Sami Valimaki holds on for 1st PGA Tour title on final day of close calls for keeping cards

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Sami Valimaki became Finland’s first PGA Tour winner on Sunday when he closed with a 4-under 66 for a one-shot victory in the RSM Classic, the final event of the year, which saw hopes rise and fall over the final hour at Sea Island.

Valimaki, who had two runner-up finishes over the past two seasons, used putter from below the green on the 16th and then holed an 18-foot putt putt. He was steady over the closing holes even as the wind abruptly changed direction with a little more force late in the day.

Far more dramatic was everything going on in front of him.

The top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings — down from 125 players in previous years — have full PGA Tour cards for a 2026 season when the fields will be smaller.

Ricky Castillo shot 28 on the front nine and closed with a 62, and when he finished, it looked like that would be enough for him to move from No. 135 inside the top 100. But then Max McGreevy holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 63, moving him into second place alone.

That bumped Castillo down to No. 102 by fewer than 10 points.

Right after McGreevy holed his putt, Lee Hodges had a 10-foot birdie attempt that narrowly missed and cost him a chance to move into the top 100. The par for a 66 left him at No. 101 in the FedEx Cup standings by about two points.

When the RSM Classic ended, the players at Nos. 95 to 100 going into the final event were unchanged.

And there was Valimaki, a two-time winner on the European tour who was runner-up two weeks ago in Mexico. Now he has a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and is assured of playing the first two $20 million signature events of 2026 by finishing at No. 51 in the FedEx Cup.

“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 to also qualify for a pair of signature events to start next year. His finish bumped Jordan Spieth, who did not play this fall, from the 60th spot, meaning Spieth will need sponsor exemptions for Pebble Beach and Riviera.

McGreevyplayed with freedom knowing he didn’t have to worry about playing for his card.

“I never felt that nervous,” he 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 that No. 51-60 slot for signature events on the West Coast.

Sam Stevens made a hole-in-one on the third hole with a 9-iron over a bunker to a front pin and wound up with a 63 to join an 11-way tie for seventh place. He already was set for all the signature events. On his mind at No. 48 in the world ranking was staying in the top 50 at year’s end to earn a spot in the Masters.

It’s too close to call, as it is for Johnny Keefer, the Korn Ferry Tour player of the year who came into the week at No. 50. Both were in that big tie for seventh and figure to move up a few spots, with tournaments still to be held in Australia and South Africa the rest of the year.

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