RSM Classic Power Rankings: Ranking the top ten golfers at Sea Island

ST SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 18: Dominic Bozzelli of the United States plays his shot from the 14th tee during the final round of the RSM Classic at the Sea Island Golf Club Seaside Course on November 18, 2018 in St. Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO – NOVEMBER 16: Lanto Griffin of the United States prepares to play his shot from the 13th tee during the second round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic at El Camaleon Mayakoba Golf Course on November 16, 2019 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) /

Lanto Griffin’s played as well as anybody this fall. After advancing through the Korn Ferry Tour finals, he’s shot up to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup Standings. That’s an impressive feat considering he didn’t get into any of the three free-point Asian events in October.

It’s one of the feel good stories of the year for the former journeyman who nearly ran out of funds chasing his dream.

“I got my card that first time by finishing 22nd on the Web.com Tour in October 2017. Five months earlier, I’d made $4,800 through 10 events and was thinking about quitting for what must’ve been the 40th time,” Griffin said in a Golf Digest story.

A T-76 last week at the Mayakoba Golf Classic is the VCU product’s “worst” finish in seven starts in the 2019-2020 season. He won the Houston Open a month ago and has five more top-18 finishes since September.

The 31-year-old Californian can hit the ball far (310.5 on the Korn Ferry Tour) and has putted substantially better than his rookie season two years ago. He was 139th on Tour in strokes gained putting in 2018, but improved to fourth (1.731) on the Korn Ferry Tour last year.

This is Griffin’s second RSM Classic. He missed the cut in 2017 in what was just his seventh career PGA Tour start.

Now brewing with confidence, I like Griffin to keep it going this week in Georgia.

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