Primetime Golf
A 5-for-1 playoff took place under the lights (!!) to determine the final spot in the RSM Classic
The phrase "primetime golf" generally means one of two things are happening: 1. a major is being played on the West Coast, or 2. it's the Hawaii Swing. Little did any of us know there was a third possible scenario ... a 5-for-1 playoff at a Monday qualifier for the RSM Classic?
Believe it, folks. On Monday at Brunswick Country Club in Brunswick, Ga., 93 players teed off in the hopes of grabbing one of the four spots available in the RSM Classic, which will begin Thursday at Sea Island. One player, Jacob Solomon, was able to separate himself from the pack, posting a six-under 64 to earn medalist honors and earn one of the four slots up for grabs.
That's where things got messy, with eight players shooting four-under 66s and only three spots remaining. This is hardly an uncommon occurrence in Monday qualifiers, but it gets a whole lot dicier when you are fighting daylight (another topic for another day). Two spots went quickly, one to Rafael Campos who made birdie on the first playoff hole to beat seven pars, and the second to Matt Akins, who birdied the second playoff hole. That left 5 players playing for the final spot with daylight not only fading, but essentially non-existent.
Fortunately, the Georgia PGA, who was running the qualifier, prepared for the worst-case scenario. Ryan French, AKA Monday Q Info on X, formerly known as Twitter, was all over it from the start:
Two hours after this picture was taken, those lights were being put to use:
High school football practice in the late fall, or a Monday qualifier for a PGA Tour event? If you closed your eyes and just listened to the video, you'd automatically assume it was the former.
Those things did a pretty solid job of lighting up the green, too:
The playoff lasted three more holes, with Curtis Thompson, one of Lexi Thompson's older brothers, outlasting Will Chandler on the final playoff hole, per French. As it has been documented countless times, the Monday qualifying life is certainly not for the faint of heart. Whether it's fading darkness, a poorly-conditioned course or a range that doesn't allow you to hit driver, you need to be mentally prepared for just about anything when you're chasing the dream.