Adam Svensson played the weekend of his life to claim his maiden PGA Tour victory, fighting back from a one-over opening round to win the RSM Classic with a score of 19 under.

Canadian Svensson the competition on the Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort and struggled, but he found much more success on the Seaside Course following his opening round.

After posting a 64 on Friday, he followed that with the best round on Saturday, two strokes better than anybody else with his eight-under 62.

He continued that momentum on Sunday, going bogey-free with six birdies to equal the day's top round again, including back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to turn a four-way tie atop the leaderboard into a two-stroke lead.

Svensson, 28, had not secured a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour until last season, collecting three, and with a par on the 18th hole he secured the first win of his career in his 70th start.

Speaking to the media after stepping off the final green, he was emotional as he reflected on his journey to this point.

"To be honest, it's not even real right now," he said. "I'm just so happy, I put so much work in. To win on the PGA Tour – it means everything to me.

"It's been an up-and-down journey, I've had lows, I've had highs, but I kept believing in myself, and here I am."

In a three-way tie for second was England's Callum Tarren, along with American duo Sahith Theegala and Brian Harman.

Recent winner of the Bermuda Championship, Seamus Power, was two further back at 15 under in a tie for fifth, and he was joined by a group that included 23-year-old Cole Hammer, who rode the opening-round lead to the best finish of his career.

Patrick Rodgers and Ben Martin produced excellent third rounds to share the lead heading to the final day of the RSM Classic at St Simons Island in Georgia.

Rodgers and Martin carded rounds of 64 and 65 respectively as the tournament moved entirely to the par-70 Seaside Course, having been split between that and the par-72 Plantation Course on the opening two days.

After a bogey on the second hole on Saturday, Rodgers made seven birdies, including four in a row from the 13th to the 16th holes to move 14 places up a busy leaderboard from his starting position.

Rodgers, 30, has yet to claim a PGA Tour-level title and lost in a play-off on the second hole in the 2018 RSM Classic to Charles Howell III.

Martin, whose last and only PGA Tour title was in 2014, would have had the solo lead but bogeyed the par-four 18th hole, blemishing his six-birdie round which was bogey-free until that point.

The American pair of Rodgers and Martin reached 14 under overall, to lead by one from three players including Canadian Adam Svensson, who began at the 10th and enjoyed the round of the day, carding an eight-under 62 with six birdies on his back nine and an eagle on the par-five 15th hole.

Andrew Putnam, who had been in a three-way joint lead at the halfway mark, also stood at 13 under with Svensson and Sahith Theegala.

Seven players were a further stroke back at 12 under, including Brian Harman, Taylor Montgomery and Harry Higgs, the latter who had been alongside Putnam in the lead after two days and rallied during his third round after three bogeys in his opening five holes.

The other halfway leader, Cole Hammer, dropped down the leaderboard to a tie for 17th after a two-over 72 that included bogeys on the third and fourth holes, along with a double bogey on the fifth.

Through two rounds – one on each of Sea Island Resort's two courses – Cole Hammer, Andrew Putnam and Harry Higgs lead the RSM Classic field with a score of 12 under.

In a unique format, this tournament has half of the field play the par-70 Seaside Course and the other half play the par-72 Plantation Course in the first round, before swapping for the second round.

After earning the solo lead by shooting an eight-under 64 on Thursday's trip around the Plantation Course, Hammer still produced seven birdies on the Seaside Course, but three bogeys on the front-nine allowed others to join him at the top.

Both Higgs and Putnam shot rounds of seven under, albeit on different courses. Higgs went bogey-free for a 63 at the Seaside Course, and Putnam went bogey-free until his final hole, blowing a chance to head into the weekend with the outright lead.

Of the five players to shoot better than seven under on Friday, all five did it on the Plantation Course, including Joel Dahmen with his eight-under 64 to jump up to a tie for fourth at 11 under, where he is joined by Sahith Theegala.

The other eight-under rounds came from South Korea's Noh Seung-yul, tied for fourth at 10 under, as well as Ben Martin and Will Gordon, one further back at nine under.

