Some new things, some old.

Detroit Golf Club is one of the old things.

The club was founded in 1899, and Donald Ross completed his two course designs in 1916—which is also the year roughly 85% of Congress was born, funny enough.

Last year, that old course underwent a renovation, with two notable changes:

  • They changed the par from 72 to 70 by converting holes 7 and 17 from par 5s into long par 4s.
  • They restored Ross’s original greens, which should hopefully challenge the players’ short games a bit more.

The Rocket Mortgage Classic itself is relatively new, as far as tournaments go, but Rocket Mortgage has announced that it will be ending its sponsorship after eight years.

That’s understandable, considering this tournament has largely been a dud due to weak fields, unknown winners, and soft scoring conditions.

But, funny enough, there’s another new wrinkle this year.

For whatever reason, 21 of the top 50 players decided to play this week, giving the newly renovated course its strongest field in tournament history.

Finally, the old stats might not matter, but here’s how Detroit Golf Club played last year, when the winning score was 22-under.

Key Stats for the Rocket Mortgage Classic

  • Expect another birdie fest. Detroit Golf Club averaged 2.32 strokes under par per round, so prioritize elite birdie-makers and players who consistently gain strokes on easy courses.
  • Lean toward distance over driving accuracy. The course favored bombers in 2025, suggesting longer hitters can attack the par 5s and leave themselves shorter approaches without being heavily punished off the tee.
  • Approach play and putting should drive your card. Those two categories accounted for roughly 74% of the scoring variance, while the course produced less separation by overall skill than a typical TOUR stop. That makes hot iron players, strong putters, and longer-priced contenders more appealing.

The Details

Previous Winners

How to Watch

Featured Groups

PGA TOUR Studios is piloting an announcer-free stream for this week’s Rocket Classic. The stream will debut Thursday on PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ and cover all four rounds.

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Weekly Bets: Rocket Mortgage Classic

We’ve partnered with Keith Stewart at Read The Line to share his weekly golf betting picks with the Caddyshanks crew.

If you’re the type who enjoys breaking down matchups, spotting trends, and hunting for value, you’ll feel right at home in the RTL community.

Use code CADDYSHANKS2026 for 20% off.

Keith Stewart’s Picks

Si Woo Kim (+2200, FanDuel)

At some point, Si Woo Kim will be rewarded for all his exceptional play.

Coming off back-to-back top 10s across the Atlantic, Kim has gained strokes on the field tee to green in 18 of 20 starts—and in each of his last seven.

He ranks first in the field on approach over the last 20 rounds and sixth in birdies or better percentage, so Si Woo will score. The new greens should only increase his advantage.

His proximity to the hole from both short and long range is exemplary, and his around-the-green acumen helps him save shots when necessary.

With four top 10s in his last six starts, this shootout has Si Woo written all over it.

Davis Thompson (+6100, DraftKings)

Fresh off a T7 at the 3M Open, Davis Thompson fits the mold of a strong Rocket Classic contender.

Thompson gained 11 strokes on the field tee to green in Minnesota. A past champion at the John Deere Classic, Davis has already proven that he can win a regular-season event.

Generally a below-average putter on TOUR, Thompson has gained strokes on the greens throughout his starts at Detroit Golf Club.

In four appearances, Davis has gained an average of five total strokes on the field and finished runner-up here in 2024.

Caddyshanks Picks

Hideki Matsuyama (+3300, DraftKings)

Accuracy with the driver can sometimes hold Hideki back, but he won’t need it as much this week.

Plus, he’s hot right now. His last three finishes were T14, T14, and T3.

Akshay Bhatia (+4500, DraftKings)

Akshay hasn’t won since his triumph at the AP Invitational, but his strokes gained numbers this season—particularly with the putter—are among the best in the field.

Great putting is a superpower.