It’s that time of the year when the PGA Tour makes its only stop at Detroit. The Rocket Mortgage Classic has brought back the joy of golf to a city that was bereft of any top-tier tournament for a decade. And, since 2019, it has given us moments both wholesome and controversial. 

This time, the $9.2M purse event brings the defending champion, Rickie Fowler, and a host of rising stars including, Tom Kim, Will Zalatoris, Cameron Young, Akshay Bhatia, and others. Undoubtedly, the Detroit Golf Club will witness some fireworks on the course. But it would be hard to triumph over these four.

A Tony Finau blitzkrieg shattered the course record 

Tony Finau scorched the field with a blistering 5-under 67 in the final round of the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic. Scores are expected to be low at the Detroit Golf Club, but Finau surpassed everyone’s expectations. Nullifying the threat from Patrick Cantlay, the 34-year-old shot 26-under in four rounds to clinch the title. 

The previous record was set by Nate Lashley in the inaugural edition of the tournament. Notably, Finau also matched a PGA Tour record by hitting 66 greens in regulation through 72 holes. Only two players since 1980 have more – Peter Jacobsen (69) and Willie Wood (67). 

Max Homa aces a $10,000 shot at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic

What’s better than a hole-in-one? A hole-in-one on Sunday. That too, when things were not going in your way. Max Homa aced the 15th last year after struggling through the past 3 days. The only sad part was that Homa wasn’t able to see his ball roll in. But he got the vibe correct from the ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ of the spectators behind him.

“The excitement of the ‘oh’ to the roar is quite cool, and I’ll take it. But one day I’d like to see the thing go in so I can freak out myself,” Homa joked after the round. That was his second ace on the Tour. The hole-in-one was also worth $10,000, the amount Rocket Mortgage donated to the ‘Changing the Course’ initiative, a charity fund to improve internet access across Motor City. 

Bryson DeChambeau lashes out at an unlikely person

DeChambeau netted his sixth PGA Tour victory at the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic. But more than his three-shot triumph, the LIV Golf Pro came to sharp focus because of a heated exchange with a cameraman.

It so happened that the reigning U.S. Open champion hit a poor bunker shot on the 7th on the moving day. After stomping his club on the ground, the former PGA Tour pro went ahead to mark his ball on the green, still oozing visible frustration at the poor shot. The cameraman followed the entire process, but Bryson DeChambeau felt he should have been left alone. 

“I mean, I understand it’s his job to video me, but at the same point, I think we need to start protecting our players out here compared to showing a potential vulnerability and hurting someone’s image. I just don’t think that’s necessarily the right thing to do,” DeChambeau said after the round. 

It was during the height of his much-publicized spat with Brooks Koepka, and also the peak of his 6,000-calories and protein shakes-galore streaming phase. Sympathizers with DeChambeau’s rant were hard to come by. Rather, the 30-year-old was lambasted for his apparent pomposity.

Rickie Fowler wins the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic

Rickie Fowler went into a playoff with Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. And then, he was faced with a 12-footer to seal the deal. 

Unflinched, Fowler rolled the ball to the cup for a birdie putt. As the ball rolled in, Fowler looked up to the sky and breathed a sigh of relief. The monkey was off his back. End of a four-year drought spanning more than 1000 days. Fowler’s caddie, Ricky Romaro, a partner since October 2022, jumped up and down like the gallery behind them. 

Fowler’s words gave away the relief he felt. “It’s tough when you’re struggling for that long of a period of time. How I’ve played is some of the best if not the best I’ve felt about my game and on the course really ever.” That has been Fowler’s last victory on the Tour. 

Is it hard to understand why tickets sell like hotcakes at the Rocket Mortgage Classic? Detroit fans have never disappointed the Tour. The tee times are yet to be released, but we sure will keep you posted as they come.