The round of the day came from Akshay Bhatia, following his three-over 73 with a nine-under 63.

Some of the bigger names in the field will not be participating on the weekend as former world number one Jason Day missed the cut by three strokes, and former Masters champion Danny Willett withdrew after his three-over opening round.

The remaining two rounds will both be played at the Seaside Course.

Cole Hammer is the leader after the first round of the RSM Classic, enjoying his only round for the week at Sea Island Resort's Plantation course on Thursday to post an eight-under 64.

The RSM Classic utilizes two courses at Sea Island Resort – the par-72 Plantation course, and the par-70 Seaside course. Each competitor will get one round on each course before the cut heading into the weekend, with the final two rounds to be played on the Seaside course.

Starting on the back-nine, 23-year-old Hammer posted nine birdies and seven pars from his first 16 holes, before his first blemish came with a bogey on the 17th to finish alone atop the leaderboard at eight under.

In second place is Ben Griffin, who also played the Plantation course, going bogey-free for his seven-under 65.

Beau Hossler and Callum Taren are tied for third after shooting six-under 64s on the Seaside course, with that appearing as the harder of the two tracks. 

There is a logjam tied for sixth at five under, and of the 16 payers to shoot five under or better, only four – Hossler, Taren, Chris Gotterup and Andrew Putnam – did it on the Seaside course.

Rising talent Sahith Theegala and recent winner of the Bermuda Championship Seamus Power are one further back at four under, with Italy's Francesco Molinari and Canada's Taylor Pendrith at three under.

It was a tough day out for some of the field's biggest names, with former Masters champion Danny Willett struggling to three over on the Seaside course, while former world number one Jason Day had similar issues on his way to four over.

The shot of the day went to Webb Simpson, who took advantage of his only round this week at the Plantation course with an ace on the par-three third hole. 

Jon Rahm described Rory McIlroy taking a stand against the LIV Golf Invitational Series while still performing at the highest level as "remarkable" and discussed how joining the breakaway circuit may impact Sergio Garcia's legacy.

McIlroy claimed his third FedEx Cup in August and is hoping to cap a fine year by winning the DP World Tour Championship this week, but his off-course actions have been equally noteworthy.

The world number one has been a vocal critic of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed LIV circuit, and called for the series' divisive chief executive Greg Norman to resign this week.

Speaking ahead of the tournament in Dubai, world number five Rahm hailed McIlroy's efforts to defend the PGA Tour this year. 

"It's great to see somebody with his platform take a stand as he did, whether you agree with it or not, he's taken a stand on what he believes in and that's it - I think it's great," Rahm said.

"He's had a lot of input. He's been on the board of the PGA Tour and tried to make a change.

"To be honest, with how long those meetings are and how much as players we talk to each other, to play as good as he has is pretty remarkable.

"In this profession, we are all basically CEOs of our own little golf company, and now he has invested in so much more. Again, the role he's had in both [on and off the course] is quite incredible."

Rahm's compatriot Garcia became one of the most high-profile players to resign his PGA Tour membership while switching to LIV Golf this year.

The 2021 U.S. Open champion hopes the legacy of his fellow Spaniard is not tarnished by that decision.

"I hope not, it's very unprecedented, what we've been dealing with in the game of golf and it hasn't even been that long," Rahm added.

"It could have somewhat of an impact. I have a hard time believing a lot of those [LIV] players are going to have a positive impact on their legacy right now.

"We don't know what's going to happen, but if it does [have an impact on Garcia's legacy], I hope it's not a big one, let's say it that way.

"He's done a lot for the game of golf, so it would be sad to see that change.

"There's certainly going to be a before and after at some point, and there's definitely some division going on.

"It still shouldn't change what he's done in the game; what he's done in the Ryder Cup, European Tour, PGA Tour, shouldn't be affected by where he decides to play golf, at least in my mind."

