Detroit Golf Club Key Fantasy Stats

Rocket Mortgage Classic

July 1st – 4th, 2021

Detroit Golf Club

Detroit, MI

Par: 72 / Yardage: 7,340

Purse: $7.5 million

with $1,350,000 to the winner

Defending Champion:
Bryson DeChambeau

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This is based on the most vital stats from Detroit Golf Club, based on data from last year’s Rocket Mortgage and using data from all the players in the field with stats from 2021.
In both years of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club, the PGA Tour has been very careful in setting up the tournament. Both years the course played overly fair, in 2019 it had a scoring average of 70.11 and was the 42nd hardest (out of 49th) course on tour and last year the course played just about identically to a 70.05 average and was the 38th hardest (out of 41 courses). So in some respects, the tour has allowed the scoring, but it’s not like they are ripping up the course, yes in the two years the lowest score is 63 shot twice in 2019 and in 2020 the lowest score was 64. In 902 rounds 65 or less has only been shot 31 times so the course does have some bite to it. The rough was much higher, again for the second year in a row the weather was perfect with high temperatures and low wind. Last year the course played easier because of the lack of no fans and grandstands, the course will be harder as players will hit balls into places that will be tougher to play from this year. This year will produce a bunch of rain that will affect the scoring so look for the scores to be about the same as they have been the first two years. But the big question will be the amount of rain and if there is lightning. But look for delays in the first two rounds.

The big question will there be another birdie fest? In 2019 1,895 birdies were made on the course and last year 1,887 birdies were made. Only two courses saw more birdies produced in 2020, Harbour Town for the RBC Heritage (1,892) and TPC Summerlin for the Shriners (2,010).

In looking at our four categories, we have to think very differently. First, we will use Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee in which it looks at the combination of length of drive off the tee and accuracy. Last year the average drive was 297.6 yards and ranked 24th. As for accuracy off the tee, the course was 31st with 65.22% of the drives in the fairway. Looking at last year’s winner Bryson DeChambeau he ranked 1st in driving distance and T-58th in accuracy and was 1st in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee. The year before Nate Lashley ranked 44th in Driving Distance and T-11th in Accuracy so he ranked T-29th in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee.
Our 2nd category is Greens in Regulation. This is a Donald Ross course so we know that Ross greens are always hard to hit. On top of that, the greens are also small at 5,100 and are raised so they are tough to get on. So for last year, Detroit Golf Club was ranked 35th in Greens hit with a 72.43%. As for DeChambeau he hit 56 of the 72 greens and ranked T-13th. In 2019 the course was 40th on tour with 72.52% of the greens hit. The winner Lashley hit 59 of 72 for 84.94% which ranked T-4th. Ted Potter, Jr. hit the most greens, 61 of the 72, and finished T-5th.
Our 3rd category is Strokes Gained Putting which is an important part of the game. Last year the putting average at Detroit Golf Club was 1.631 which ranked 13th. It averaged 29.36 putts per round which ranked 13th and in the important inside ten feet, it ranked 7th. DeChambeau took 111 puts which ranked T-7th and in Strokes Gained Putting he was 1st. In the important putts made inside 10 feet, DeChambeau made 63 of 68 and ranked T-4th. In 2019 the course was 1.629 in putting which ranked T-17th. It averaged 29.33 putts per round which ranked it T-15th and in the important inside ten feet it ranked 17th. Lashley took 106 putts which ranked 2nd and in Strokes Gained Putting he was also 2nd. In the important putts made inside 10 feet, Lashley made 64 of 68 and ranked 4th.
The last category is Par Breakers. As we said earlier in this piece 1,887 birdies were made last year and in 2019 1,895 birdies were made on the course. It had a total of 42 eagles last year and 40 eagles in 2019. So for last year, the course ranked 35th in Par Breakers and 38th in 2019. Last year DeChambeau had 27 birdies the 2nd best of the field and was 2nd in Par Breakers. In 2019 Lashley made the most birdies of anyone in the field, 28 so his Par Breakers rank is 1st. In a way, both DeChambeau and Lashley found a following thanks to their wins in the Rocket Mortgage.

*Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: Combination of distance off the tee and accuracy.

*Greens in Regulation: Number of greens hit in regulation.

*Strokes Gained Putting: Gives the equivalent to putting based on strokes gained or lost

*Par Breakers: Who makes the most birdies and eagles per round.

Of the 156 players in the field, 137 have stats on the PGA Tour for 2021.

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.