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Rocket Mortgage Classic

PGA Tour: Rocket Mortgage Classic

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The race is on for the PGA Tour’s rank-and-file with only six weeks of tournaments remaining to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. This week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic presents a great opportunity for the field, with only one top-20 player making the trip to Detroit. The grind is on for those trying to earn — or keep — their spots in the playoffs and trying to get into the top 50 in the world for next year’s signature events.

Our golf experts preview the event starting Thursday at Detroit Golf Club, and provide their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week.

ROCKET MORTGAGE CLASSIC
Location: Detroit, June 27-30
Course: Detroit Golf Club, North Course (Par 72, 7,370 Yards)
Purse: $9.2M (Winner: $1.65M)
Defending Champion: Rickie Fowler
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler

HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @RocketClassic

PROP PICKS
–Stephan Jaeger to Beat Taylor Pendrith (-110 at DraftKings): Jaeger isn’t a household name, but he is playing some really solid golf. In addition to tying for ninth in Detroit last year, the German won the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March and has finished T21 or better in four of his past seven starts. Pendrith also claimed his maiden PGA Tour win in May and is coming off a T16 at the U.S. Open and a T23 at the Travelers.

BEST BETS
–Cameron Young (+1600) is coming off a T9 last week that included a 59 in the third round. He finished runner-up here in his last visit in 2022, when Young tied the 18-hole record with a 63 in the second round. He’s second at the book with 8 percent of the money supporting Young to finally claim his first PGA Tour title this week.
–Min Woo Lee (+2000) is coming off a T21 at the U.S. Open, his 11th made cut in 15 starts this year. The young Australian has also been backed by 8 percent of the money.
–Akshay Bhatia (+2200) finished T5 last week after a T16 at the U.S. Open.
–Stephan Jaeger (+2500) also tied the 18-hole record in the final round last year to finish T9. He has only two top-20s since winning the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

NOTES
–Miles Russell, 15, makes his PGA Tour debut after being the youngest player to make the cut in a Korn Ferry Tour event. He is a +100000 longshot at BetRivers. Other sponsor’s exemptions included Auburn star Jackson Koivun and Neal Shipley, who won low amateur at the Masters and U.S. Open.
–Detroit Golf Club is hosting the event for the sixth time.
–Fowler won a three-man playoff last year to claim his first tour title since 2019.
–Tony Finau set the tournament scoring record of 262 in 2022.
–The North Course is set to undergo a renovation following the completion of next year’s event.

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Fowler Ends the Drought

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DETROIT – Rocket Mortgage ambassador Rickie Fowler defeated Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin with a birdie-3 on the first playoff hole (No. 18) to record his sixth PGA Tour title and his first since the 2019 WM Phoenix Open.

The Playoff records for the 3 players: Fowler (3-2), Morikawa (1-3), Hadwin (0-1)

Fowler won in the seventh PGA Tour Playoff of the season and the second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic (Cam Davis/2021). Morikawa finished runner-up for the seventh time in 94 Tour starts while Hadwin picks up his fifth runner-up finish in 239 starts on the circuit.

Peter Kuest finished T-4 in his failed bid to become the first Open Qualifier to win on Tour since Corey Conners at the 2019 Valero Texas Open. Kuest’s Top-10 finish earned a spot in this week’s John Deere Classic field.

Stephan Jaeger tied the Detroit Golf Club’s 18-hole scoring record with a 9-under (63) which was the third record (63) of the week.

Max Homa aced No. 15 for his second hole-in-one on Tour.

With rainy conditions all day, preferred lies were in effect for the final round.

