Valimaki leads RSM Classic: Seeks his first PGA Tour title

Sami Valimaki Leads the RSM Classic with an Impressive Round

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Finnish golfer Sami Valimaki shone on Saturday at the RSM Classic, achieving an impressive streak of four consecutive birdies that boosted his performance. With a spectacular closing of the initial nine holes, Valimaki finished with a score of 5 under par (65), securing a two-stroke lead heading into the final round of the tournament, which marks the end of the PGA Tour season. This final event in Sea Island is crucial for many players, as it represents the last chance to secure their full card for next year’s PGA Tour. In addition, it has become a possibility for several golfers to obtain their first title on the circuit. Valimaki positioned himself at 19 under par (193), surpassing Michael Thorbjornsen and Patrick Rodgers, who shared second place with a score of 68 each. Both players, graduates of Stanford, are two strokes behind the leader. Rodgers, who was the world number one in the amateur ranking before leaving Stanford in 2014, has participated in 311 PGA Tour tournaments, achieving four runner-up finishes. One of them was a defeat in a playoff at Sea Island in 2018 against Charles Howell III.

It’s unfortunate that in this sport you can’t control the results. I really strive to control the results, but it doesn’t always work. I need to be the best version of myself, seek to build a quality golf game, and trust that that will give me the greatest opportunities throughout the season.

Patrick Rodgers

In the group that is three strokes away, Zac Blair (64) stands out, who needs a victory to have a chance to finish among the top 100 in the FedEx Cup.

In the same position, with a cumulative score of 16 under par (196), are Andrew Novak (70) and Johnny Keefer (67). Keefer, the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, has already secured his card for 2026 and now has a great opportunity to stay in the top 50 in the world and qualify for the Masters. Novak, who won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Ben Griffin, has yet to secure an individual title on the PGA Tour. Valimaki started his outstanding performance with a shot that left the ball 12 feet from the hole for birdie on the sixth par 3. Then, he reached the green in two strokes on the par 5 of the seventh hole, and on the eighth, he left his approach shot 18 inches from the hole, and 3 feet on the ninth.

I haven’t had any applause this week, so I knew that when I heard the applause, I must be pretty close.

Sami Valimaki

Valimaki has two runner-up finishes in his career, both in tournaments outside the United States. He was second at the Mexico Open a year ago and tied for second place at the World Wide Technology Championship with Griffin two weeks ago in Baja California. Regarding the fight to finish among the top 100 to secure the PGA Tour card, Ireland’s Séamus Power (65) and Lee Hodges (66) are tied for seventh place and have a considerable opportunity, depending on the performance of the players ahead of them. Andrew Putnam, currently in 119th place, shot a round of 69 strokes, which, in moderate wind conditions, meant a setback. Putnam dropped ten positions in the ranking, placing himself in 17th place.