Meanwhile, LIV Golf has continued to push for the ability to award world rankings points, and while Rahm is not against that idea, he says the tour must meet the stated requirements.

"We need to stop giving LIV the publicity. They are not asking for it. That's the first thing I'm going to say," Rahm said.

"A lot of people are against them having World Ranking points. I'm not necessarily against it, but there should be adjustments. 

"If your requirement to have World Ranking points is 72 holes and a cut, maybe you don't award them 100 per cent of the points, since they are not fulfilling all the requirements. 

"I also believe it's probably a couple-year process, so they need to respect that as every other tour has. 

"They do have some incredible players. To say that Dustin [Johnson] wasn't one of the best players this year would be a mistake. So, I think they could be awarded. I don't know if they necessarily deserve 100 per cent."

Rory McIlroy has called for Greg Norman to leave his role as chief executive of the LIV Golf Invitational Series to end the "stalemate" engulfing the sport.

World number one McIlroy has been one of the most prominent critics of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed circuit, which is locked in legal cases against both the PGA and DP World Tours.

McIlroy called for LIV to do more to end the bitter feud between the circuits in September, declaring: "the ball is in their court".

However, Norman said he had "no interest" in sitting down for talks with the PGA that same month and McIlroy believes his presence is harming the sport.

"Greg needs to go. He needs to exit stage left," McIlroy said ahead of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

"He's made his mark, but I think now is the right time to say you've got this thing off the ground but no one's going to talk unless there's an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences.

"There are obviously two lawsuits going on at the minute. There's the PGA Tour versus LIV and there's obviously this one that's coming up with the DP World Tour in February.

"Nothing can happen if those two things are going on. Right now, it is a bit of a stalemate."

The need to compete with LIV Golf has prompted the PGA Tour to increase prize funds for next year, leading Norman to suggest McIlroy and Tiger Woods – another critic of LIV Golf – should be "thankful" for what the breakaway circuit has brought to the game.

However, McIlroy believes everyone in golf should instead direct their gratitude towards 15-time major champion Woods.

"I've said this a million times, Tiger is the reason that we are playing for as much as we are playing for," McIlroy added. "Tiger is the reason that the stature of our game is where it is.

"The generation of Tiger and the generation coming after Tiger have all benefited from him and his achievements and what he's done for the game of golf.

"I don't think Tiger should be thankful to anyone for anything. I think everyone else in the game should be thankful."

Tony Finau collected the third win from his past seven PGA Tour starts as he cruised to a convincing four-stroke triumph at the Houston Open on Sunday.

Finau's four-stroke lead was the same buffer he held coming into the final trip around Memorial Park Golf Course after posting rounds of 65, 62 and 68.

After winning back-to-back events in July at the 3M Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Finau – who finished with a final-round score of 16 under – has now won more titles in his past seven starts than he did in his first 211 to begin his career (two).

Speaking to NBC after stepping off the final green, Finau admitted he was not comfortable in such an unfamiliar position with a giant lead.

"It feels great – honestly, on the first hole I didn't know if I had it in me today," he said. "It was one of those days where I just fought, and fought, and I made a lot of nice putts on the front-nine to calm me into things.

"I've never been in this position before, with that big of a lead with nine holes to play. A lot of new nerves, I would say, but overall as the round went on I felt better, and I'm just happy to get the 'W' today.

"I've always had belief, but the confidence when you win is contagious. I've always been a very hopeful person, I work extremely hard on my body and my game, and now I'm starting to bear the fruits of that labour. It feels amazing to have that be the case.

"You never know what's going to happen in this game, but you always try to put your best foot forward, that's what I've done over the years, and I'm starting to put together a pretty full-package game."

Alone in second place at 12 under was Tyson Alexander, who had never previously finished better than tied for 44th in his seven PGA Tour starts.

Ben Taylor was the only player at 11 under in third, and there was a further three-stroke gap to the rest of the field.

World number two Scottie Scheffler finished tied for ninth at six under for his second consecutive top-10 finish, while former world number one Jason Day was one further back.

