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PGA Tour: Wrap-Up From Rocket Mortgage Classic

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DETROIT – Cam Davis defeated Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann in a five-hole playoff to secure his first PGA Tour victory as he became the seventh first-time winner of the season.

Davis won the ninth playoff of the season just one week following Harris English’s win over Kramer Hickok in an eight-hole playoff at the Travelers Championship. The two weeks combined marked the first time with back-to-back playoffs of five holes or more on the PGA Tour.

The last time the Tour had back-to-back playoffs was in 2020 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (won by Justin Thomas) and Sony Open in Hawaii (won by Cameron Smith).

Niemann becomes the first player without a bogey through 72 holes since Andrew Putnam at the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Notable Finishes: Jason Day (T-14), Rickie Fowler (T-32), Willie Mack III (T-71), Phil Mickelson (T-74)

Playoff records: Davis (1-0), Merritt (0-1), Niemann (0-2).

Alex Noren (T-4) finished one stroke shy of the playoff and a chance to become the 10th player from Sweden to win on the PGA Tour.

Of Hank Lebioda’s four top-10 finishes on Tour, two have now come in back-to-back weeks (Travelers Championship/T-5, Rocket Mortgage Classic/T-4).

Bubba Watson (T-6) closed with an 8-under (64), his best final-round score since winning the 2018 Travelers Championship with a (63).

This Week: The John Deere Classic (TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois)

Final Leaderboard at the Rocket Mortgage Classic

*Cam Davis 68-68-67-67—270 (-18)

Troy Merritt 67-68-67-68—270 (-18)

Joaquin Niemann 65-69-68-68—270 (-18)

Alex Noren 70-70-67-64—271 (-17)

Hank Lebioda 67-70-66-68—271 (-17)

*defeated Troy Merritt with a par-3 on the fifth playoff hole (No. 15); Joaquin Niemann was eliminated after a bogey on the first playoff hole (No. 18).

PGA: Final Round at Rocket Mortgage

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Rocket Mortgage Classic: Final Round Notes

Co-leader Joaquin Niemann is bogey-free through 54 holes in bid for second career PGA Tour victory. The last player player to go 72 holes without a bogey and proceed to win a tournament was J.T. Poston at the 2019 Wyndham Championship.

Co-leader Troy Merritt drained his first career PGA Tour ace at the par-3 11th hole en route to his fourth career 54-hole lead/co-lead. Merritt is two-for-three with the 54-hole lead/co-lead in stroke-play events on the Tour.

Following missed cuts in the 2019 and 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, Hank Lebioda (T-3) at (-13) has three top-10 finishes in his career, including a T-5 at last week’s Travelers Championship. His best finish in 62 Tour starts is T-3 at the 2019 Bermuda Championship.

Leaderboard After 54 Holes:

Troy Merritt 67-68-67—202 (-14)

Joaquin Niemann 65-69-68—202 (-14)

Hank Lebioda 67-70-66—203 (-13)

Cam Davis 68-68-67—203 (-13)

Brandon Hagy 65-71-68—204 (-12)

PGA Tour: Two Lead After 36 Holes

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DETROIT – Joaquin Niemann and Tom Lewis (-10) share the 36-hole lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Neither co-leader has made a bogey through two rounds.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut for the second time this season and first since The Genesis Invitational.

2021 Masters Tournament champion Hideki Matsuyama was forced to withdraw before the start of his round after testing positive for COVID-19

Phil Mickelson played the final two holes in 1-under to make the cut on the number in his tournament debut.

Leaderboard After 36 Holes:

Joaquin Niemann 65-69—134 (-10)

Tom Lewis 65-69—134 (-10)

Troy Merritt 67-68—135 (-9)

Chris Kirk 67-68—135 (-9)

Max Homa 70-65—135 (-9)

PGA Tour: Thompson Leads at Rocket Mortgage Classic Golf

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UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, play was suspended from 12:15pm to 3:30pm (EDT), a delay of 3 hours, 15 minutes. Due to darkness, the first round was suspended at 9:02pm (EDT) with 27 players left on the golf course and will resume at 7:15am (EDT) today. As they are finishing, the second round will have begun as scheduled at 6:45am this morning.

DETROIT – Tournament leader Davis Thompson is competing on a sponsor exemption. In the opening round, Thompson tied the tournament 18-hole scoring record with a 9-under (63) with the previous (63s) all came in 2019: Nate Lashley/R1, J.T. Poston/R2, Lashley/R3).

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Thompson’s previous low score in 16 prior rounds on Tour was a 4-under (66) as an amateur in the final round of 2019 The RSM Classic (T23/PGA Tour debut). He made his seventh career start on the PGA Tour and third since the University of Georgia product turned professional in June.

Thompson’s professional results: T-35/Palmetto Championship at Congaree, MC/Travelers Championship).

Brandon Hagy is currently in second place. His 7-under (65) was his first par-or-better first-round score in his last eight individual PGA Tour stroke-play events.

