Scottie Scheffler continues his dominance on the PGA Tour winning the Travelers Championship. With his fourth Signature Event win of the season, Scheffler opens a 2,510-point gap over Xander Schauffele in the FedExCup. He plans to take the next 3 weeks off before The Open at Royal Troon.
Unfortunately for us, Tom Kim (50-1) came up short in the playoff. However, we did turn a profit this week (+2.41 Units) hitting several placements including P. Cantlay T10 (+160), B. Harman T10 (+250), and S. Scheffler 1st Round T10 (+100).
Pre-Tournament Storylines
Rickie Fowler
Rickie Fowler aims to defend his title at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he emerged victorious in a three-man playoff against Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin last year. Despite a career resurgence last season, Fowler has struggled this year, managing only two top-20 finishes. He enters the event after missing the cut at both the Memorial Tournament and the U.S. Open, although he did secure a T20 finish at the Travelers Championship last week.
Neal Shipley
The senior at Ohio State has earned a sponsor’s exemption for this week’s event. Neal Shipley will make his non-major PGA TOUR debut. He is just the sixth player to win low amateur honors at both the Masters and the U.S. Open. Shipley made his professional debut on PGA TOUR Americas last week, tying for ninth at The Beachlands Victoria Open.
Luke Clanton
Luke Clanton, who narrowly lost to Neal Shipley for low amateur honors at the U.S. Open, is also competing in Detroit. Ranked as the world’s fifth-best amateur, Clanton had an exceptional season at Florida State, leading the team to the NCAA Championship final. He won three consecutive tournaments, was a finalist for all the major awards, and set the school’s single-season scoring record.
Miles Russell
Fifteen-year-old Miles Russell is making his PGA TOUR debut after becoming the youngest player to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour. Last year, Russell won both the Junior PGA Championship and the Junior PLAYERS Championship, and he was the youngest player ever named the American Junior Golf Association’s Player of the Year—a distinction only Tiger Woods achieved before turning 16. Russell made the cut at this season’s LECOM Suncoast Classic, finishing tied for 20th.
Tom Kim
After leading in each of the first three rounds of the Travelers Championship, Tom Kim fell short in the playoff, losing to Scottie Scheffler. He will now compete in his ninth consecutive event.
Akshay Bhatia
Akshay Bhatia was in the final group at the Travelers Championship on Sunday but carded a 69 in the final round, placing T5 and taking him out of contention. Earlier this season, he secured his second career PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open. Bhatia enters this week in great form, having finished inside the top 25 in each of his last three events.
Cameron Young
Cameron Young recorded the 13th sub-60 round in PGA TOUR history in Round 3 of the Travelers Championship, shooting an 11-under par with two eagles. He has previously played in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, finishing T2 in 2022.
Michael Thorbjornsen
Michael Thorbjornsen will make his second start as a pro after debuting at the Travelers Championship, where he finished T39. He topped the PGA TOUR University ranking in May, earning PGA TOUR membership for the remainder of the 2024 and 2025 seasons, following four celebrated seasons at Stanford.
Ben Griffin
Ben Griffin finished 67th at the Travelers Championship last week. He recently underwent a procedure to repair five retinal holes in his eyes. Despite still seeing “floaters,” which might be a permanent condition, Griffin has fully adjusted to wearing shades on the course.
Nick Bienz
Nick Bienz, who works at Golf Galaxy and has never played in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, shot a 65 in the Monday Qualifying round, earning a spot in a 5-for-4 playoff. While waiting for the rest of the field to finish, he enjoyed three beers. Bienz then secured his place in the Rocket Mortgage Classic on the eighth playoff hole. All credit goes to Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) for following this story. To read more about the four players who qualified on Monday for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, you can click the following link.
After he qualified, Kevin Kisner even chimed in asking the PGA Tour to pair Nick with him this week.
Tournament Information:
- Dates: June 27th, 2024 – June 30th, 2024
- Location: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Course: Detroit Golf Club
- Course Type: Parkland
- Par: 72 (4x 3’s / 10x 4’s / 4x 5’s)
- Length: 7,370 yards (Average)
- Format: 72-hole stroke play
- Greens: Bentgrass / Poa annua .100”
- Fairways: Bentgrass / Poa annua .375”
- Rough: Bluegrass mix 4”
- Bunkers: 87
- Water Hazard(s): 1 (In-Play on 1 Hole)
- Average Green Size: 5,150 sq. ft. (Small)
- Stimpmeter: 10.5 ft. (Slow – Average)
- Purse/ Winner: $9,200,000 /$1,650,000
- FedEx Cup Points: 500
- Field: 156 Players
- Cut: Top 65 and Ties – 36 Holes
- Playoff Format: Sudden-death format, with playoff holes being 18, 15, 16, then 14 played repeatedly
- Historic Cut Line:
- 2023: -4
- 2022: -3
- 2021: -3
- Course Scoring Average:
- 2023: 69.92 (-2.08), Rank 43 of 49
- 2022: 70.40 (-1.60), Rank 38 of 50
- 2021: 70.55 (-1.45), Rank 40 of 51
Course Architect:
- Course Architect: Donald Ross (1916)
- Recent Renovations:
- Robert Trent Jones
- Arthur Hills
- Bruce Hepner
North Course will undergo a full renovation by Tyler Rae in 2025. Every aspect of the layout will be updated, including the drainage and irrigation system. To read more about the renovation, you can click the following link.
