The RSM Classic Round 1: Doug Ghim Flirts With 59 and Shares the Lead

Doug Ghim walked onto Sea Island on Thursday as the 125th man in a race that only pays the top 100. He walked off with a 60 in his pocket, a share of the Seaside course record and a share of the lead at The RSM Classic, the last stop of the PGA TOUR season and the last chance for a lot of people to keep their jobs.

Ghim shot 10-under 60 on the par-70 Seaside Course and sits tied at the top with Davis Thompson and Rico Hoey, who each went 10-under 62 on the par-72 Plantation Course. Andrew Putnam and Andrew Novak are one back after matching 61s at Seaside. A five-man logjam at 8 under includes Michael Thorbjornsen and Max McGreevy.

One Putt From 59

Ghim's day was a study in staying out of the way of a good round. He split the card into a pair of 30s, rattled off four straight birdies, and kept the ball out of trouble. That left a putt of about 20 feet on the 18th, per the AP, that would have meant 59. It slid by.

"I thought I made it halfway there and at the end of the day that's all I really can do," Ghim said.

The halfway line is the honest part. Ghim, the low amateur at the 2018 Masters, is still looking for a first professional win after seven years on tour, and he arrived needing something big. His own math was blunt: "I probably need to finish top 3." He also allowed that it was easy to get impatient watching low numbers go up everywhere, which is exactly what made his 60 so disciplined. He never chased it.

Plantation Gives Up a Record

Over on the Plantation Course, the record book took a hit too. Thompson and Hoey each posted 62, one better than the old Plantation mark of 63 that had been shared by 10 different players, according to The Brunswick News.

Thompson's number carried a hometown subplot. The St. Simons-based pro is the son of tournament director Todd Thompson, and the calm morning set the tone. "The wind was down, so I felt like I could attack out there," Thompson said, adding that birdies at 8 and 9 coming in capped the round.

Hoey's card had a different flavor. The Filipino pro hit all 18 greens for the first time and rolled in a 45-foot eagle putt at the par-5 14th. "I made an eagle and hit all 18 greens, that's a first for me," Hoey said. Like Ghim, Hoey has no PGA TOUR win yet, though Thompson and Hoey both came in with their 2026 status already locked.

The Andrews Come Close

Putnam might have the most frustrating 61 of the year. Putnam was in range of breaking 60 at Seaside before closing with two pars, finishing with nine birdies. The stakes made it sting a bit more. Putnam started the week at No. 119 in the FedExCup Fall standings, and Golf Monthly reported a finish around sixth would be needed to sneak inside the top 100. Putnam said the game had not been far off, it was the putter, usually a strength, that had been letting Putnam down. Thursday the putter showed up.

Novak's 61 came with a different backstory. It was the first competitive round since the TOUR Championship in late August and the first since becoming a father a couple of weeks ago. The only blemish was a tee shot into the trees at No. 10 that forced a penalty drop and a bogey. "For not playing since August, pretty happy," Novak said. Earlier this year Novak teamed with Ben Griffin to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and his card for next season is already safe.

No Wind, No Mercy

Seaside is usually the tougher of the two tracks because of the breeze off the water. Thursday there was no breeze, warm air and receptive greens, and the numbers showed it. Seaside played to a 67.8 average, 2.2 under par. Plantation averaged 68.5, which is 3.5 under.

That is bad news for the names hovering near No. 100. Takumi Kanaya came in at No. 99 after dropping 16 spots in Bermuda by missing a short par putt in the wind. A 68 at Sea Island was steady, but bogeys on the last two holes let a cushion slip. Matt Wallace, who started at No. 102, opened with a 67, per Golf Monthly.

Further down the board, McGreevy went bogey-free for his 64 on Plantation, saying his first birdie at 13 opened the floodgates. Séamus Power posted 64 on Seaside. Johnny Keefer, the Korn Ferry Tour's top player this season and No. 50 in the world, recovered from a rough start with seven birdies over his last 10 holes for 65 at Seaside, a push that matters because a strong week could help his case for a Masters spot. Tournament host Davis Love III, 61 years old, shot 71.

Friday's Flip

Everybody switches courses on Friday, and that changes the math. The 62 shooters head to Seaside, Ghim and the Andrews head to Plantation, and the cut falls after 36 holes with the card race tightening around it. The lead is shared three ways, at least 14 players are within three shots, and the scoring conditions say nobody can protect anything yet.

For Ghim, the job is simple to describe and hard to do. One great round got the conversation started. Three more are needed to finish it. Full scoring is on the official PGA TOUR tournament page (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's Round 1 recap (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR (Round 1 recap, leaderboard), AP, Golf Channel, The Brunswick News, Golf Monthly, Sky Sports, GolfMagic. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.