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Final Leaderboard

P1 Rickie Fowler 67 65 64 68 264 (-24)*

P2 Collin Morikawa 66 67 67 64 264 (-24)

P2 Adam Hadwin 66 68 63 67 264 (-24)

T4 Taylor Moore 64 67 69 67 267 (-21)

T4 Lucas Glover 69 69 64 65 267 (-21)

T4 Peter Kuest 64 70 65 68 267 (-21)

*Won with birdie-3 on first playoff hole (No. 18)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour: Rocket Mortgage Preview

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DETROIT – A red hot Tony Finau won the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic, his second victory in as many weeks following his victory at the 2022 3M Open the week prior. In the last 12 months, Finau has won four times on Tour, including wins this season at the Texas Children’s Houston Open and Mexico Open at Vidanta. Finau is one of 11 players in the field that has won on Tour this season.

Keegan Bradley won last week’s Travelers Championship by three strokes over Brian Harman and Zac Blair. Bradley earned his sixth PGA Tour title and second of the season. With the win, Bradley moved to No. 5 in the FedEx Cup standings and No. 18 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Six players in the field finished in the Top 10 at last week’s Travelers Championship:

Finish at 2023 Travelers Championship

  • Keegan Bradley (Won)
  • Zac Blair T-2
  • Brian Harman T-2
  • Chez Reavie T-4
  • Alex Smalley T-9
  • Justin Thomas T-9

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Tournament Facts

COURSE: Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan

YARDS/PAR: 7,370 yards/Par 72

ARCHITECT: Donald Ross

PRIZE Money – Purse: $8,800,000/$1,584,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Tony Finau

PAST RESULTS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @RocketClassic

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

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Basics

The Tee Times at Rocket Mortgage run Thursday from 6:45am (ET) to 2:22pm (ET).

Weather: Thursday’s forecast is for mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the 69-85-degree range. Only a 15% chance of rain. Winds 11 mph.

Tournament Web Site: (link)

FedEx Cup Standings: (link)

Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour Brunch will post at 6:30am (ET) Thursday

Rocket Mortgage Classic – Field, Updates and Tee Times:

The Field: (link)

Updates:

Sunday
Chase Johnson in (sponsor exemption)
Nicolai Hojgaard in (sponsor exemption)
Andrew Putnam WD; Aaron Baddeley in

Monday
Patrick Rodgers WD; Nicolai Hojgaard in on his own number
Kyle Stanley in (sponsor exemption)
Hayden Buckley WD; Sean O’Hair in

Tuesday
Harris English WD; Cody Gribble in

Tee Times: (link)

 

Finau, Pendrith Tied for Rocket Lead

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DETROIT – At 21-under (195), Tony Finau and PGA Tour rookie Taylor Pendrith share the 54-hole lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The two player’s records with a 54-hole lead/co-lead: Finau (0-for-5), Pendrith (0-for-1).

Finau, winner of last week’s 3M Open, is seeking to become the first player to win in back-to-back weeks during the FedEx Cup regular season since Brendon Todd in 2019.

Finau is the only player in field bogey-free through 54 holes.

Pendrith (T-1) is one of three PGA Tour rookies at T-7 or better heading into final round today. The others: Cameron Young (3rd), Taylor Moore (T-7). With four runner-up and two T-3 finishes on Tour this season, Young trails by four in bid for first career victory.

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Leaderboard After 54 Holes

Taylor Pendrith 64-65-66—195 (-21)

Tony Finau 64-66-65—195 (-21)

Cameron Young 71-63-65—199 (-17)

Stephan Jaeger 67-68-65—200 (-16)

Patrick Cantlay 70-65-66—201 (-15)

Pendrith to the Lead at Rocket

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DETROIT – PGA Tour rookie Taylor Pendrith set a Rocket Mortgage Classic 36-hole scoring record (career-low 129) and holds a one stroke lead after two rounds over Tony Finau, winner of last week’s 3M Open. Finau stands solo-second.

Finau is attempting back-to-back tournament victories. The last player to win in back-to-back weeks during the FedEx Cup regular season was Brendon Todd in 2019.

Cameron Young (T-4) tied the Rocket Mortgage Classic 18-hole scoring record with a 9-under (63) on Friday.