Comparable Courses & Greens:
- Comparable Courses:
- Designer Link (Donald Ross (1916)):
- Sedgefield Country Club – Donald Ross (1926) – Wyndham Championship
- Pinehurst No. 2 – Donald Ross (1907) – 2024 U.S. Open
- Oak Hill Country Club (East Course) – Donald Ross (1926) – 2023 PGA Championship
- East Lake Golf Club – Donald Ross Renovation (1913) – TOUR Championship
- Comparable Location (Detroit. Michigan):
- TPC Deere Run – Silvis, Illinois – John Deere Classic
- Muirfield Village Golf Club – Dublin, Ohio – the Memorial Tournament
- Comparable Yardage (7,370 Yards):
- Keene Trace Golf Club (Champions Course) – 7,328 Yards – Kentucky Championship
- Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course) – 7,340 Yards – Valspar Championship
- Olympia Fields Country Club (North Course) – 7,366 Yards – 2023 BMW Championship
- Comparable Greens (Bentgrass / Poa annua .100”):
- TPC River Highlands – Bentgrass / Poa annua .115” – Travelers Championship
- Tahoe Mountain Club – Bentgrass / Poa annua .100” – Barracuda Championship
- Olympia Fields Country Club – Bentgrass / Poa annua .095” – 2023 BMW Championship
- Silverado Resort and Spa – Poa annua / bentgrass – Fortinet Championship
- Comparable Average Green Size (5,150 sq. ft.):
- TPC River Highlands – 5,000 sq. ft. – Travelers Championship
- Muirfield Village Golf Club – 5,000 sq. ft. – the Memorial Tournament
- Colonial Country Club – 5,000 sq. ft. – Charles Schwab Challenge
- PGA WEST (Pete Dye Stadium Course) – 5,000 sq. ft. – The American Express
- Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) – 5,000 sq. ft. – Farmers Insurance Open
- Spyglass Hill Golf Course – 5,000 sq. ft. – AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
TV Information (all times ET):
- Round 1: Thursday, June 27th, 2024
- ESPN+ – 6:45 AM – 3:00 PM
- Golf Channel – 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Round 2: June 28th, 2024
- ESPN+ – 6:45 AM – 3:00 PM
- Golf Channel – 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Round 3: Saturday, June 29th, 2024
- ESPN+ – 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Golf Channel – 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- CBS – 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Round 4: Sunday, June 30th, 2024
- ESPN+ – 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Golf Channel – 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- CBS – 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Weather:
- Thursday: Mostly Sunny 76 F, 8 mp/h N, 54% Humidity, 5% Chance of Rain
- Friday: Mostly Cloudy 77 F, 10 mp/h SE, 54% Humidity, 10% Chance of Rain
- Saturday: Thunderstorms 84 F, 16 mp/h SW, 76% Humidity, 92% Chance of Rain
- Sunday: Mostly Sunny 72 F, 13 mp/h NW, 60% Humidity, 5% Chance of Rain
Course/ Tournament History:
The Rocket Mortgage Classic was founded in 2019 replacing the Quicken Loans National. It’s been held at Detriot Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan every year. In 2022, the Rocket Mortgage Classic was the second last event on the FedExCup Regular Season schedule. However, in 2023 it was moved up in the schedule which has attracted a much stronger field than in previous editions.
The Detroit Golf Club was founded in 1899 by a group of wealthy Detroit businessmen. Initially, it featured a six-hole course laid out by professional golfer Willie Dunn. Due to increasing membership and demand, the club expanded to 18 holes in 1900. By 1913, it had grown to include two 18-hole courses. In 1916, the club hired the renowned Scottish golf course designer Donald Ross to redesign its courses. Ross is known for his work on over 400 courses across the United States. Ross designed two distinct courses for the club, the North and South Courses. Ross’s design philosophy focused on natural terrain use, strategic bunkering, and complex green structures, making his courses challenging yet fair. Over the years, the courses have undergone several restorations to preserve Ross’s original design elements while updating the facilities to modern standards.
In 2019, the Detroit Golf Club became the host venue for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, bringing PGA Tour golf back to Detroit for the first time since the 2009 Buick Open. Before playing host to the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the club had only hosted two prior major tournaments including the 1911 Western Amateur and 1992 U.S Mid-Amateur.
- 72-Hole Record (Event):
- 262, Tony Finau (2022)
- 18-Hole Record (Event):
- 63, Nate Lashley (2019, first round), J.T. Poston (2019, second round), Davis Thompson (2021, first round), Cameron Young (2022, second round), Tom Kim (2022, fourth round), Adam Hadwin (2023, third round), Stephan Jaeger (2023, fourth round), Andrew Landry (2023, second round).
Course Guide/ Scorecard:
The Rocket Mortgage Classic layout is comprised of 17 holes from the North Course and one from the South Course. The PGA TOUR layout begins with holes 8 and 9 serving as Nos. 1 and 2, followed by hole 1 from the South Course serving as No. 3. The course then plays holes 2-7 of the North Course as Nos. 4-9 before the standard North Course back nine makes up the final nine for the championship.
| Hole | Par | Yardage | Non-Tournament Routing |
| No. 1 | 4 | 397 | North Course No. 8 |
| No. 2 | 4 | 453 | North Course No. 9 |
| No. 3 | 4 | 393 | North Course No. 1 Tee Box – South Course No. 1 Green |
| No. 4 | 5 | 635 | North Course No. 2 |
| No. 5 | 3 | 167 | North Course No. 3 |
| No. 6 | 4 | 461 | North Course No. 4 |
| No. 7 | 5 | 552 | North Course No. 5 |
| No. 8 | 4 | 372 | North Course No. 6 |
| No. 9 | 3 | 207 | North Course No. 7 |
| No. 10 | 4 | 425 | North Course No. 10 |
| No. 11 | 3 | 233 | North Course No. 11 |
| No. 12 | 4 | 489 | North Course No. 12 |
| No. 13 | 4 | 393 | North Course No. 13 |
| No. 14 | 5 | 555 | North Course No. 14 |
| No. 15 | 3 | 160 | North Course No. 15 |
| No. 16 | 4 | 446 | North Course No. 16 |
| No. 17 | 5 | 577 | North Course No. 17 |
| No. 18 | 4 | 455 | North Course No. 18 |
Originally crafted by Donald Ross in 1916, Detroit Golf Club features a Par 72 layout, comprising four Par 3s, ten Par 4s, and four Par 5s.
