BlogRocket Mortgage Classic Preview and Picks

The Buzz

So, for the next three weeks, we are in a period with no important events and the emphasis on players getting into the top 70 and retaining their PGA Tour cards for 2025. The next big event is the Scottish Open in three weeks, followed by the British Open. After a three-week stint for the 3M, Olympics, and Wyndham Championship, we have the start of the three-week FedEx Cup playoffs. So yes, the season is grinding to an end.

Over the last three weeks, we have seen some great stories of events won by Scottie Scheffler at the Memorial and Travelers, along with Bryson DeChambeau winning at the U.S. Open. The win by DeChambeau renewed our hope that some compromise could be made with LIV Golf in the coming weeks. Yes, Scheffler has been the big winner of 2024, but we all have to wonder if players like DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Cam Smith, Tyrell Hatton, and Joquin Niemann would have changed the narrative of Scheffler’s unbelievable season.

Thoughts of Scheffler’s season

In last week’s preview, I made Scheffler one of my players to avoid at the Travelers, and what did he do? He won the Travelers. That isn’t the only time I have done that; I also did it in my RCB Heritage preview. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Scheffler was my top pick at the U.S. Open, and he had his worst week since finishing T-45th at the 2022 C.J. Cup in South Carolina. Many have wondered why that happened, and frankly, I wish I knew.

Honestly, what Scheffler did in 2024 was mind-boggling. It is hard to believe that he has won six times in just 15 starts, and in those 15 starts, he has only finished outside the top ten just twice. In these 15 starts, he has won just $300,000 short of $28 million. Scheffler has won the same amount of money for the year as Jimmy Walker has won in his career. Walker is 71st on the PGA Tour career money list, earning $27,710,805. Going a step further, Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott has earned around $3 million looping for Scheffler this year, placing him 40th on the 2024 money list next to Nick Taylor.

What has made Scheffler’s season so remarkable is what he has endured. To think that his wife had the couple’s first child last month, and Scottie won twice the week after a major and once before a major. Now Tiger Woods accomplished that feat, winning the WCG Bridgestone six times before or after the PGA Championship. Of those, he won both the PGA and Bridgestone back to back in the same year, twice in 2000 and 2006. Tiger made it his business to rarely play the week before or after a major, except for the Bridgestone and PGA.

Scottie was not happy with what happened at the U.S. Open. On Saturday, he said that in the future, the PGA Tour should not make something other than signature events as they did at Wells Fargo and Memorial the week before a major. He won the Memorial and admitted it was a total grind, which took a lot out of him. The same goes for having a baby and trying to balance playing in big events before and after.

Frankly, that is the reason I said Scheffler was not a good bet the week after winning the Masters at Hilton Head. I did it last week, thinking he was totally spent and didn’t have the stamina to play at the Travelers. I was wrong, but it’s been hard to predict what Scottie will do next.

I picked up on something about Scottie while watching the end of the Travelers. While officials were dealing with the stupidity when protesters attacked the 18th green when the final group was playing, I noticed something important. Scheffler was very calm and composed during the debacle. That is a trait that makes Scheffler the best player. Tiger had that composition, and Jack Nicklaus had the same composition. I saw this numerous times while watching them win in person and on television. I assume, never watching them, that Ben Hogan and Bobby Jones had the same composition.

It’s interesting to note how Scheffler is changing his playing schedule. He played the Scottish Open in 2022 and last year. Still, on Saturday, he told reporters that he was reconsidering his schedule before the major Championship and was probably not playing the Scottish Open. His next start would be the British Open. Scottie also told reporters that he would reconsider his schedule before a major in the future, suggesting that playing at the Memorial the week before the U.S. Open may have compromised his mental fitness. Bryan Armen Graham wrote in the Guardian that Scheffler said: “I think in terms of prep for a week that I know is going to be as tough as this, I’m leaning going forward to maybe not playing the week before. I think going into the major championships, especially the ones we know are going to be challenging, and it may be in my best interest not to play the week before.” So, seeing his prep at Troon and how that works for him will be interesting. I will tell you now that Scottie is my favorite for the British Open.