Tony Finau was solid without being spectacular as he carded a two-under round on the third day at the Houston Open to maintain his four-stroke lead on Saturday.

Finau led by four shots at the halfway point after 10 birdies in Friday's eight-under 62, but the American kept it steady with a bogey-free round that included only two birdies at Memorial Park Golf Course on Saturday.

The main contenders, Patrick Rodgers and Alex Noren, both carded three-over 73s to drop well off the pace at six-under overall but Englishman Ben Taylor emerged into second on moving day.

Taylor looms as the only potential challenger for Finau (15-under overall) ahead of the final day, shooting six birdies in his five-under round-of-the-day 65 to move up the leaderboard into 11-under overall.

The Englishman buried a 21-foot closing birdie putt to finish the day on a high and keep the pressure on Finau.

Taylor is three strokes clear of the next best, with three players tied at eight under; Justin Rose, Wyndham Clark and Tyson Alexander. Gary Woodland and Joel Dahmen are seven under.

World number two Scottie Scheffler could not mount any kind of challenge, with a double bogey on the 16th hole followed by a bogey on the 18th leaving him with one-over 71 to be three-under overall.

Last year's Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama withdrew after nine holes on Saturday due to a neck injury but was not in contention.

Tony Finau enjoyed a spectacular second round at the Houston Open, shooting an eight-under 62 to open up a four-stroke lead on the chasing field heading into the weekend.

Finau was the joint-leader after the opening round, and he went even better in his second trip around Memorial Park Golf Course, sinking 10 birdies to go with two bogeys.

Fresh off his first PGA Tour season with multiple wins – including a career-high four top-two finishes – Finau is in prime position to make a run at his fifth title.

Alone in second at nine under is Patrick Rodgers, who followed his opening 68 with an impressive 63, as only he and Finau completed rounds of 63 or better before the weather arrived.

Joint-leader from the first round, Alex Noren is one further back at eight under, although he had three holes remaining when play was called off.

Noren is joined by Tyson Alexander, while China's Carl Yuan and America's James Hahn are the only players tied for fifth at seven under.

There is a seven-man logjam tied for seventh at six under, but Aaron Wise and Trey Mullinax will have their sights set higher before they begin their third rounds, with six holes still to play.

After a disappointing even-par 70 to open his week, world number two Scottie Scheffler is enjoying a five-under round through 13 holes, sinking an eagle on the par-five 12th right before his round was interrupted.

Former world number one Jason Day will likely see the weekend as he is tied for 37th at two under with six holes remaining, while his playing partner and former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama is one further back sitting right on the edge of the cut-line.

Tony Finau is one of four players with a share of the lead after finishing Thursday's opening round of the Houston Open with a five-under 65.

Finau is joined by fellow Americans Aaron Wise and Tyson Alexander, as well as Sweden's Alex Noren, although Alexander still has one hole to play as the late-starters had their rounds cut short when darkness halted the action.

Ranked 15th in the world, Finau caught fire on his second nine, posting five birdies from his final eight holes to fly up the leaderboard.

Canadian duo Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes headline the logjam tied for fifth at four under, with England's Justin Rose part of the 10-player group one further back at three under.

It was a rough day out for the big names in the field, with world number two Scottie Scheffler and former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama shooting even-par 70s to finish the round tied for 53rd.

That pairing at least remain in the hunt, which is more than can be said for last week's winner of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, with Russell Henley struggling on his way to two over.

Another former Masters champion had a tough time, with Danny Willett unlikely to make the cut after his five-over 75, while world number 12 and recent Presidents Cup debutant Sam Burns had a day to forget, shooting seven over.

Tiger Woods has announced he will make his return to golf next month at the Hero World Challenge.

The tournament, which Woods hosts, will take place at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas from December 1-4.

Woods confirmed his involvement in a Twitter post on Wednesday.

The 15-time major winner has not played since he missed the cut at The Open at St Andrews in July.

Woods has only played nine competitive rounds of golf in 2022 – at the Masters, the US PGA Championship and The Open – following a car crash last year that left him with significant leg injuries. 

He has previously stated the damage caused by the accident means he will no longer be able to play a full schedule on the PGA Tour.

Woods also confirmed in his post Kevin Kisner and Tommy Fleetwood had been added to the Hero World Challenge field.

I am excited to announce that I will be in the field for this year’s #HeroWorldChallenge. A big welcome to @K_Kisner and @TommyFleetwood1 for joining us as well. See you soon at Albany!

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 9, 2022  
The announcement came two days after Woods was confirmed as a participant in the seventh edition of 'The Match' on December 10.

He will partner world number one Rory McIlroy against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in the exhibition.

The world of golf is ever-changing, but the last year has arguably transformed the sport.

LIV Golf's brash and brazen entrance made a splash, and the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway competition has taken some of the PGA Tour's best players.

Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and many others may have departed, but from the rubble emerge a burgeoning crop of young golfers, brimming with talent and hungry to stamp their name on the game.

With the new PGA Tour season under way, here are five golfers to watch out for in 2023.

 

Tom Kim 

South Korean KIm, who turned professional aged 15, has only 11 regular PGA Tour starts yet has managed to become the first player since Tiger Woods to win two tournaments before the age of 21. 

His maiden triumph at the Wyndham Championship in August came after an opening hole quad bogey, but he finished with a spectacular final-round 61 to win by five strokes.

A star-making display at the Presidents Cup followed by victory at the Shriners Open last month has got Kim's new season off to a flyer.

His game is the antithesis to many modern stars; not rooted in destructive power off the tee but, rather, in accuracy and finesse befitting of a player well beyond his years.

Kim's strokes gained statistics from tee to green rank him fifth in the PGA Tour this season and if his opening six months are anything to go by, it could be quite the season for the world number 14.

Sepp Straka

The tall, big-hitting Straka is much the opposite of the aforementioned Kim but is looking to build on his impressive end to last season as well.

Having won his first PGA Tour event at the Honda Classic in February, Straka endured a poor second half of the season before coming to life in the closing stages.

Despite defeat via playoff to Will Zalatoris in the opening FedEx Cup playoff event, the world number 27 went on to finish seventh in the season-ending standings.

Consistency has often evaded the Georgia native but an early season second-place finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship last month suggests Straka may have brought his form from the FedEx Cup with him into the new season.

For the Austrian 29-year-old, a place in Luke Donald's European Ryder Cup team should not be out of the question.

Sahith Theegala

Theegala enjoyed a hugely successful debut season on the PGA Tour in 2021-22 and will be chasing his first victory this season.

The 24-year-old led the Tour in birdies made (433) and possesses a complete and competitive skillet, which allowed him to catch fire and challenge at the top of the leaderboard on numerous occasions.

An agonising double bogey on the 72nd hole at the Travelers Championship in June saw him finish second to Xander Schauffele by two strokes in a season that also featured a T3 at the Phoenix Open and a T5 at The Memorial.

His accuracy off the tee represents perhaps the only major flaw in world number 53's game but two top-10 finishes in his opening four events this season are evidence enough of the prolific scoring capabilities that Theegala possesses.

Cameron Davis

Unassuming Aussie Davis has the temperament, swing, look and feel of an elite golfer. Yet, despite a maiden victory two seasons ago at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he has so far been unable to take that next step.

An impressive outing at the President Cup, however, has laid the foundations for what could be the true breakout year for the world number 66. 

His best finish this season is a tie for 13th at the CJ Cup last month and a look at the underlying data suggests his all-around game is trending in the right direction.

Off the tee, his distance and strokes gained rank inside the top 45 while his putting has improved from 84th last year to 53rd on the Tour this season.

There are only a few events to back up these numbers, but it feels like all the right pieces are coming together for Davis and if that is the case, he is undoubtedly one to watch.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will team up to face Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas for the 'The Match' next month.

It was announced on Monday that 15-time major champion Woods and world number one McIlroy will take on the American duo at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida on December 10.

Spieth and Thomas, who have five majors between them, will take on Woods and McIlroy in what will be the seventh edition of the exhibition series.

Woods faced Phil Mickelson when the event launched five years ago, then came up against his compatriot again when Peyton Manning and Tom Brady played in 'The Match' in 2020.

Thomas and Spieth will be making their first appearances in the competition.

The legendary Woods made an incredible return at the Masters in April after he suffered serious injuries in a car crash last year, before also teeing off in the PGA Championship and The Open.

Russell Henley sealed a four-shot victory in the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba as he cruised to a fourth PGA Tour title.

It was Henley's first win since the 2017 Shell Houston Open, and he tied the tournament low-scoring record – set by Viktor Hovland last season. Henley's final aggregate of 23 under was secured by rounds of 63, 63, 65 and a 70 on Sunday.

He finished four shots clear of the field, but after going bogey-free for his first 58 holes, Henley's first blemish for the week came with a six at the par-five fifth, adding another bogey on 16 to go with his three birdies.

Speaking to NBC after stepping off the final green at the event in Mexico, Henley said he was guided by experience of previous occasions where he has not been able to convert 54-hole leads into wins.

"Just tried to learn from my past, and my screw-ups," he said. "That's kind of what I took from the last two events this season – what am I doing wrong, and how can I get better with it.

"All those events that I haven't closed out [five times he has held the 54-hole lead and not won], they hurt. You don't know if you'll ever get to win another one, it's so hard out here.

"To come down 18 with a four-shot lead, it's really cool. I don't even know what to say. I felt very nervous this weekend, I slept on the lead both nights – I've never slept on a six-shot lead.

"You just don't feel the same as when you're practising at home, you can't create that environment that you get out here when you're leading at a PGA Tour event.

"I guess all the times I didn't get it done, I learned from it, and here we are."

Alone in second place at 19 under was Brian Harman, who posted rounds of 66, 66, 67 and 66 in an incredibly consistent week which included a hole-in-one on Friday.

Scottie Scheffler was two strokes better than anyone else in the final trip around El Camaleon Golf Club, shooting a nine-under 62 to fly up the leaderboard into a tie for third at 18 under.

Joining Scheffler at 18 under were fellow Americans Joel Dahmen, Troy Merritt and Will Gordon, as well as last week's winner of the Bermuda Championship, Ireland's Seamus Power.

Sweden's David Lingmerth joined Sam Ryder at 17 under in a tie for eighth, while defending back-to-back champion of this event Hovland was one further back, tied for 10th.

Collin Morikawa finished the week at 15 under, and former world number one Jason Day was joined by former Masters champion Danny Willett at 14 under.

Russell Henley carded the lowest 54-hole score of the season to pull six strokes clear at the final turn at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba on Saturday.

The 33-year-old American carded a six-under-par 65, following on from successive rounds of 63 to hold a significant advantage from the nearest contenders, Will Gordon and Patton Kizzire at 16 under. Henley has tallied 191 across the three rounds at El Camaleon Golf Club.

Only four players had a better third round than Henley, who went into the day's play with a three-shot lead. Henley's long putt for birdie on the par-three 15th hole was his 22nd birdie of the tournament.

Seamus Power, who won last week's Butterfield Bermuda Championship, enjoyed the round of the day with an eight-under 63 to be alone in third.

Power's round included four birdies and two eagles, with one of the latter being a 138-yard hole-in-one on the eighth.

The Irishman is behind Gordon and Kizzire at 15 under, with Troy Merritt and Brian Harman one shot behind at 14 under. Reigning back-to-back champion Viktor Hovland is a further stroke behind among a group of four players.

Greyson Sigg, who is 13-under overall, aced the 10th to join Power and make it two holes-in-one on the same day in excellent conditions.

Joel Dahmen went within a whisker of the second-ever hole-in-one on a par four in PGA Tour history, when his massive approach landed inches away from the flag on the 17th hole.