In terms of length, Detroit Golf Club is one of the more average courses on the Tour measuring 7,370 yards. It ranks 22nd out of 44 courses in length. The fairways are on the wider side, ranking 10th of 44, with the average fairway width being 35.5 yards. The average green size is roughly 5,150 square feet which is on the smaller side when compared to the other courses on the PGA Tour. Bunkers are one of the main defensives as there are 87 which ranks as the 11th most of 44 courses.
The four Par 3’s range between 160 yards and 233 yards. In terms of stats, two of the four Par 3’s range between 150-175 yards. Last year, two of the Par 3’s had a scoring average over par, No. 9 (+0.134) and No. 11 (+0.182).
No. 5, 167 Yards, Par 3: This uphill hole plays slightly longer than the yardage. A back hole location can produce difficult putting conditions as a spine runs through that area of the green. This hole is recreated on the Ross Memorial course at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, Michigan
No. 11, 233 Yards, Par 3: Birdies are hard to come by on the longest of the four par three holes on the north. Guarded by two bunkers, this green looks relatively simple from the tee. However, closer inspection will reveal a front bowl and several places to hide the hole location
There are ten Par 4’s at Detroit Golf Club. No. 8 is the shortest Par 4 listed at 372 yards with the longest being No. 12, playing 489 yards. In terms of scoring average, the toughest Par 4 on the course last year was No. 6 (+0.192).
No. 1, 397 Yards, Par 4: The two left-side fairway bunkers tighten up the driving area a bit, but there is plenty of room to the right. A good drive will leave players with a mid to short iron into the green for their second shot. The mighty oak off the right side of the tee was bent as a sapling by Native Americans to mark their Detroit to Saginaw trail. A bronze tablet at the base of this tree memorializes this bit of history
No. 8, 372 Yards, Par 4: Driver may not be the play off of the tee for everyone. Several fairway bunkers and out-of-bounds left may produce a layup tee ball short of any trouble. The second short normally plays about half of a club more as the green is slightly uphill.
No. 18, 455 Yards, Par 4: This great par four finishing hole has a diagonal penalty area that will dictate strategy from tee to green. With fairway bunkers left and right, a tee shot in the fairway will be most important, leaving long to mid-iron into the green. However, once on the green, the fun has just begun. Players will be faced with possibly the most difficult putting surface on the course.
There are four Par 5’s at Detroit Golf Club, No. 4, No. 7, No. 14, & No. 17. They all played under par in 2023, with the easiest hole on the course being No. 7 with a scoring average of 4.405.
No. 7, 552 Yards, Par 5: Again, being accurate off of the tee will determine how the player will attack this hole. Those that find the fairway may have the opportunity to reach this par five in two. Those that don’t will have to negotiate a challenging layup as a large tree on the left-hand side of the fairway and fairway bunkers short right of the green dictate strategy.
No. 14, 555 Yards, Par 5: Big hitters normally have a go at this green in two but the player needs to beware of the large penalty area short of the green. A layup shot can be challenging as the player will need to avoid a cross bunker on the right and the penalty are on the left. Once on the green, putting won’t come easy on this large and undulating surface
Featured/ Signature Hole(s): 6-8, 18
For a hole-by-hole overview of the course, you can click the following link.
Key Statistics:
| Statistics | PGA Tour Average | Detroit Golf Club |
| Driving Distance (Yards) | 283.47 | 296.02 |
| Driving Accuracy | 62% | 66% |
| GIR Percentage | 66% | 72% |
| Avg GIR Prox to Hole (Feet) | 29.17 | 28.42 |
| Scrambling Percentage | 58% | 62% |
| Avg 3 Putts / Round | 0.55 | 0.52 |
Per DataGolf, this is the favored skillset at Detroit Golf Club.
- Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
- Success this week will hinge on players’ ability to position themselves effectively off the tee. While the course’s considerable length underscores the significance of distance, precision holds equal importance.
- Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
- Kevin Dougherty
- Keith Mitchell
- Cameron Champ
- Alejandro Tosti
- Min Woo Lee
- Rico Hoey
- Kevin Yu
- Jhonattan Vegas
- Tom Kim
- Taylor Moore
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Having a strong iron game will be important this week if players want to succeed at Detroit Golf Club. Four of the past five winners ranked 10th or better in SG: Approach amongst the field.
- Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
- Kelly Kraft
- Joel Dahmen
- Keith Mitchell
- Aaron Rai
- Tom Kim
- Kevin Yu
- Bud Cauley
- Lee Hodges
- Ben Griffin
- Dylan Wu
- Strokes Gained: Around the Green
- The average green size at Detroit Golf Club is 5,150 sq. ft. Players will undoubtedly miss greens this week so they’ll need to rely on their short game. Four of the past five winners ranked 14th or better in SG: Around the Green amongst the field.
- Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
- Webb Simpson
- Joseph Bramlett
- Alex Noren
- Davis Thompson
- Aaron Baddeley
- Jorge Campillo
- Martin Laird
- C.T. Pan
- Roger Sloan
- Wesley Bryan
- Driving Distance
- We’ve seen long hitters have an advantage at this course in the past due to the soft fairways and patchy non-penal rough. There are also a lack of hazards which favors an aggressive approach off the tee.
- Leaders in this category this season:
- Min Woo Lee
- Kevin Dougherty
- Chris Gotterup
- Gary Woodland
- Alejandro Tosti
- Jhonattan Vegas
- Vincent Norrman
- Kevin Yu
- Pierceson Coody
- Carl Yuan
- Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass & Poa Annua)
- The green complexes at Detroit Golf Club are Bentgrass / Poa annua .100”. Four of the past five winners ranked 15th or better in SG: Putting amongst the field.
- Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
- Beau Hossler
- Dylan Wu
- Taylor Montgomery
- Kevin Kisner
- Aaron Baddeley
- Maverick McNealy
- S.H. Kim
- Harry Hall
- Min Woo Lee
- Brendon Todd
- Par 3 Scoring: 150-175 Yards (x2)
- Two of the four Par 3’s at Detroit Golf Club range between 150-175 Yards.
- Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
- Brendon Todd
- Stewart Cink
- Davis Skinns
- Erik can Rooyen
- Chandler Phillips
- Adam Schenk
- Tyler Duncan
- Aaron Baddeley
- K.H. Lee
- Chan Kim
- Par 4 Scoring: 350-400 Yards (x4)
- Four of the ten Par 4’s at Detroit Golf Club range between 350-400 Yards.
- Leaders in Par 4 Scoring: 350-400 Yards in the last 24 Rounds:
- Stewart Cink
- Martin Laird
- Davis Thompson
- Taylor Pendrith
- Brandt Snedeker
- Zac Blair
- Tom Kim
- Lanto Griffin
- Zach Johnson
- Doug Ghim
- Par 4 Scoring: 450-500 Yards (x4)
- Four of the ten Par 4’s at Detroit Golf Club range between 450-500 Yards.
- Leaders in Par 4 Scoring: 450-500 Yards in the last 24 Rounds:
- Mark Hubbard
- Tom Kim
- Alex Noren
- Aaron Rai
- Ryan Moore
- Rico Hoey
- Robert MacIntyre
- Min Woo Lee
- Ben Kohles
- Justin Lower
- Par 5 Scoring: 550-600 Yards (x3)
- Three of the four Par 5’s at Detroit Golf Club range between 550-600 Yards.
- Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
- Martin Trainer
- Jacob Bridgeman
- Keith Mitchell
- Ryan McCormick
- Davis Riley
- Akshay Bhatia
- Tom Kim
- Michael Thorbjornsen
- Beau Hossler
- Cameron Champ
- Birdies or Better Gained
- The winning score has been -23 or better in four of the last five editions of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Players will need to take advantage of every scoring opportunity this week if they want to put themselves into contention.
- Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
- Tom Kim
- Pierceson Coody
- Justin Lower
- Ben Griffin
- Maverick McNealy
- Jacob Bridgeman
- Keith Mitchell
- Davis Riley
- Wesley Bryan
- Matti Schmid
- Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
- Proximity Gained: 75-100 Yards / 200+ Yards
- Below is the approach shot distribution chart from last year’s event (via DataGolf). Most approach shots come from the 75-100 yard range along with the 200+ yard range at a volume much higher than the PGA Tour average.
- Leaders in Proximity Gained: 75-100 Yards in the last 24 Rounds:
- Joel Dahmen
- Doug Ghim
- Patrick Rodgers
- Hayden Springer
- Andrew Novak
- Cam Davis
- Jason Dufner
- Nick Dunlap
- Michael Kim
- Beau Hossler
- Leaders in Proximity Gained: 200+ Yards in the last 24 Rounds:
- Kevin Dougherty
- Thorbjørn Olesen
- Kevin Yu
- Tom Kim
- Patrick Fishburn
- Robert MacIntyre
- Andrew Novak
- Sami Valmaki
- Joe Highsmith
- Brice Garnett
- Comparable Courses and Event History
- Looking at the Data Golf Course History Tool, prior experience at the Detroit Golf Club has proven to be slightly advantageous.
- Leaders in this category in the last (Multiple Events Played):
- Taylor Moore
- Taylor Pendrith
- Stephan Jaeger
- Justin Lower
- Chris Kirk
- Troy Merritt
- Alex Noren
- Tom Kim
- Cameron Davis
- J.J Spaun
The Field:
This year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic will feature a total of 156 competitors.
