Sami Valimaki won his first PGA Tour title by one victory at the RSM Classic at Sea Island.
Valimaki became Finland’s first PGA Tour winner with a 4-under 66 in the final event of the year.
Valimaki, who finished second twice in the past two seasons, used the putter under the green on the 16th and then made an 18-foot putt. He finished at 23 under par and held steady on the final hole despite a sudden change in wind direction late in the day.
The top 100 finishers in the FedExCup standings (down from 125 in previous years) will receive full PGA Tour cards for the 2026 season. Ricky Castillo shot 28 on the front nine for a 62, which seemed to be enough to move from No. 135 into the top 100.
But Max McGreevy sank a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 63 and was alone in second place.
This dropped Castillo to 102nd place by less than 10 points.
Shortly after McGreevy’s putt, Lee Hodges missed a 10-foot birdie attempt, narrowly missing and losing his chance to crack the top 100. A par 66 placed him 101st in the FedExCup standings by about two points.
Valimaki celebrates his win on the 18th green.
Valimaki now has a two-year exemption from the PGA Tour and his 51st-place finish in the FedExCup will allow him to play in the first two $20 million signature events of 2026.
“Of course it’s been a long journey,” Valimaki said. “I feel like it’s been a really tough year, even though I’ve been playing some decent golf, and to keep working on it and finding a good groove over the last few tournaments has been really amazing.”
With his card already locked up, McGreevy moved up to 60th and also qualified for a pair of signature events starting next year. His finish pushed Jordan Spieth, who did not play this fall, out of 60th place. This means Spieth will need sponsor exemptions for Pebble Beach and Riviera.
McGreevy played freely, knowing he didn’t have to worry about playing his cards.
“I’ve never been so nervous,” he said. “I felt like I was playing to win. Fortunately, I played my best golf at the end of the year.”
Max McGreevy took second place.
Nico Echavarria shot a 65 to tie for fourth and move into spots 51-60 in West Coast’s signature event.
Sam Stevens made a hole-in-one on the third hole with a 9-iron over the bunker to the front pin, and shot 63 to join the team in an 11-stroke tie for seventh place. He was already scheduled to attend all the signing events. Ranked 48th in the world, the goal in his mind was to stay in the top 50 at the end of the year and qualify for the Masters.
It’s too close to home for Korn Ferry Tour player of the year and 50th-place finisher this week, Johnny Keefer. Both finished tied for seventh and are expected to move up a few places, with the tournament continuing to be held in Australia and South Africa for the remainder of the year.
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