The RSM Classic Round 2: Andrew Novak Plays Free and Holds the Lead

Andrew Novak has a two-week-old at home, a three-month competitive layoff behind him and, after 36 holes at Sea Island, the lead at The RSM Classic. For a player whose job is already secure, this is the strangest kind of pressure: the kind you can choose to ignore.

Novak followed Thursday's 61 at Seaside with a 7-under 65 on the Plantation Course to reach 16-under 126, one clear of Michael Thorbjornsen and Patrick Rodgers. Sami Välimäki and Greyson Sigg sit two back at 14 under, Johnny Keefer is alone in sixth at 13 under, and the cut fell at 7-under 135, a number that tells you everything about how gentle the week has been so far.

Novak Plays Free

Novak was candid about why this week feels different, playing without status on the line while much of the field is playing for next year. "That's such an advantage this week," Novak said, per the AP. "But some guys have their entire years riding on this week."

The 65 was clean for most of the afternoon and a little messy at the end. Bogeys on two of the last three holes kept the margin at one when it could have been three or four. Novak still sounded more pleased than annoyed, saying he drove it well again and has always played well on Plantation at this event. Novak's 2026 status, majors and Signature Events are already in hand after a season that included a Zurich Classic win with Ben Griffin and a first trip to the TOUR Championship.

Thorbjornsen Goes Low and Climbs

If Novak is the relaxed one, Michael Thorbjornsen is the one with a very specific target. Thorbjornsen started the week at No. 72 in the FedExCup standings, and a bogey-free 63 at Seaside had the PGA TOUR projecting him to No. 54, which would put him into the Aon Next 10. That is the path to his first two Signature Events of 2026, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational.

The highlight was a chip-in from 51 feet for birdie at the par-3 third, part of a seven-birdie card. Thorbjornsen summed up the course in a sentence: "good shots are definitely rewarded out here and you can take it really low." He added that his ball-striking over the past few months has been pretty good, which is a dangerous thing to have going into a weekend this soft.

Rodgers and Sigg Find 62

Rodgers matched Thorbjornsen at 15 under by going one better on the day, a 10-under 62 at Plantation with a single bogey. Sigg also shot 62 at Plantation to jump to 14 under, turning a pedestrian 66 on Thursday into a real weekend tee time near the top.

Välimäki got to the same number from the other direction. The Finn followed an opening 66 at Plantation with a 62 at Seaside that carried one bogey, and Golf Today noted the 128 matched the best 36-hole start of Välimäki's career. Välimäki is the only non-American among the top five.

Keefer, the Korn Ferry Tour player of the year playing on a sponsor exemption, added a 64 at Seaside. The AP noted Keefer is No. 50 in the world, and a top-5 finish could push the world ranking far enough to earn a Masters invitation.

Thursday's Leaders Cool Off

The three co-leaders from the first round all came back to the pack. Doug Ghim, who shot 60 on Thursday, managed a 1-over 71 at Plantation and fell into a tie for 13th at 11 under. For a player who started the week at No. 125 and said he probably needed a top-3 finish to get into the top 100, that is a costly day, though he is still only five shots out.

Rico Hoey shot even-par 70 at Seaside to sit at 10 under, and Davis Thompson's 71 at Seaside left him at 9 under. Andrew Putnam, who opened with 61, posted a 69 at Plantation to sit in a six-way tie for seventh at 12 under alongside Eric Cole, Hayden Buckley, Quade Cummins, J.T. Poston and Ricky Castillo. Putnam came in at No. 119, so that position matters more than most.

The Cut and the Card Line

The cut at 7 under swallowed some notable names. Brian Harman and Sahith Theegala both missed by a shot. Joel Dahmen missed too, and with full exempt status now limited to the top 100 instead of the top 125, the AP reported that will cost him his full card for next season.

Takumi Kanaya, who arrived at No. 99, missed the cut as well and now has to hope nobody behind him gets hot. Golf Monthly projected Kanaya to sit right on the 100th spot heading into the weekend.

Beau Hossler, who came in at No. 103, made it on the number with a 67 at Plantation, birdieing the par-5 eighth and getting up and down from a bunker at No. 9. "Kind of tough, honestly, this week with it just going to be an absolute shootout," Hossler said. Matt Wallace, at No. 102, also made the weekend. Both still need a big push to cross the line.

Two Days, One Course

Both weekend rounds are on Seaside, so the course rotation is over and everybody now plays the same test. Novak leads by one, a dozen players are within four shots, and the projected top 100 will shift with every birdie on Saturday. Full scoring is on the official PGA TOUR tournament page (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's Round 2 recap (opens in a new tab) has more. Catch up on Thursday with our Round 1 recap.

Sources: PGA TOUR (Round 2 recap, Thorbjornsen feature, leaderboard), AP, Golf Channel, Golf Monthly, Golf Today. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.