The PGA Tour Fall season is finally coming to an end. The ongoing RSM Classic is the final stop for the players who want to lock in their status for the 2026 season. The ones who will manage to scrape through in the top 100 will emerge unscathed, while the players ranked 101-125 will have to satisfy themselves with a conditional status. All this raises the stakes at Sea Island Golf Club. But with points also come the event’s massive prize pool, set at a whopping $7 million.

The division of the money is sharp. The champion of the event will take home, $1.26 million. That amounts to an impressive 18% of the purse alone. But that’s not all. He will also accumulate 500 FedExCup Fall points, 37 OWGR points, and a two-year PGA Tour exemption. Of course, with that comes the invitation to the 2026 PGA and The Players Championship. That’s massive for a player who’s trying to survive in the Tour’s new limited-100 field.

For others, the money is attractive too. The top-10 finishers will take home approximately $4.24 million. To put it into context, that’s almost 61% of the total prize pool. On the other hand, the ones who make it in the top 20 will have a purse of $5.52 million. Unfortunately, only the top 65 players and the ties will survive this 36-hole cut and will take home some money.

Having said all that, let us look at the detailed prize breakdown of the event:

While money will surely be a factor for the players, there are a few who will fight tooth and nail at the RSM Classic. Who are these players? Let us have a look.

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A high-stakes weekend for bubble players

With the new limited field reduction by the PGA Tour, the RSM Classic is now a pressure cooker zone. Players who have been hovering around the top-100 marks are facing a survival challenge. While several of these players are not playing in the event, whatever the reason may be, many are contesting at the Sea Island Golf Club. A few names among them stand out.

Sitting at 102 is Beau Hossler, the American is by far in the most perilous position. After scraping through at seven under, he the 15th player tied for 59th after the second round. If he wants to climb up in the top-100s, he would require atleast a two-way tie for 42nd or better. While it’s not actually an unrealistic scenario, this is something he has not faced since 2017. He knows the season’s been challenging, but he needs a few solid rounds to make it.

Next, there is Matt Wallace, who sits one above Hossler on the Fall standings (101). After R2 had a nine-under total, which comfortably placed him far above the cut at T31. He just needs a few good scores to get an edge. Overall, the Englishman has shown a strong form in the fall, with a runner-up at the European Masters and a top-10 at Baycurrent Classic. In other words, he has the potential to make it through. All he needs is a strong weekend and a touch of luck on his side.

And finally, among all the players, the biggest piece of cake has been taken by Andrew Putnam. He is currently at 105th on the Fall standings. But his position on the leaderboard at Sea Golf Club is equally dramatic. With a total of 12-under, he placed himself at T7 after the second round. And that score is what he actually needs right now. He started this week at 119 and is still significantly out of the cutoff. If he wants to make it through the top 100, he would require at least a solo six or better.

While his current upward trajectory might make it seem like a possibility, it is not without its own challenges. He is 36 years old, and the last time he won on the PGA Tour was in 2018 (The Barracuda Championship). That was also his only victory on the Tour. Yet, he has always found himself inside the top 100, and if this time he does not make it, it could be career-altering.

Many such stories are unraveling at the moment at the RSM Classic. Often ignored as the last event of the Fall Calendar, for these players, this event is the final and only breathing ground. That’s why the upcoming weekend will certainly bring a lot of oohs and ahhs. Do keep your eye on the course.