- Here is the current basis of qualification for each entrant this week:
- Winner of PGA/Open Championship
- Winner of THE PLAYERS Championship
- Winner of Open Championship
- PGA TOUR tournament winner
- Career money exemption
- Sponsor exemption (DP World Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, Q-School Category)
- Sponsor exemption (members not otherwise exempt)
- Sponsor exemption (unrestricted)
- PGA Section Champion/Player of the Year
- Past champion member
- Top 30 on FedExCup Points List
- Top 70 in prior year’s FedExCup Points List through the FedExCup Playoffs
- Top 125 in prior season’s FedExCup Points List through the FedExCup Fall
- Top 125 on prior season’s FedExCup (non-member)
- Major medical extension
- Leading points winner from Korn Ferry Tour
- Top 10 and ties from previous event
- Players 2-30 from prior year’s Korn Ferry Tour Points List, Top 10 from prior year’s DP World Tour and Top five and ties from PGA TOUR Q-School
- No. 1 player PGA TOUR University (current year)
- Reorder Category – Cat. 37 thru 44
- Previous Winners in the Field (Event):
- Rickie Fowler (’23), Cameron Davis (’22), Nate Lashley (’19)
- Debutants in the Field (Event):
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Alejandro Tosti, Benjamin James, Blaine Hale, Jr., Chan Kim, Daniel Berger, Eric Cole, Erik Barnes, Francesco Molinari, Hayden Springer, Jackson Koivun, Jacob Bridgeman, Jake Knapp, Joe Highsmith, Jorge Campillo, Kevin Dougherty, Luke Clanton, Mac Meissner, Max Greyserman, Min Woo Lee, Neal Shipley, Nick Dunlap, Parker Coody, Patrick Fishburn, Pierceson Coody, Raul Pereda, Rico Hoey, Robert MacIntyre, Russell Miles, Ryan Fox, Ryan McCormick, Ryo Hisatsune, Sami Valimaki, Taylor Montgomery, Thorbjorn Olesen, Tom Whitney, Trace Crowe, Wilson Furr
- Sponsor Exemptions:
- Luke Clanton, Jason Dufner, Ben James, Jackson Kolvun, Miles Russell, Neal Shipley, Jimmy Walker
- Players with ties to Michigan in the Field:
- Birthplace:
- Erik Barnes – Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Ryan Brehm – Mount Pleasant, Michigan
- Willie Mack III – Flint, Michigan
- College:
- Ryan Brehm – Michigan State (2008)
- Birthplace:
- Notable Withdraws/ Changes:
- OUT: Philip Knowles -> IN: Kelly Kraft (Alternate)
- IN: Willie Mack III (Sponsor Exemption; Winner of The John Shippen)
- IN: Nick Benz (Monday Qualifier)
- IN: Danny Guise (Monday Qualifier)
- IN: Angelo Giantsopoulos (Monday Qualifier)
- IN: Brandon Berry (Monday Qualifier)
To see the full field for this event and how they qualified, you can click the following link.
The Odds:
Here are the current favorites for this week’s event along with a summary of their recent form and course history:
Tom Kim (+1200) enters this week following a runner-up finish at the Travelers Championship, where he lost in a playoff to Scottie Scheffler. Prior to the Travelers, Kim finished T26 at the U.S. Open, T43 at the Memorial Tournament, and T4 at the RBC Canadian Open. This will be his third appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having finished 7th in 2022 and missing the cut last year.
Cameron Young (+1600) finished T9 at the Travelers Championship last week, marking his fifth top-10 finish this season on the PGA Tour. Despite eight runner-up finishes throughout his three-year career, he is still searching for his first victory on the PGA Tour. His best finish this season was at the Valspar Championship, where he finished two shots behind winner Peter Malnati. Young has played in this event once before, finishing runner-up to Tony Finau in 2022.
Min Woo Lee (+2000) will make his tournament debut this week. He enters in good form, having finished T21 at the U.S. Open and T24 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He came close to his first PGA Tour victory earlier this season at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, finishing runner-up to Austin Eckroat.
Akshay Bhatia (+2200) captured his second career PGA Tour victory earlier this season at the Valero Texas Open. He enters this week in great form, having finished inside the top 25 in each of his last three events. Bhatia made his tournament debut last year, where he missed the cut.
Taylor Pendrith (+2500) has been playing well lately, heading into this week’s event. In his last three starts, he finished T33 at the Memorial Tournament, T16 at the U.S. Open, and T23 at the Travelers Championship. This will be his third appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having finished T2 in 2022 and T14 in 2023.
Stephan Jaeger (+2500) captured his first career PGA Tour victory earlier this season at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. In his last two starts, he finished T21 at the U.S. Open and T31 at the Travelers Championship. This will be his fourth appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, where he missed the cut in 2019, finished 5th in 2022, and T9 in 2023.
Maverick McNealy (+2800) has been playing well recently, heading into this week’s event. In his last three starts, he finished T23 at the PGA Championship, T17 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and T7 at the RBC Canadian Open. This will be his fourth appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having finished T8 in 2020, T21 in 2021, and missing the cut in 2022.
Keith Mitchell (+3000) is coming off one of his best performances of the season, finishing T10 at the RBC Canadian Open. Prior to that, he finished T37 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and missed the cut at the PGA Championship. This will be his second appearance at this event, having missed the cut in his tournament debut in 2019.
Alex Noren (+3000) has missed the cut in two of his last three PGA Tour starts, with the lone exception being a T22 finish at the Memorial Tournament. This will be his fourth appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, where he missed the cut in 2020, finished T4 in 2021, and T9 in 2023.
Aaron Rai (+3000) enters this week in good form, having finished T14 at the RBC Canadian Open and T19 at the U.S. Open in his last two starts. His best finish on the PGA Tour was last month at TPC Craig Ranch (THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson), where he finished T4. He has played in this event once before, finishing T9 last year.
Davis Thompson (+3500) is coming off his second-best performance of the season after finishing T9 at the U.S. Open. His best finish of the year was at the Myrtle Beach Classic, where he finished runner-up to Chris Gotterup. This will be his third appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having finished T58 in 2021 and T24 in 2023.
