Detroit Rock City hosts for the fifth consecutive summer.
Tony Finau is the reigning champion and is back this week to defend his title.
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Detroit Golf Club
Composite Course
Detroit, Michigan
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NOW PLAYING:
The Detroit Golf Club takes center stage for the fifth consecutive summer. Last year, the event was the penultimate on the regular season calendar. This time around it opens a two-week jaunt to the Midwest, followed by a trip to the John Deere Classic, before it’s off to the United Kingdom.
The Midwest swing, including the return to the USA after The Open, is about making birdies, going low, and regaining confidence for the final run-in to make the top 70.
Donald Ross designed the two courses in use in 1916. His work has been touched, tucked, and turned over the years but his fingerprints remain. Green complexes and rough will appear to be the defense this week. Keeping the ball below the hole and out of the four inches of Bluegrass will provide PLENTY of birdie chances.
The winning score here has been 23-under or better in three of four events. Annually 10-under par barely qualifies for the top 50. Five players last year posted 20-under or better.
| Host Course | Detroit Golf Club – Composite Course. |
| Yards (per official scorecard): | 7,370 (since 2021). |
| Par: | 72 (36-36). |
| Greens: | Bentgrass/Poa annua. |
| Stimpmeter: | 12 feet. |
| Rough: | Bluegrass mix at four inches. |
| Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play | 87/1/1. |
| Architect(s): | Donald Ross (1916). |
| Purse (2022): | $8.8 million; $1.545 million winner plus 500 FedExCup points. |
| Defending Champion (event): | Tony Finau |
| Multiple Champion(s) Entered: | None. |
| Course Record (last): | 63; Tom Kim, 2022 (Round 4). |
| 72 Hole Tournament Record: | 262 (-26); Tony Finau, 2022. |
| Oldest Winner (event): | 36; Nate Lashley, 2019. |
| Youngest Winner (event): | 26; Cam Davis, 2021 (last). |
| Fact of the Week: | Only Davis (-18) has won with less than 20-under par. |
| Fact of the Week II: | The cut has been 3-under or BETTER in all four events. |
Notes:
- Field of 156 players contains 13 of the top 50 OWGR.
- Top 65and ties will play the final 36 holes.
Season Winners
2022-2023 Season Winners
| Event | Winner |
| Fortinet Championship | Max Homa |
| Sanderson Farms Championship | Mackenzie Holmes |
| Shriners Children’s Open | Tom Kim |
| ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP | Keegan Bradley |
| CJ CUP at CONGAREE | Rory McIlroy |
| Butterfield Bermuda Championship | Seamus Power |
| Mayakoba Championship | Russell Henley |
| Cadence Bank Houston Open | Tony Finau |
| The RSM Classic | Adam Svensson (first TOUR win) |
| Sentry Tournament of Champions | Jon Rahm |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | Si Woo Kim |
| The AMERICAN EXPRESS | Jon Rahm (2) |
| Farmers Insurance Open | Max Homa (2) |
| AT&T Pebble Beach | Justin Rose |
| WM Phoenix Open | Scottie Scheffler |
| The Genesis Invitational | Jon Rahm (3) |
| The Honda Classic | Chris Kirk |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win) |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | Scottie Scheffler (2) |
| Valspar Championship | Taylor Moore (first TOUR win) |
| Corales Puntacana | Matt Wallace (first TOUR win) |
| WGC – Dell Technologies MP | Sam Burns |
| Valero Texas Open | Corey Conners |
| Masters | Jon Rahm (4) |
| RBC Heritage | Matt Fitzpatrick |
| Zurich Classic of New Orleans | Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each) |
| Mexico Open at Vidanta | Tony Finau (2) |
| Wells Fargo Championship | Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win) |
| AT&T Byron Nelson | Jason Day |
| PGA Championship | Brooks Koepka |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | Emiliano Grillo |
| Memorial | Viktor Hovland |
| RBC Canadian Open | Nick Taylor |
| U.S. Open | Wyndham Clark (2) |
| Travelers Championship | Keegan Bradley (2) |
Recent Winners – RMC
Italics – not entered this week
| Year | Winner | Notes |
| 2022 | Tony Finau (-26) | Tournament record as he goes back-to-back on TOUR; Won by five. |
| 2021 | Cam Davis (-18) | Won a three-man playoff for his first TOUR victory. |
| 2020 | Bryson DeChambeau (-23) | Led the event in SG: Tee to Green and SG: Putting. Hard to beat. |
| 2019 | Nate Lashley (-25) | Posted 63 twice in the first three rounds to set the 54-hole scoring record. |
This Week
Chalk (via BetMGM)
Tony Finau (+1200): Just go over your scorecard from last year if you need any confidence/reminder! 1 bogey, bombs away, eating Par-5s, perfect recipe for a repeat.
