The recent World Series in which the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games (and in extra innings in the finale to boot) was easily one of the best in the history of baseball. Yet, for golf fans – but so much more so for many PGA TOUR members, past and present – it hit as a regular occurrence, for nary a PGA TOUR season concludes without a narrative dripping with the drama of retaining fully exempt status. And this doesn’t even require an actual victory inside the ropes as merely surviving gut checks can feel just as rewarding.

So goes the FedExCup Fall, during which, coincidentally, there are seven tournaments. This week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship is the sixth in the series, but unlike the World Series every year, a “Game 7” is promised.

Port Royal Golf Course on the western edge of Bermuda presents as a neutral field relative to Sea Island Resort in St. Simons Island, Georgia, which is situated in the backyards of many members and serves as the site for The RSM Classic that doubles as next week’s finish line of the 2025 season. But this is the seventh edition of the stop in the Atlantic Ocean that hosts 120, so course knowledge isn’t valued only by experience; it’s a bonus at a time when it’s most appreciated.

A review of the only host course in tournament history, what Mother Nature has in store and more are detailed beneath entrants projected to contend.

It’s not like this in every winner-take-all contest in team sports, but Game 7 of the World Series played out like a final round in a PGA TOUR event. The pivotal pitches and plays of the game in Toronto resonated like the massive swings of momentum that birdies (and better) and bogeys (and worse) yield on second nines on Sundays. The fine lines that determined the outcome at the Rogers Centre were not dissimilar to the feeling of how single strokes feel so much heavier this deep into the PGA TOUR season. It’s why we love watching sports and attending competitions, but it’s also why the PGA TOUR members are pleased if they don’t need to play a leading role in that theater.

Of course, it’s impossible that the penultimate stop of the season will be devoid of a story of the hero, late twists in the plot, or the unexpected tragedy, but it’s likely that it’ll include all three. The stage is as familiar as ever, though, so the returning participants know their marks.

Port Royal is a par 71 with three par 5s. It tips at just 6,828 yards. Last year’s field averaged 69.974, although none of the splits for any of the four rounds ranged from 69.00-70.80. That’s because the only defense is the invisible force. It skews single-day averages, and it’s going to blow this week.

Sustained winds of 20 mph from westerly directions are expected every day but Friday, and gusts could exceed 30 mph, but never hold your breath when it comes to this component of the forecast. Friday’s breezes that also will push from the west could feel tame by comparison, but all of it explains why the putting surfaces – yes, they are Bermudagrass – are governed to just 10-1/2 feet as measured by the Stimpmeter.

Daytime temperatures will clear 70 degrees, while rain cannot be ruled out at times, but long gone is Hurricane Melissa, which wreaked havoc for the staff in recent weeks. The good folks who host the tournament are used to it, but work was required to recover from the intense energy.

Similar to last week in Mexico, the greens at Port Royal are generously sized at about 8,000 square feet, but you won’t see anywhere as many drivers off tees due to the cozier layout as compared to El Diamante at Cardonal. Although the rough once again has been allowed to reach 2-1/2 inches, keeping drives out of it isn’t a prerequisite to prevail in a vacuum, but it’ll ease the necessity to be that much better on approach and at a time of year when its value also is inflated.

The swing thought for the entire week is control. That goes both for ball flight in the wind – a low one is preferable – and for emotions. The golfers are in the arena by choice, and they relish the pressure to perform, but accepting only what they control at any moment will require the best of what they are, professionally and personally.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton previews and recaps every tournament. Refer to the timing of his contributions below. He’s also active as @RobBoltonGolf on X where you can connect with him.

• MONDAY: Power Rankings
• TUESDAY*: Expert Picks; Sleepers; Top 100 Watch
• SUNDAY: Golfbet recap; Qualifiers

*Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks, which publishes on Tuesday.