Will Zalatoris (+3500) hasn’t been in great form, failing to finish inside the top 40 in each of his last seven starts on the PGA Tour. Last week, he finished T42 at the Travelers Championship. He has played in this tournament twice before, finishing 77th in 2021 and T20 in 2022.
To see the most up-to-date odds, you can click the following link.
Projected Final Score:
- 72 Hole Winning Score: 263.5 / -24.5 (Over -120 / Under +100)
The winning score has been above 263.5 in three of the last five editions of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The outliers were in 2022 when Tony Finau set the 72-hole tournament record positing 262 (-26) and in 2019 when Nate Lashley finished -25 (263).
To place a bet at Superbook on the Projected Final Score of the Winner, you can click the following link.
Playoff Props:
- Will There Be a Playoff? (Yes +300 / No -400)
Since the first edition of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2019, the tournament has ended in a playoff twice. The most recent playoff happened last year when Rickie Fowler defeated Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin.
To place a bet at DraftKings on the Playoff Prop, you can click the following link.
Hole-in-One:
- Will There Be A Hole-in-One? (Yes -230 / No +160)
In 2023, there was one hole-in-one which was made by Max Homa on No. 15. In 2022, there were two holes-in-one, one made on No. 11 and one made on No. 15.
To place a bet at FanDuel on the Hole-in-One Prop, you can click the following link.
Recent Horses for Courses (Event)
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rocket Mortgage Classic | |||
| Detroit Golf Club | Detroit Golf Club | Detroit Golf Club | Detroit Golf Club | Detroit Golf Club | |||
| Events Played | Scoring Avg. (per round) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| Taylor Moore | 2 | 67.00 | T4 | 6 | – | – | – |
| Taylor Pendrith | 2 | 67.25 | T14 | T2 | – | – | – |
| Stephan Jaeger | 3 | 68.00 | T9 | 5 | – | – | MC |
| Justin Lower | 2 | 68.25 | 8 | T30 | – | – | – |
| Chris Kirk | 4 | 68.38 | T14 | T17 | T12 | T21 | – |
| Troy Merritt | 4 | 68.44 | T17 | T14 | T2 | T8 | MC |
| J.J Spaun | 5 | 68.70 | T33 | T8 | T32 | T30 | T13 |
| Alex Noren | 3 | 68.60 | T9 | – | T4 | MC | – |
| Callum Tarren | 2 | 68.75 | T29 | T20 | – | – | – |
Recent Donkeys for Courses (Event):
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rocket Mortgage Classic | |||
| Detroit Golf Club | Detroit Golf Club | Detroit Golf Club | Detroit Golf Club | Detroit Golf Club | |||
| Events Played | Scoring Avg. (per round) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| Michael Kim | 3 | 73.83 | – | – | MC | MC | MC |
| Andrew Novak | 2 | 73.25 | MC | MC | – | – | – |
| Scott Piercy | 2 | 73.00 | – | MC | MC | – | – |
| Martin Trainer | 5 | 72.50 | MC | MC | MC | MC | MC |
| C.T. Pan | 2 | 72.50 | – | MC | – | MC | – |
| Benjamin Taylor | 3 | 72.17 | MC | – | MC | MC | – |
| Nick Hardy | 2 | 72.00 | MC | MC | – | – | – |
| Erik van Rooyen | 2 | 72.00 | MC | – | – | MC | – |
| Joseph Bramlett | 4 | 71.75 | MC | MC | MC | MC | – |
| Bill Haas | 2 | 71.50 | – | MC | – | MC | – |
| Jason Dufner | 4 | 71.00 | MC | – | MC | MC | MC |
| Gary Woodland | 3 | 71.00 | – | MC | MC | – | MC |
Previous Winners Scores, Prices, and Strokes Gained (Rank at Tournament):
- 2023: Rickie Fowler (-24)
- Price: 14-1
| SG: Off the Tee | SG: Tee to Green | SG: Approach | SG: Around the Green | SG: Putting | |
| Rickie Fowler | 30th | 3rd | 2nd | 14th | 12th |
- 2022: Tony Finau (-26)
- Price: 14-1
| SG: Off the Tee | SG: Tee to Green | SG: Approach | SG: Around the Green | SG: Putting | |
| Tony Finau | 2nd | 1st | 6th | 9th | 15th |
- 2021: Cameron Davis (-18)
- Price: 150-1
| SG: Off the Tee | SG: Tee to Green | SG: Approach | SG: Around the Green | SG: Putting | |
| Cameron Davis | 34th | 4th | 9th | 5th | 22nd |
- 2020: Bryson DeChambeau (-23)
- Price: 7-1
| SG: Off the Tee | SG: Tee to Green | SG: Approach | SG: Around the Green | SG: Putting | |
| Bryson DeChambeau | 1st | 4th | 51st | 26th | 1st |
- 2019: Nate Lashley (-25)
- Price: 250-1
| SG: Off the Tee | SG: Tee to Green | SG: Approach | SG: Around the Green | SG: Putting | |
| Nate Lashley | 29th | 3rd | 6th | 13th | 2nd |
Previous Winners Incoming Form (Last 5 Starts):
- 2023: Rickie Fowler
- T13 – Travelers Championship (PGA)
- T5 – U.S. Open (MAJ)
- T9 – the Memorial Tournament (PGA)
- T6 – Charles Schwab Challenge (PGA)
- MC – PGA Championship (MAJ)
- 2022: Tony Finau
- WON – 3M Open (PGA)
- T28 – The Open Championship (MAJ)
- T13 – Travelers Championship (PGA)
- MC – U.S. Open (MAJ)
- 2 – RBC Canadian Open (PGA)
- 2021: Cameron Davis
- MC – the Memorial Tournament (PGA)
- T45 – Charles Schwab Challenge (PGA)
- T59 – PGA Championship (MAJ)
- T26 – Wells Fargo Championship (PGA)
- MC – Valspar Championship (PGA)
- 2020: Bryson DeChambeau
- T6 – Travelers Championship (PGA)
- T8 – RBC Heritage (PGA)
- T3 – Charles Schwab Challenge (PGA)
- N/A – THE PLAYERS Championship (PGA)
- 4 – Arnold Palmer Invitational (PGA)
- 2 – WGC-Mexico Championship (PGA)
- 2019: Nate Lashley
- T28 – U.S. Open (PGA)
- MC – RBC Canadian Open (PGA)
- 69 – Charles Schwab Challenge (PGA)
- T29 – AT&T Byron Nelson (PGA)
- T45 – Wells Fargo Championship (PGA)
Previous Winners Finishes at Event:
2023: Rickie Fowler
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| Rickie Fowler | MC | T32 | T12 | T46 |
2022: Tony Finau
| 2020 | |
| Tony Finau | T53 |
2021: Cameron Davis
| 2020 | 2019 | |
| Cameron Davis | MC | MC |
2020: Bryson DeChambeau
- Tournament Debut
2019: Nate Lashley
- Tournament Debut
Picks (Outrights):
Maverick McNealy enters this week in strong form, having finished T23 at the PGA Championship, T17 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and T7 at the RBC Canadian Open in his last three starts. His iron play, which was struggling earlier in the season, has improved significantly, with him gaining strokes on approach in four of his last five events.