Four rookies are T-7 or better (Pendrith, Lee Hodges, Young and Sahith Theegala).

Chad Ramey is the only rookie to win this season.

Camilo Villegas withdrew before the start of his second round due to illness

Cameron Percy withdrew during the second round due to a rib injury

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Leaderboard After 36 Holes

Taylor Pendrith 64-65—129 (-15)

Tony Finau 64-66—130 (-14)

Lee Hodges 66-66—132 (-12)

Cameron Young 71-63—134 (-10)

Russell Henley 69-65—134 (-10)

Stewart Cink 68-66—134 (-10)

36-hole Cut: 75 professionals at 3-under (141) from a field of 155 professionals and one amateur.

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Finau, Pendrith Lead at Rocket Mortgage Classic

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DETROIT – For the first time in his PGA Tour career (728 stroke-play rounds), Tony Finau hit 18 of 18 greens in regulation en route to tournament co-leading eight-under (64) in the first round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Finau, the winner of last week’s 3M Open in come-from-behind fashion, is tied with Taylor Pendrith at eight under par.

Finau became the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2018 to win, then hold the first-round lead/co-lead the following week. He is 0-for-6 in converting prior first-round leads/co-leads.

Defending champion Cam Davis opened with a four-under (68) and sits T-22 while World No. 4 Patrick Cantlay and Will Zalatoris (No. 13), the two highest-ranked players in the field, sit T-53 at 2-under.

Vaughn Taylor withdrew with illness during the first round.

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Leaderboard After 18 Holes

Tony Finau 64 (-8)

Taylor Pendrith 64 (-8)

Michael Thompson 66 (-6)

Webb Simpson 66 (-6)

Cameron Champ 66 (-6)

Lee Hodges 66 (-6)

Matt Wallace 66 (-6)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

 

 

PGA Tour’s Home Stretch

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DETROIT – The Rocket Mortgage Classic, which is being contested for the fourth time since its inception in 2019, is the 43rd of 44 events during the FedEx Cup regular season. With only two weeks remaining until the start of the FedExCup Playoffs, the Rocket Mortgage Classic provides an opportunity for players looking to secure one of the 125 spots in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Cam Davis returns to the Rocket Mortgage Classic after defeating 54-hole co-leaders Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann in a five-hole playoff to earn his first career PGA TOUR victory. At No. 76 in the FedEx Cup standings, the Australian enters the week with three consecutive top-20 finishes (T8/John Deere Classic, 6th/Barracuda Championship, T16/3M Open. Four defending champions have won this season, the most in a season since 2016-17 (4).

Reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 6 in the FedExCup, on the strength of one win (Zurich Classic of New Orleans) and eight top-10s, including his last two starts (T4/Genesis Scottish Open, T8/The Open Championship). Cantlay is making his Rocket Mortgage Classic debut. The seven-time PGA Tour winner has won twice when making his tournament debut (2017 Shriners Children’s Open, 2020 ZOZO Championship).

Four PGA Tour rookies are currently in the top 40 of the FedEx Cup standings, and three of them are in the field this week: Cameron Young (No. 13 in the FedExCup standings) Davis Riley (No. 24) and Sahith Theegala(No. 38). The Rookie of the Year as voted on by PGA Tour membership at the end of the season will receive the Arnold Palmer Award.

Will Zalatoris, the only player inside the Top 10 of the FedEx Cup standings without a win this season (No. 9), will make his first start since The Open Championship (T-28). The reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has eight Top-10 finishes including three runner-ups, with playoff losses at the Farmers Insurance Open and U.S. Open. Zalatoris finished 77th in his lone start in the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Tournament Facts

COURSE: Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan

YARDS/PAR: 7,370 yards/Par 72

ARCHITECT: Donald Ross

PRIZE Money – Purse: $8,400,000/$1,512,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Cam Davis

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

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: 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).

Embed from Getty Images

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)