Matthew Wolff, the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic runner-up, recorded a 5-under 67, highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 17th and is T-7.

Kevin Chappell withdrew before his round with a back injury and was replaced in the field by Josh Teater.

Leaderboard After 18 Holes:

Davis Thompson 63 (-9)

Brandon Hagy 65 (-7)

Tom Lewis 65 (-7)

Joaquin Niemann 65 (-7)

Seamus Power 66 (-6)

J.J. Spaun 66 (-6)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour: First Look at Rocket Mortgage

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The 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic First Look

COURSE: Detroit Golf Club (Detroit, Michigan)

ARCHITECT: Donald Ross

YARDS/PAR: 7,370 yards/Par 72

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,500,000 /$1,350,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Bryson DeChambeau (July 5, 2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Total/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @RocketClassic

OFFICIAL SITE: (Rocket Mortgage Classic)

TV COVERAGE: Thursday, July 1 and Friday, July 2:  3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. 

On Saturday, July 3, Round 3 coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. CBS takes over from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, July 4: Golf Channel starts-off the coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) and CBS wraps it up from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage with Featured Groups via PGA Live from 6:45am to 6:00pm (EDT) on Thursday and Friday. PGA Live Coverage expands on the weekend with Featured Groups streaming 8:15am to 3:00pm (EDT) and Featured Holes 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on both Saturday and Sunday.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio returns for Thursday and Friday coverage 12:00pm Noon to 6:00pm (EDT). Weekend coverage on PGA Tour Radio airs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) or until conclusion. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com

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Rocket Mortgage Classic: 2021 Notebook

  • Bryson DeChambeau is trying to defend the tournament title after earning his sixth career PGA Tour win at Detroit Golf Club in 2020. DeChambeau defeated Matthew Wolff by three strokes last July.
  • DeChambeau became the first PGA Tour winner to lead the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and Strokes Gained: Putting. His last three drives at the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic totaled 1,055 yards in distance.
  • DeChambeau enters this week No. 4 in the FedExCup and No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
  • A tournament treat for Detroit fans as 45-time PGA Tour winner Phil Mickelson will make his tournament debut in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Since winning the PGA Championship in May, Mickelson has just five rounds under-par in 10 tournament rounds.
  • Two players became eligible for PGA Tour membership on June 13: Garrick Higgo and Mito Pereira. Higgo won the Palmetto Championship at Congaree in his second career start, while Pereira earned a “Three-Victory Promotion” from the Korn Ferry Tour (first since Wesley Bryan in 2016).

 

The Basics:

Tournament Tee Times begin Thursday at 6:45am (EDT) through 2:00pm (EDT).

Weather: Thursday’s forecast calls for afternoon showers, temps 68-to-82 degrees, and very humid (73%). A 40% chance of rain. Friday weather improving to partly cloudy and weekend forecast is for sunny skies and lower humidity.

Olde English Wins at The Travelers

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CROMWELL – By the time the playoff was over, it was Harris Olde English who hit a birdie putt and won The Travelers Championship at the TPC River Highlands near Hartford, Connecticut. English previously sank a 27’8” birdie putt on the 72nd hole and went on to victory with the birdie on the eighth extra hole to win over Kramer Hickok.

Eight extra holes is T-2 for most in PGA Tour history (11/1949 Motor City Open).

English claimed his second PGA Tour title of the season, with both having been decided by playoffs.

In his attempt for his first career PGA Tour title, Hickok birdied the 72nd hole to force sudden death with English but had to settle for his career-best finish of second place.

2012 Travelers Championship winner Marc Leishman posted bogey-free 6-under (64) to finish third.

Final Leaderboard at The Travelers Championship

*Harris English 67-68-67-65—267 (-13)

Kramer Hickok 63-69-68-67—267 (-13)

Marc Leishman 69-66-69-64—268 (-12)

Abraham Ancer 72-66-66-65—269 (-11)

*Won with a birdie on the eighth hole of sudden death

PGA Tour: Watson, Hickok Co-Leaders at Travelers

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The Travelers: Final Round Notebook

Tournament co-leader Kramer Hickok is seeking his first career PGA Tour victory in his 68th start while fellow co-leader Bubba Watson looks to join Billy Casper as a four-time Travelers Championship winner.

Second-round leader Jason Day sits one stroke back looking for his 13th PGA Tour title but first since 2018.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson fired the low round of the day (65) to sit T-9 at 7-under after he birdied six of his last twelve holes.

Abraham Ancer and Kyle Stanley both used their 7-irons to record aces at the 180-yard 8th hole.

As the final round begins, there are 38 players within five strokes of the lead.

Travelers Leaderboard – After 54 Holes

Kramer Hickok 63-69-68 – 200 (-10)

Bubba Watson 66-66-68 – 200 (-10)

Cameron Smith 67-68-66—201 (-9)

Russell Henley 67-66-68—201 (-9)

Jason Day 69-62-70 – 201 (-9)

See PGA Tour Brunch for additional daily coverage.

