Sami Valimaki closed with a four-under 66 to take a one-shot victory at the RSM Classic on Sea Island, earning the first PGA Tour title of his career and becoming Finland’s first winner on the circuit. He finished the event at 23 under, steady over the closing holes as the wind shifted late in the day. Valimaki used his putter from below the green on the 16th and then holed an 18-foot putt down the stretch to seal the win.
The result carries important FedExCup implications. The top 100 in the FedExCup — reduced from 125 in previous years — will receive full PGA Tour cards for the 2026 season. Ricky Castillo surged with a front-nine 28 and closed with a 62; for a time it looked as if that might move him into the top 100 from No. 135. But Max McGreevy holed a 30-foot birdie on the 18th for a 63, vaulted into solo second and pushed Castillo down to No. 102 by fewer than 10 points.
Lee Hodges narrowly missed a 10-foot birdie after McGreevy’s finish; his par 66 left him at No. 101 in the FedExCup standings by roughly two points.
Valimaki now holds a two-year PGA Tour exemption and, by finishing No. 51 in the FedExCup, has secured spots in the first two $20 million signature events of 2026. “It has been a long road, of course,” Valimaki said. “I feel like it’s a really tough year even when I kind of played decent golf, and then to keep pushing and find some good grooves in the last few tournaments, it feels amazing.”
McGreevy, who already had his card locked up, moved up to No. 60 and also qualified for the pair of early signature events, a move that dropped Jordan Spieth — who did not play this autumn — out of the 60th spot; Spieth will need sponsor exemptions to get into Pebble Beach and Riviera. “I never felt that nervous,” McGreevy said. “I felt like I was playing to win. Luckily, my best golf came out at the end of the year.”
Nico Echavarria shot 65 to tie for fourth and moved into the No. 51–60 range that grants entry to West Coast signature events. Sam Stevens aced the third hole with a nine-iron over a bunker to a front pin and finished with a 63, joining an 11-way tie for seventh; Stevens, ranked No. 48 in the world, is trying to stay inside the top 50 by year’s end to secure a spot in The Masters. Johnny Keefer, the Korn Ferry Tour player of the year who began the week at No. 50, was also part of that big tie for seventh and is expected to move up as remaining events in Australia and South Africa conclude the season.