McNealy has played in this tournament three times before, with his best finish (T8) coming in 2020 during his tournament debut. He also finished T21 in 2021 and missed the cut in 2022.
Over the last 24 rounds, McNealy ranks 13th in SG: Off the Tee, 21st in SG: Approach, 28th in SG: Around the Green, and 6th in SG: Putting (Bentgrass/Poa Annua). His driving distance, where he ranks 46th on the Tour this season, should be advantageous this week. McNealy also ranks highly in several other key categories over the last 24 rounds, including Birdies or Better Gained (5th), Par 4 Scoring 350-400 Yards (11th), Par 4 Scoring 450-500 Yards (17th), Par 5 Scoring 550-600 Yards (53rd), and Proximity Gained 75-100 Yards (61st).
Taylor Pendrith captured his first PGA Tour victory earlier this season at TPC Craig Ranch, winning THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. He comes into this week having finished inside the top 25 in three of his last four starts. His putting has improved significantly, gaining strokes in six of his last seven starts. Pendrith’s approach play has also been trending positively, gaining strokes in that category in three of his last four starts.
Pendrith has played in this event twice before, finishing T2 in 2022 and T14 in 2023. Heading into the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic, Pendrith had three consecutive top-20 finishes. In 2023, when he finished T14, he was coming off two missed cuts.
Over the last 24 rounds, Pendrith ranks 38th in SG: Off the Tee, 50th in SG: Approach, 51st in SG: Around the Green, and 26th in SG: Putting (Bentgrass/Poa Annua). His driving distance, where he ranks 15th on Tour this season, should be advantageous this week. Pendrith also ranks highly in several other key categories over the last 24 rounds, including Birdies or Better Gained (18th), Par 4 Scoring 350-400 Yards (4th), Par 4 Scoring 450-500 Yards (22nd), Par 5 Scoring 550-600 Yards (20th), and Proximity Gained 75-100 Yards (24th).
Davis Thompson is coming off his second-best performance of the season, finishing T9 at the U.S. Open. His best finish of the year was at the Myrtle Beach Classic, where he finished runner-up to Chris Gotterup. His overall game has been trending positively, especially his putting and approach play, in his last two starts.
This will be his third appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having finished T58 in 2021 and T24 in 2023. In 2021, when he finished T58, he was fresh out of college, making his seventh start on the PGA Tour. Last year, when he finished T24, he was coming off two missed cuts.
Over the last 24 rounds, Thompson ranks 14th in SG: Off the Tee, 65th in SG: Approach, 4th in SG: Around the Green, and 86th in SG: Putting (Bentgrass/Poa Annua). His putting has improved recently, gaining strokes in each of his last two starts. Thompson has also gained strokes on approach in five of his last six starts. His driving distance, where he ranks 44th on the Tour this season, should be advantageous this week. Thompson also ranks highly in several other key categories over the last 24 rounds, including Birdies or Better Gained (16th), Par 4 Scoring 350-400 Yards (3rd), Par 5 Scoring 550-600 Yards (34th), and Proximity Gained 75-100 Yards (21st).
Matt Wallace struggled at the beginning of the season, missing the cut in four of his first eight starts. He turned things around at the Valspar Championship, finishing T17. Since then, he has only missed the cut once in his last eight starts on the PGA Tour. His best finish of the season was at TPC Craig Ranch, where he finished 4th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Wallace is coming off a 15th-place finish at the KLM Open on the DP World Tour.
This will be his fourth appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having finished T12 in 2020, T10 in 2022, and T78 in 2023. Last season, when he finished T78, he had missed the cut in six of his eight prior starts.