Saturday at The Travelers

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The Travelers: 2021 Notebook

CROMWELL – At 9-under (131), Jason Day holds his first 36-hole lead/co-lead in a non-major since 2017 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Beginning on No. 10, the Australia native notched eight birdies en route to bogey-free 8-under (62). That score marked his lowest score in 24 rounds at the Travelers Championship (Previously: (63) in R-2/2019).

Bubba Watson opened with back-to-back rounds of (66) or better for the third time in his Tour career. He offset one bogey with five birdies for a 4-under (66) on Friday. His previous back-to-back rounds of (66) or better were at the 2010 The American Express/T-2, and 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open/T-2).

Kramer Hickok (T-2) is chasing his first career Tour victory in his 68th start.

K.H. Lee made eagle on the par-5 13th hole and par-4 15th hole, marking the first time in his career with multiple eagles in one round.

Defending Travelers Championship winner Dustin Johnson sits T-58 at 2-under.

The 36-hole cutline was (-2) with 79 players at 2-under (138) advancing from a field of 156 professionals.

Travelers Leaderboard – After 36 Holes

Jason Day 69-62 – 131 (-9)

Bubba Watson 66-66 – 132 (-8)

Kramer Hickok 63-69 – 132 (-8)

Seven players 133 (-7)

PGA Tour: Kodaira, Hickok Lead After 18

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The Travelers: Opening Round 2021 Notebook

Satoshi Kodaira made six birdies, one eagle in bid to become the season’s second tournament winner from Japan (Hideki Matsuyama/2021 Masters Tournament).

Kramer Hickok offset a bogey at his first hole with eight birdies, good for a PGA Tour career-low 7-under (63).

Following missed cuts in both previous Travelers Championship starts, Talor Gooch opened with a bogey-free 6-under (64).

In his first start at the Travelers Championship, Maverick McNealy opened with a bogey-free 5-under (65).

World No. 2 Dustin Johnson birdied his last two holes to open with an even-par (70) in effort to join Phil Mickelson as only players to successfully defend a Travelers Championship title.

Travelers Leaderboard – After 18 Holes

Kramer Hickok 63 (-7)

Satoshi Kodaira 63 (-7)

Talor Gooch 64 (-6)

Five players 65 (-5)

The Travelers Tees-Off in Connecticut

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PGA Tour “Travelers” to Nearby Cromwell, Conn

COURSE: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut

ARCHITECT: Robert J. Ross/Maurice Kearney

YARDS/PAR: 6,841 yards/Par 70

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,400,000 /$1,332,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Dustin Johnson (2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Total/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @TravelersChamp

OFFICIAL SITE: (The Travelers)

TV COVERAGE: Today, June 24 and Friday, June 25:  3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. 

On Saturday, June 26, Round 3 coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. CBS takes over from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, June 27: Golf Channel starts-off the coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) and CBS wraps it up from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage with Featured Groups via PGA Live from 6:45am to 6:00pm (EDT) today and Friday. PGA Live Coverage expands on the weekend with Featured Groups streaming 8:00am to 3:00pm (EDT) and Featured Holes 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on both Saturday and Sunday.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio returns for today and Friday coverage 12:00pm Noon to 6:00pm (EDT). Weekend coverage on PGA Tour Radio airs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) or until conclusion. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com

How to Watch: In case of changes, see: (PGATourCom)

The Travelers: 2021 Notebook

Scheduled to compete in this week’s field are three of the four players with multiple wins this season: Bryson DeChambeau (2020 U.S. Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard), Stewart Cink (Fortinet Championship, RBC Heritage) and Patrick Cantlay (ZOZO Championship @ Sherwood, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday). With a victory on Sunday, one of the three could become the first player to win three titles during the 2020-21 season.

The 2021 Travelers Championship marks the beginning of the FedEx Cup playoff stretch. With only nine events remaining until the start of the playoffs, Jon Rahm moved to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings and within 137 points of leader Patrick Cantlay.

The Travelers Championship has a long history of awarding sponsor exemptions to up-and-coming players. Previous sponsor exemptions for some of the Tour’s biggest stars included: Webb Simpson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Matthew Wolff, Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa.

In 2021, sponsor exemptions include PGA Tour University top-ranked players John Pak and Davis Thompson, Oklahoma State product Austin Eckroat, who is making his first Tour start as a professional, and Chase Koepka, who qualified on Monday before the 2020 Travelers Championship but withdrew as a precaution after COVID exposure.

The Basics:

Tournament Tee Times begin today at 6:45am (EDT) through 2:00pm (EDT).

Weather: Today’s forecast calls for sunny skies and a comfortable 67-degrees, low humidity at 46% and a 0% chance of rain. Winds 6-12 mph. Friday forecast calls for 30% chance of showers, temps 53-80-degrees with southerly winds, 7-14 mph.