Players worth thinking about this week

Last year, we talked about how much Rickie Fowler was looking to break his four-year drought, and sure enough, Fowler went on to win. This year, Tom Kim is in the same space Fowler was in last year. Kim is playing in his ninth straight week, and his game has improved each week. Despite missing the cut last year, Kim was 7th in 2022, so I immensely like him. Also, think that Fowler, who since winning last year in Detroit, his best finish in the 23 events he has played since, is T-18th at the Heritage. He was T-20th at Travelers, and he will contend this week. I will go out on a limb and say to watch for J.J. Spaun this week. He is one of 15 players in the field who have played in the previous five Rocket Mortgage. The only distinction he has over the other 14 players is that he is the only one who has made the cut in all five events. He only has one top-ten finish, T-8th in 2022, and could have been better this year on the PGA Tour, missing the cut in ten of his 15 starts, but I feel he will play well this week.

Also, watching Neal Shipley make his professional start will be interesting. He joined the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Viktor Hovland, and a handful of others in earning low-amateur honors at both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. Look for him to contend this week. Another kid to watch is 15-year-old Mile Russell, making his first start on the PGA Tour. Back in April, he impressed a lot of folks by finishing T-20th in the Lecom SunCoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour. He shot 66 in the final round.

The Rocket Mortgage has a short five-year history; we haven’t seen anyone dominate it. Here are some of the proven folks to watch this week: 

• Taylor Pendrith was T-2nd in his first Rocket start in 2022; he was T-14th last year. He won the C.J. Cup Byron Nelson in May and was T-16th at the U.S. Open and T-23rd at the Travelers.
• Akshay Bhatia may have missed the cut in his rookie Rocket Mortgage start, but he won in April at the Valero Texas Open, was T-22nd at the Memorial, T-16th at the U.S. Open, and T-5th at the Travelers, so he is trending upward.
• Taylor Moore seems to like Detroit Golf Club. He was 8th in 2022 and T-4th last year. He won last year at Valspar and was T-2nd in Houston in March. He was T-12th at the PGA Championship but missed the cut at Colonial, Memorial, and the U.S. Open and was T-68th at the Travelers. This could be a good place for him to be content.
• Chris Kirk started 2024 by winning the Sentry but only has one top ten this year, T-10th at the Heritage. He was T-63rd last week at the Travelers, and you may wonder why I like him. In four Rocket Starts, it was T-21t in 2020, T-12th in 2021, T-17th in 2022, and T-14th last year.
• Stephan Jaeger is also one to watch. He was 5th at the Rocket Mortgage in 2022 and T-9th last year. Jaeger won at Houston; the course is like Detroit Golf Club; he was T-21st at the U.S. Open and T-31st at Travelers.
• The last person I have been saving for last is Cameron Young. He was T-2nd in 2022 and didn’t play last year. In 98 PGA Tour starts. Young still hasn’t won despite being runner-up seven times. I have to think he is overdue, and this is a perfect stage for him.

The Rocket Mortgage Classic

This tournament had been in the making for over a decade. Between 1958 and 2009, the Detroit area had the Buick Open, played at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, about an hour from Detroit. It was a great event that was well supported but needed to be in the right place at the wrong time with sponsors that had significant problems. With the auto industry caving in with the global financial meltdown in 2008, the area was dying quickly. Not only was the auto industry in need of a federal bailout, but those associated with the auto industry were also struggling, and the community was struggling with tens of thousands losing their job. So corporate dollars disappeared as Michigan was trying to survive.

So, the Buick Open died on the vine. The last one was played in 2009, with Tiger Woods winning, but a couple of folks associated with Detroit Golf Club saw the dream of having the PGA Tour return and play at Detroit Golf Club.

Those folks worked hard to find a sponsor and get the PGA Tour interested in returning to Michigan. While this was happening, Detroit Golf Club underwent several renovation projects to modernize the course and make it worthy of hosting the best professionals in golf. While they were working on the club, the PGA Tour checked in and liked what they were doing, and around 2016, said that the course and the area were worthy of a PGA Tour event. However, getting the PGA Tour to approve it meant they still needed a tournament. They needed two things: first, a heavy-duty sponsor willing to commit over $12 million to the cause, and second, they had to find an open date, which was just as hard to obtain as a sponsor. The folks from Detroit weren’t the only ones looking for a date; there were groups from Minnesota, St. Louis, Denver, and the Seattle area who were also looking for the same thing.