Over the last 24 rounds, Wallace ranks 83rd in SG: Off the Tee, 27th in SG: Approach, 36th in SG: Around the Green, and 17th in SG: Putting (Bentgrass/Poa Annua). His driving has improved in his last three starts, and his iron play, which struggled earlier in the season, has also improved, gaining strokes on approach in three of his last four starts. Wallace also ranks highly in several other key categories over the last 24 rounds, including Birdies or Better Gained (60th), Par 4 Scoring 450-500 Yards (12th), and Proximity Gained 75-100 Yards (26th). While his ranking in Birdies or Better is lower than other selections, he has proven his ability to win in easy scoring conditions, as shown by his victory at the Corales Puntacana Championship last season with a winning score of -19.
Lee Hodges enters this week in solid form, contrasting his start to the season. In his last five events, Hodges has not finished outside the top 45. His best finishes during this stretch came at the PGA Championship and Charles Schwab Challenge, where he finished T12 in both events.
This will be his third appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having finished T44 in 2022 and missing the cut in 2023. However, when he missed the cut last year, his iron play was not in great shape leading into the tournament. Hodges won at a comparable course, capturing his first career victory at the 3M Open last season.
Over the last 24 rounds, Hodges ranks 125th in SG: Off the Tee, 8th in SG: Approach, 83rd in SG: Around the Green, and 51st in SG: Putting (Bentgrass/Poa Annua). His driving has improved in his last five starts, and his short game, which struggled earlier in the season, has gained strokes around the green in three of his last five starts.
Michael Kim enters this week’s event having finished inside the top 20 in four of his last six starts. In his most recent start, he finished T14 at the RBC Canadian Open. His best finish of the season was back in January, where he finished T6 at The American Express.
This will be his fourth appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having missed the cut in each of his three prior trips. However, he is playing some of the best golf of his career, so his prior starts in the Rocket Mortgage Classic hold less weight. Last season, Kim played well at Sedgefield Country Club (a comparable course), finishing T5 at the Wyndham Championship.
Over the last 24 rounds, Kim ranks 136th in SG: Off the Tee, 41st in SG: Approach, 59th in SG: Around the Green, and 93rd in SG: Putting (Bentgrass/Poa Annua). His driving has improved, gaining strokes in that category in two of his last three starts. Kim also ranks highly in several other key categories over the last 24 rounds, including Birdies or Better Gained (15th), Par 4 Scoring 350-400 Yards (25th), and Proximity Gained 75-100 Yards (9th).
Total Risk on Outrights: 1.13 Units
Picks (Top 20):
- Stephan Jaeger (+125) – BetMGM
- Risk 1.00 to win 1.25 Units
Stephan Jaeger captured his first career PGA Tour victory earlier this season at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. He enters this week’s event having finished inside the top 25 in four of his last seven starts. His best performance during that span was at the RBC Heritage, where he finished T18.
This will be his fourth appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having missed the cut in 2019, finishing 5th in 2022, and T9 last year.
Over the last 24 rounds, Jaeger ranks 15th in SG: Off the Tee, 70th in SG: Approach, 41st in SG: Around the Green, and 144th in SG: Putting (Bentgrass/Poa Annua). Although he has struggled on the greens in recent starts, he gained strokes putting in each of his last two appearances at this venue. His iron play has been inconsistent, but he has been trending in the right direction, gaining strokes on approach in his last two starts. Jaeger’s driving distance, where he ranks 17th on the Tour this season, should be advantageous this week.
- Nicolai Hojgaard (+200) – BetMGM
- Risk 1.00 to win 2.00 Units
Nicolai Hojgaard started the season with an impressive runner-up finish at the Farmers Insurance Open. Since then, he has had one other top-20 finish this season, which came at the Masters Tournament. In his last two starts, he finished T35 at the RBC Canadian Open and T50 at the U.S. Open.
This will be his second appearance at the Detroit Golf Club, having finished T21 at this tournament last year. Heading into that event, he was in worse form than this year, having missed the cut in both of his prior starts.
Over the last 24 rounds, Hojgaard ranks 79th in SG: Off the Tee, 55th in SG: Approach, 135th in SG: Around the Green, and 18th in SG: Putting (Bentgrass/Poa Annua). While he ranks 79th in SG: Off the Tee due to accuracy issues, this week that should be less of an issue, and his distance is much more advantageous. His iron play has been improving, gaining strokes on approach in three of his last four starts. Hojgaard also ranks highly in several other key categories over the last 24 rounds, including Birdies or Better Gained (45th), Par 4 Scoring 350-400 Yards (14th), Par 4 Scoring 450-500 Yards (21st), and Proximity Gained 75-100 Yards (73rd).
Total Risk on Top 20s: 2.00 Units
Picks (Top 40):
- Alejandro Tosti (+130) – BetMGM
- Risk 1.00 to win 1.30 Units
Alejandro Tosti struggled at the beginning of the season, missing the cut in four of his first six starts. He found his form at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, finishing T2. After that, he experienced another dip but is coming off his second-best finish of the season at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he finished T17.
He will be making his tournament debut this week, but the course should favor his skill set. Tosti is one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, ranking 8th in Driving Distance this season. His iron play has also been more consistent in his recent starts.
Total Risk on Top 40s: 1.00 Unit
Picks (Matchups):
- Thorbjorn Olesen (+110) over Mark Hubbard – DraftKings
- Risk 1.00 to win 1.10 Units
Total Risk on Matchups: 1.00 Unit
As always, all of my placement bets are through BetMGM as they’re one of the only books without dead-heat rules. If you’d like to bet these placements at BetMGM, you can get up to $1500 in Bonus Bets if you don’t win if you’re a first-time user. Must Be 21+. Gambling Problem? Call or Text 1-800-GAMBLER.
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Total Risk on the Rocket Mortgage Classic: 5.08 Units
Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting
