 69 | 264 | −18 |
| T7 | Michael Thorbjornsen | 64 · 63 · 68 · 69 | 264 | −18 |
The golfer
born 1998-07-16, Nokia, Finland; FIN; turned pro 2019; age 27 that week; tour wins to date: 1; majors to date: 0; world No. 98 that week (OWGR rankBefore for The RSM Classic (OWGR player profile events table)).
What’s in the bag
- Driver Titleist GT3 8°, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 70 TX
- Fairway Wood TaylorMade R7 Quad 13.5°, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 70 TX
- Fairway Wood TaylorMade Qi35 21°, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 80 TX
- Irons Ping Blueprint S 4-9, True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
- Wedge Titleist Vokey SM10 46°, 50°, 56°, 60°, True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
- Putter Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
- Ball Titleist Pro V1x
verified for this week