What happened was a stroke of luck for the folks at Detroit Golf Club. Quicken Loans was sponsoring Tiger Woods Washington D.C. event, but since Quicken Loans was based in Detroit, they were looking to move to a tournament into their home base. So, the PGA Tour did some match-making and put the folks of Detroit Golf Club with those of Quicken Loans. The decision was made in 2018 to utilize the date of the Washington D.C. tournament in Detroit. When the Woods folks couldn’t secure a sponsor, the event was dead in D.C. and moved to Detroit.

Now when people think about Detroit, they don’t associate having a golf tournament in a city that has been ravished with problems. But the area is improving, more non-auto industry money is moving in, and Detroit is improving. And they do love their golf, and last year they sold out all days of the Rocket Mortgage and ran a very successful tournament.

To show how solid this event is, in 2020, when the Tour was shut down for two months, this event was in danger of not happening. However, in May of 2020, as the Tour could get started again in June, the Tour got together with the folks that ran the Rocket Mortgage. Tournament officials wanted to maintain the momentum built in the first year, but at the same time, realized the problems of having a tournament with no fans, which meant less for their charity. The PGA Tour gave them the choice of holding the tournament or taking the year off, and they decided to hold the event. At the same time, they decided to change the charity structure so that Detroit residents could gain access to technology, the internet, and digital literacy resources, which the city needed. Rocket Mortgage kicked in more money with the new plan, and they had a worthwhile project.

Despite the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic and the absence of paying customers, the second Rocket Mortgage Classic was a resounding success, raising over $2.7 million for local charities. This financial achievement underscores the event’s potential for long-term sustainability and its positive impact on the community.

Course information:

• Detroit Golf Club
• Detroit, Mich.
• 7,370 yards     Par 36-36–72

The Detroit Golf Club started in 1899 when a six-hole course was built. In 1914, the club bought a large parcel of land and hired Donald Ross, an up-and-coming golf architect, to create two 18-hole courses. In 1916, the new courses were open for play. At the time of opening, the club hired Albert Kahn to build a clubhouse, and he built one of the grandest buildings that opened in 1918, now a landmark building.

In the beginning, it was the place to play. Henry Ford became a member in 1915; his son and other Detroit dignitaries joined. Ross’s brother Alec, who won the 1907 U.S. Open, was the club’s first head professional and was at the club between 1918 and 1945. He was replaced by Horton Smith, who won the first two Masters and was the club’s pro until he died in 1963. Another PGA tour player, Detroit native Walter Burkemo, replaced him. After him, George Bayer was the pro. In the 50s and 60s, Bayer won the PGA Tour and was considered the longest hitter of the day.

When it was determined in 2006 that the Detroit Golf Club wanted a PGA Tour event, they accessed the course and realized it needed to be updated to create a challenge for the best players in the world. So, the club approved changes to be made in four stages: 2006, 2010, 2012, and 2014. They decided not to change the character of the two Donald Ross courses but hired Bruce Hepner to update them. Very little was needed on the North Course, which will use 17 holes for the Rocket Mortgage. The 3rd hole will use the 1st hole of the South course, so technically, it will be a composite course.

The course is famous for its tree-lined fairways, but the greens get most of the attention. They average 5,500 square feet, so they are small by PGA Tour standards and have 87 bunkers protecting them. What makes the greens hard is the undulations, along with the fact that many of the greens are tiered with different levels, making it essential to put your shot to the green in the correct position. Another problem for the players is that many greens are raised, so if a green is missed, a pitch is in order instead of chipping the ball; another skill set needs to be practiced more. The course is tree-lined but, for the most part, has generous fairways to hit. The Detroit area has had an abundance of rain in the last month, so not only is the course very lush, but the rough has had time to grow and become very lush, making it hard to get some shots to the green. The course underwent an upgrade in the last decade to make it harder for PGA Tour caliber players, but with straight holes, most of the long-hitters have a chance to overpower the course.

The course will be in its fifth year, and players now know a lot about it. Tournament officials in 2020 made the course more challenging by letting the rough grow, which made it tougher. Still, in the minds of half the field, the course will be fresh and new, and this will continue to help those players whose game may need to be sharper coming into the tournament.

After the first year, many wondered if the course would be perfect for the long hitters since its length at 7,370 is a bit short. Still, with straight fairways that had limited rough, the only actual hazard was the 30 fairway bunkers, and in most cases, they are shallow. They will be easy to get out of, just like in 2022 when Cam Davis surprised the golf world by winning and in 2020 when Bryson DeChambeau overpowered the course. But there is always that mystic in which the winner could be the player you least expect who is on the cusp of finding their game-winning, as Nate Lashley did in 2019.

Let’s take a look at vital stats that are important for those playing at Detroit Golf Club.

This is based on the most vital stats from Detroit Golf Club, data from last year’s Rocket Mortgage, and data from all the players in the field with stats from 2024.
In all five years that the Rocket Mortgage Classic has been played at Detroit Golf Club, the PGA Tour has been very careful in setting up the tournament. The original course had six holes in 1899 and was expanded to 18 holes in 1902. In 1913, additional land was bought, and the club hired Donald Ross to survey the property and suggest the best course of action. Ross suggested that two 18-hole courses could be built on the property, and the club decided to go with Ross’s plan, which was completed in 1916. Both courses are considered hidden gems. The North Course, a par 72, would become more daunting than the South Course, a par 68, with the North Course now roughly 870 yards longer. The courses held local events until the PGA Tour felt it could hold a tournament on it. When Rocket Mortgage decided to sponsor the event, the tour and club made some renovations to bring the club up to PGA Tour standards by updating the course along with the drainage and irrigation system. After next year’s Rocket Mortgage, the course will have a significant renovation in time for the 2026 event. 17 holes of the North course were selected, with one hole from the South Course. Even though the course is daunting, the Ross course is nothing like Pinehurst, which held last week’s U.S. Open. The course is tree-lined and rough, making the pros think twice and be careful off the Tee. The greens are less punishing than Pinehurst but still have a lot of undulations and are tough to put. Like Pinehurst, the greens are hard to hit because they are crowned like Pinehurst, and balls tend to run off, leading to a tough chip to get it up and down.

In the five years, the course played overly fair, with the scoring average being 70.21, which is close to 2 shots under par. So, remember this: Detroit Golf Club is a relatively easy course. In 2023, it played to a 69.92 average, making it the 49th hardest course (out of 58 on tour last year). Making birdies is essential, as 2,066 were made on the course last year. Only one other course in 2013 had more birdies, El Cardonal at Diamante, which saw 2,094 made on it.
As we said, the Detroit Golf Club field’s scoring average was low last year due mostly to the weather, which was warm with rain and not much wind. Soft conditions bring on low scoring.

Here is a look at the scoring average at the par 72 Detroit Golf Club for the last few years:
*2022 – Average was 71.06, was the 29th hardest of the 50 courses that year
*2021 – Average was 71.37; it was the 28th hardest of the 51 courses that year
*2020 – Average was 70.01; it was the 36th hardest of the 41 courses that year
*2019 – Average was 70.62, 35th hardest of 49 courses that year. In the history of the PGA Tour, it’s one of the lowest-scoring averages for any event.
So, the course is the type you must think low and make many birdies on. Look for super low scoring this week since the temperatures will be in the high 70s and low 80s each day. With rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, the course will again be soft. Look for thunderstorms on Saturday. Winds will be mild each day, under 12 mpg.

In looking at our four categories, we have to think very differently because the nature of Detroit Golf Club is an old, tested venue. First, we will use Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, which looks at the length and accuracy of the drive off the Tee. Last year, the field hit an average of 72.66% of the greens and ranked 47th (only 11 other courses hit more greens). At the same time, the course had an average of 67.01% of the fairways being hit, which ranked 49th (9 courses had more fairways hit). So this is important in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, our top stats to look for. Last year’s winner, Rickie Fowler, ranked T-2nd in Greens in Regulation, hitting 61 of 72 greens, and was T-61st in Fairways hit with 35 of 56 fairways hit. He was 3rd for the week in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, gaining 2.724 strokes per round.
Here is a look at the Greens in Regulation and fairways hit at Detroit Golf Club and how it corresponds to the winners in the last few years in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green:
*2022 – Detroit Golf Club ranked 40th in Greens in Regulation (71.85%) and 33rd in Driving Accuracy (62.48%). Winner Tony Finau was 1st in Greens in Regulation, hitting 66 of 72 greens, and was T-3rd in Fairways hit with 46 of 56 fairways hit. With that, he was 1st in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, picking up 3.532 shots per round.
*2021 – Detroit Golf Club ranked 45th in Greens in Regulation (72.29%) and 41st in Driving accuracy (68.43%). Winner Cam Davis was T-24th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 55 of 72 greens, and was T-29th in Fairways hit with 40 of 56 fairways hit. With that, he was 4th in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, picking up 2.112 shots per round.
*2020 – Detroit Golf Club ranked 35th in Greens in Regulation (72.43%) and 31st in Driving accuracy (65.22%). Winner Bryson DeChambeau was T-13th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 56 of 72 greens, and was T-58th in Fairways hit with 33 of 56 fairways hit. He was 4th in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, picking up 1.821 shots per round.
*2019 – Detroit Golf Club ranked 40th in Greens in Regulation (75.52%) and 30th in Driving accuracy (64.48%). Winner Nate Lashley was T-4th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 59 of 72 greens, and was T-11th in Fairways hit with 41 of 56 fairways hit. With that, he was 3rd in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, picking up 2.005 shots per round.

Our 2nd category is scrambling, and you can see why. This is a Donald Ross course, so we know Ross greens are always hard to hit. On top of that, the greens are also small at 5,150 square feet and are raised, so they are tough to get on. Since the course is compatible with low scoring, you can see that if you miss a lot of greens, you better get it up and down to play well. Last year, Detroit Golf Club ranked T-41st out of 58 courses in scrambling, getting it up and down 61.63% of the time. Winner Rickie Fowler ranked 71st, getting up and down on 6 of the 11 greens he missed.
Here is a look at the scrambling of the Rocket Mortgage winners in recent years:
*2022 – Detroit Golf Club ranked T-29th in scrambling out of the 50 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 60.79% of the time.
Winner Tony Finau was 1st, getting it up and down 6 of the 6 greens he missed.
*2021 – Detroit Golf Club ranked 46th in scrambling out of 51 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 64.04% of the time.
Winner Cam Davis was T-16th, getting it up and down on 13 of the 18 greens he missed.
*2020 – Detroit Golf Club finished 34th in scrambling out of the 41 courses that tracked scrambling this year, getting it up and down 62.43% of the time.
Winner Bryson DeChambeau was T-29th, getting it up and down 11 of the 16 greens he missed.
*2019 – Detroit Golf Club was ranked 39th in scrambling out of the 49 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 62.03% of the time.
Winner Nate Lashley ranked 2nd, getting it up and down 11 of the 13 greens he missed.
The winner has to do a great job of getting it up and down on the greens he misses.

Our third category is Strokes Gained Putting, which is an important part of the game. We picked this stat because most past Rocket Mortgage winners are notoriously good putters. Last year, Detroit Golf Club ranked 38th in Putting average, 22nd in One-Putt Percentage, T-24th in three-putt Avoidance, and 7th in Putting Inside ten feet, as 86.89% of the putts in this range were made.
Last year’s winner, Rickie Fowler, ranked 5th in Putting Average, T-31st in One-Putt Percentage, T-14th in 3-putt Avoidance, and T-37th in Putting Inside ten feet, making 60 out of 68 of the putts in this range. With these stats, he was 12th in Strokes Gained Putting, gaining 1.130 shots.

Here is a look at the putting stats of the Detroit Golf Club and Rocket Mortgage winners in the last few years:
2022 – Detroit Golf Club ranked 26th in Putting Average, 10th in One-Putt Percentage, 26th in 3-Putt Avoidance, and 18th in Putting Inside ten feet, as 87.81% of the putts in this range were made.
Winner Tony Finau ranked 35th in Putting average, 61st in One-Putt Percentage, T-9th in 3-putt Avoidance, and 53rd in Putting Inside ten feet, making 61 out of 70 of the putts in this range. With these stats, he was 15th in Strokes Gained in Putting, gaining 1.120 shots.
2021 – Detroit Golf Club ranked 24th in Putting Average, 12th in One-Putt Percentage, T-26th in 3-Putt Avoidance, and 21st in Putting Inside ten feet, as 87.94% of the putts in this range were made.
Winner Cam Davis ranked 15th in Putting average, T-6th in One-Putt Percentage, T-62nd in 3-putt Avoidance, and 38th in Putting Inside ten feet, making 65 out of 73 putts in this range. With these stats, he was 22nd in Strokes Gained Putting, gaining .774 shots.
2020 – Detroit Golf Club ranked T-28th in Putting average, 18th in One-Putt Percentage, 24th in 3-putt Avoidance, and 7th in Putting Inside ten feet, as 87.08% of the putts in this range were made.
Winner Bryson DeChambeau ranked 7th in Putting average, T-5th in One-Putt Percentage, T-10th in 3-putt Avoidance, and T-4th in Putting Inside ten feet, making 63 out of 68 putts in this range. With all these stats, he was 1st in Strokes Gained Putting, gaining 1.958 shots.
2019 – Detroit Golf Club ranked 29th in Putting Average, 19th in One-Putt Percentage, 19th in 3-Putt Avoidance, and 17th in Putting Inside ten feet, as 87.74% of the putts in this range were made.
Winner Nate Lashley ranked 2nd in Putting average, T-2nd in One-Putt Percentage, T-12th in 3-putt Avoidance, and 4th in Putting Inside ten feet, making 64 out of 68 putts in this range. With all these stats, he was 2nd in Strokes Gained Putting, gaining 2.332 shots.

Our last category is Par Breakers because making eagles and birdies is significant. Last year at Detroit Golf Club, 2,066 birdies were made, which ranked 57th in the number of birdies made for the event (out of 58th courses). There were 58 eagles made last year, which ranked T-51st. Thanks to this, 24.63% of the holes were played under par (par breakers) as the Rocket Mortgage ranked 47th in par breakers. Winner Rickie Fowler was 1st with 27 birdies and one eagle. He was 1st in Par Breakers at 38.89%.

Here is a look at the Par Breakers of the Rocket Mortgage winners in recent years:
*2022 – Detroit Golf Club saw 1,822 birdies (44th hardest) and 50 eagles (43rd) as 22.71% of holes were under par, making it the 34th hardest of the 50 courses that year.
Winner Tony Finau made 27 birdies (T-2nd) and no eagles, as 37.50% of the holes played were under par, and he ranked T-2nd in Par Breakers.
*2021 – Detroit Golf Club had 1,740 birdies (44th hardest) and 23 eagles (12th), and 21.06% of holes played were under par, making it the 25th hardest of the 51 courses that year.
Winner Cam Davis made 23 birdies (T-2nd) and one eagle; 33.33% of the holes played were under par, ranking him T-1st in Par Breakers.
*2020 – Detroit Golf Club saw 1,887 birdies (39th hardest) and 42 eagles (T-34th), with 23.81% of holes played under par, making it the 35th hardest of the 41 courses that year.
Winner Bryson DeChambeau made 27 birdies (2nd) and one eagle, with 38.89% of the holes played under par, ranking him 2nd in Par Breakers.
*2019 – Detroit Golf Club saw 1,895 birdies (48th hardest) and 40 eagles (T-33rd) as 23.78% of holes played were under par, making it the 38th hardest of the 49 courses this year.
Winner Nate Lashley made 28 birdies (1st) and no eagles as 38.89% of the holes played were under par, ranking him 1st in Par Breakers.
So, the winner has to make a lot of birdies and eagles. In a way, Par Breakers was influential in the winner’s stats at Rocket Mortgage.

*Strokes Gained Tee to Green: The combination of distance off the tee, accuracy, and the ability to hit greens in regulation.

*Scrambling: The percent of time a player misses the green in regulation, but still makes par or better.

*Strokes Gained Putting: Gives the equivalent of 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, 114 have stats on the PGA Tour for 2024.

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

DraftKings tips

Most DraftKings points earned

We have compiled a database beginning at the 2023 Sentry and going through the 2024 Travelers, a total of 72 events (we don’t put in Zurich team event). The database includes how many points a player won during the event and his cost. Out of the database, we can determine the total DraftKing points earned, the players’ average points earned per event, and average points based on the number of rounds played.

Of the players in the field, here are the top 60 playing in at least ten events:

DraftKings tips

*Here are the guys that cost the most on DraftKings this week:

• Tom Kim – $11,000
• Cameron Young – $10,700
• Min Woo Lee – $10,500
• Alex Noren – $10,200
• Akshay Bhatia – $9,800
• Taylor Pendrith – $9,600
• Stephan Jaeger – $9,400
• Will Zalatoris- $9,200
• Rickie Fowler – $9,000

Tom Kim at $11,000, is the top dog because of his excellent play of late. He is playing in his ninth straight event and on the cusp of winning. He makes a lot of DraftKing points, so he is a good choice for this week. A better option is Cameron Young at $10,700. It’s only a matter of time before he wins, and this is where he was runner-up in this event in 2022. Min Woo Lee at $10,500, is a rookie in this event and not a great choice. He needs to make a better average of DraftKings points and wonder why he got such a high position, so take a pass on him. Alex Noren at $10,200 is priced too high for me. Yes, has played well at Detroit Golf Club and has had some good finishes this year, but again, the price is too high. Akshay Bhatia at $9,800, is someone to consider seriously, he has played great the last three weeks, and could peak this week. Taylor Pendrith at $9,600 is hit or miss; he has a good record at Detroit Golf Club and has had a good 2024, including a win at the Byron Nelson. He is a toss-up for me. Stephan Jaeger at $9,400 is a good choice, good record at Detroit Golf Club, plus played well in 2024, including a win in Houston. Will Zalatoris at $9,200, is a no for me; he has struggled this year and has yet to play great at Detroit Golf Club. Rickie Fowler at $9,000, is a no for me; he has yet to play well since he won this event a year ago.

*Players in that $7,500 to $8,900 price range, which ones are worth the money?:

Maverick McNealy at $8,900, has the stats to play well, he hasn’t played bad in 2024; just priced a bit too high. Robert MacIntyre at $8,700, is a good choice since this course is right up his alley. Davis Thompson at $8,300, is someone to watch, has played well the last two months. Chris Kirk at $8,100, is a good choice; he hasn’t done anything spectacular at Detroit Golf Club but has made the cut in all four starts. The big question is, can he do what he did at the Sentry in January? Ben Griffin at $7,900, is a good choice, he has played well on courses like Detroit Golf Club. Taylor Moore at $7,500 is a good choice even though he has missed the cut in three of his last four starts. I like him because he was 6th in 2022 and T-4th in the Rocket Mortgage last year.

Some of the “bargains” this week at the Rocket Mortgage?:

I like Cam Davis at $7,200; he won this event, and the good memories could help him. Thorbjorn Olesen at $6,900 is a good choice because of the course and how well he can do on it. Nate Lashley at $6,500 is a good choice because he has played well on this course and will make the cut. The same with J.J. Spaun at $6,400, yes hasn’t played well in 2024 but always finds a way to make the cut in the Rocket Mortgage. Neal Shipley at $6,300, is worth the gamble; he is cheap and is playing in his first professional event, so he should make the cut. Charley Hoffman at $6,200, is a good choice because he can do well on specific courses, and Detroit Golf Club is one of them. If you want a good guy who will make the cut and make you some money, Stewart Cink at $5,700, is your guy.

Here are some of the secrets of what it takes to play well at the Rocket Mortgage:

Key stat for the winner:

• Like every other Donald Ross course, a shotmaker will rule. Those who hit it long and straight will have an advantage, but for a player to win, he has to have pin-point accuracy in shots to the green to put the ball in the right place for that right putt.

Here are some more key stats to look to for this week:

• To find that hidden gem, look at those who have played well in the last three events and did well last year at the Rocket Mortgage.
• The player who can master the 3 to 12-foot range putts will likely win. Therefore, it’s wise to consider those who have a proven track record of excelling in making putts inside ten feet.
• In most cases, it will be hard to hit all of the greens, so scrambling will come into play and could save those that could be more precise with shots to the green.
• While it’s tempting to go for the marquee names, it’s worth considering players whose games have shown significant improvement in the past couple of weeks, such as Tom Kim and Akshay Bhatia.
• The four par 5s are between 552 and 635 yards in length, but only one of the greens is guarded by a lake (14), and since all of them are straightaway, I can see players doing well on them. Last year’s winner, Rickie Fowler, and 2022 winner, Tony Finau, were 12 under on them. The same happened with 2021 winner Cam Davis, who was 12 under on them as 4 players were in double digits as the field played the par 5s 535 under par. In 2020, Bryson DeChambeau won and was 11 under on the par 5s, with 8 double-digit players. In 2019, Nate Lashley was 10 under on them as 15 players were in double digits, as the field was 4.61 on the par 5s, which ranked 26th on the tour