Taipei golfer Kevin Yu seals additional starts with solid RSM Classic placing

Chinese Taipei’s Kevin Yu wrapped up his breakthrough 2024 PGA Tour campaign with a tied 11th finish at the RSM Classic which guaranteed him starts at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and The Genesis Invitational, which are amongst eight cash-rich Signature events in early 2025.

The 26-year-old, who earned his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship last month, closed with a final round of 4-under 66 at Sea Island Golf Club for a 12-under 270 total to finish four shots behind event winner Maverick McNealy (68). The result took Yu to 58th place from 61st in the Aon Next 10 ranking to secure starts, the PGA Tour said.

McNealy became the season’s 15th first-time winner and the fourth in FedEx Cup Fall schedule besides Yu (Sanderson Farms), Matt McCarty (Black Desert Championship), and Rafael Campos (Butterfield Bermuda Championship), Maverick McNealy (The RSM Classic). He is also the 10th player to win his first career tour title at RSM Classic and fourth in consecutive years after Talor Gooch (2021), Adam Svensson (2022), and Ludvig Åberg (2023),

“It was a good week,” Yu said later. “Coming out this week, I know I have to be maybe in the top 30 to get into the two Signature Events. But honestly, out there I wasn't really thinking that much, we were just trying to play one good shot at a time and it was a good week.

“Everything was solid,” added Yu, who is already exempt into the first Signature Event of 2025, The Sentry in Hawaii, following his win last month. He also has guaranteed starts at the Players Championship next March, the Masters Tournament in April and the PGA Championship in May.

Yu carded six birdies and dropped two shots to stay within the Aon Next 10 bracket as McNealy (62-70-66-68, 16 under par 266) sealed his maiden tour title by a single shot from amateur Luke Clanton (68-65-68-66), 15 under 267), thanks to a superb birdie on the 18th hole. It was the perfect finish to a memorable season for Yu, who posted four other top-10s to earn over $3.2 million this season.

“Obviously got to win this year,” he smiled. “Coming into this year, I know I was playing good and everything was so close. I didn't make it to the Playoffs, but just after that, I feel I was still playing good, just to think how can I improve, how can I get better.

“Just a reset and coming out to Sanderson Farms and the mindset is different and just feel like everything was going really good. I just feel like my mind was really fresh and everything was solid and just take that into next year, try and do the same and hopefully do better.”

Yu heads home again to Taipei to recharge his batteries and begin the new season in Hawaii at The Sentry. Earning spots at Pebble Beach and The Genesis Invitational also means he can plan his early season schedule as he looks to build on his 2024 season. “It’s going to be fun. Obviously now for sure I know my schedule.

“It will be good just for schedule wise I know where should I go, should I maybe miss. So just knowing that is going to be great. I love those two tournaments,” said Yu, who finished in the top 10 at Pebble Beach in 2023.

Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune concluded his rookie campaign on the PGA Tour with a tied 17th finish after a final round 66. He finished his year with one top-10 and six top-25s to safely keep his 2025 card.

With the conclusion of the closing season, Korea’s S.H. Kim and China’s Carl Yuan, who both missed the cut at the RSM Classic, are poised to sign up for the Final Stage of Qualifying School presented by Korn Ferry in a couple of weeks’ time after finishing outside the top 125 which was the cut off to retain their cards. They will still retain conditional status on the PGA Tour which guarantees a limited number of starts in 2025.