Rickie Fowler (+1200): Time to put all four rounds together and complete the comeback. As the great John Rathouz pointed out last night, caddie Ricky Romano was on the bag for Nate Lashley’s win here in 2019. Stars aligning and all that.
Collin Morikawa (+1600): Bent/Poa. 63 last Friday. Top five Fairways and GIR. You’re buying the putter for four days.
Justin Thomas (+1600): When the floodgates fully open, it won’t be for only one week. Played his final 54 holes last week in 17-under. I’m encouraged he’s in the field this week, knowing that he needs 20-odd under to contend.
Hideki Matsuyama (+1800): Playing three straight events suggests he’s healthy. If he’s healthy, he’s going to contend.
Max Homa (+1800): Blind stat play this week. Last time he MC in two straight he rebounded with a top 10. Like everyone on this list above him minus Finau, he’s looking for his first top 10 payday here.
Sungjae Im (+1800): Faces Morikawa in a playoff, surely. Trying to figure out how T29 in his last five is the best of the bunch. Trying to figure out how he’s MC in three of those five. Weird.
Tom Kim (+2000): Loves Donald Ross. Closed here last year with 63, tying the course record. Won for the first time at Sedgefield last year, another Ross course, closing with 61.
Keegan Bradley (+2800): Noble to honor his commitment. Doesn’t mean he had to slow the victory party down, either! Pass!
Top 10/Top 20/Top 40
Ludvig Aberg (+4000): Youngsters have no problem making a bucket’s worth of birdies. Not many penalty areas here to avoid. Not much thinking besides smash it and find it. Free.
Austin Eckroat (+4500): Quietly rolling along. Free money.
Aaron Rai (+5500): T24, T3, and T12 in three of his last four on TOUR.
Doug Ghim (+6600): T15, T12, T19 and T27 in his last four. Ride the heat in summer!
JJ Spaun (+6600): One of the few with extended course form here.
Davis Riley (+8000): Keep reading…
Longer Shots
Use ’em wherever you see fit! All players listed are +20000 or worse and are for a reason or two!
Greyson Sigg (+15000): Turned it around his last two weeks.
Matt Wallace (+15000): Happy hunting ground, T10 and T12 from two visits.
Davis Thompson (+20000): Shares the course record.
Peter Kuest (+35000): Another qualification on Monday.
Last Week – Travelers Championship
Chalk (via BetMGM)
Vacation.
I also won’t be here next week for the John Deere Classic.
Full refunds for all!!!
Top 10/Top 20/Top 40
Longer Shots
Use ’em wherever you see fit! All players listed are +10000 or worse and are for a reason or two!
OAD – 2023 Spotter’s Game
| Already Burned |
| Sungjae Im – Maui |
| Tom Kim – Sony |
| Tom Hoge – AMEX |
| Viktor Hovland – Pebble |
| Xander Schauffele – WMPO |
| Max Homa – Riviera |
| Shane Lowry – Honda |
| Tyrrell Hatton – API |
| Akshay Bhatia – PRO |
| Jason Day – THE PLAYERS |
| Justin Rose – Valspar |
| Cam Percy – Corales |
| Scottie Scheffler – WGC MP |
| Rickie Fowler – Valero |
| Jordan Spieth – Masters |
| Collin Morikawa – RBC Heritage |
| Billy Horschel – Zurich |
| Nicolai Hojgaard – Mexico |
| Rory McIlroy – WFC |
| Adam Scott – ATTBN |
| Brooks Koepka – PGA Championship |
| Chris Kirk – Colonial |
| Patrick Cantlay – Memorial |
| Matt Fitzpatrick – RBC CO |
| Jon Rahm – US Open |
| Harris English – Travelers |
This Week – Rocket Mortgage Classic
Davis Riley
Time to have some fun. With The Open and two FedExCup Playoff events to come, I’ve got some rationing to do with the big boys. Laying down Justin Thomas this week will no doubt come back to haunt me, but whatever.
I tried to catch a Rickie in a bottle before the Masters. Hindsight suggests that was a bad idea. Don’t be like me.
Riley posted rounds of 63 and 64 last week so something’s brewing here.
I think.
I hope.
Is it over yet?
Sadly, no.
Just missed: Austin Eckroat, Doug Ghim, Carson Young, Ludvig Aberg
Last Week – Travelers
Harris English – T60
Four rounds of par or better doesn’t register in shootouts. 70-70 weekend for the past champion killed any chances of me being relevant.
Glass Houses 