The phrase “prime time golf” generally means that one of two things is happening: 1. a major tournament is being played on the West Coast, or 2. it’s the Hawaii Swing. Didn’t any of us know there was a third possible scenario… a 5-1 playoff in a Monday qualifier for the RSM Classic?
Believe it, friends. On Monday at the Brunswick Country Club in Brunswick, Ga., 93 players hit the tee in hopes of landing one of four spots available for the RSM Classic, which begins Thursday at Sea Island. One player, Jacob Solomon, managed to stand out from the pack, posting a six-under 64 to earn medalist honors and earn one of four spots up for grabs.
This is where things got complicated, with eight players shooting four-under 66s and only three spots remaining. This is not an uncommon occurrence during Monday qualifying, but it becomes much more difficult when fighting in broad daylight (another topic for another day). Two spots went quickly, one to Rafael Campos who birdied the first playoff hole to beat seven pars, and the second to Matt Akins, who birdied the second playoff hole. This left 5 players playing for last place with daylight not only fading, but essentially non-existent.
Fortunately, the Georgia PGA, which hosted the qualifiers, prepared for the worst-case scenario. Ryan French, AKA Monday Q Info on Xformerly known as Twitter, was there from the start:
Two hours after this photo was taken, these lights were in use:
High school football practice in late fall, or Monday qualifying for a PGA Tour event? If you closed your eyes and just listened to the video, you would automatically assume it was the former.
These things also did a pretty solid job of lighting up the green:
The playoff went three extra holes, with Curtis Thompson, one of Lexi Thompson’s older brothers, outlasting Will Chandler on the final playoff hole, according to the French. As has been documented time and time again, Monday qualifying life is definitely not for the faint of heart. Whether it’s fading darkness, a poorly conditioned course, or a distance that doesn’t allow you to hit the driver, you need to be mentally prepared for almost anything when chasing your dream.
