2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Special Events & More Explored

Fore! Onward to Detroit! After wrapping up the last signature event of this year and crowning Scottie Scheffler as the winner, the PGA Tour is moving from the Constitution State to the Motor City for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which is set to commence on June 27th.

Although many of the prominent golfers, such as Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Xander Schauffele won’t be seen competing for the purse of $9.2 million, the field will still have the likes of Ricki Fowler, Cameron Young, Tom Kim, Chris Kirk, and Akshay Bhatia. Talking about the event, it is packed with so much more than just tournament rounds.

What does Rocket Mortgage Classic have to offer besides the battle of pros?

Starting off with the first special event that took place on June 23—the John Shippen National Invitational—the event is named in honor of the first African-American golfer, John Shippen Jr., who was posthumously bestowed with a PGA membership in 2009. The event aims to increase African-American people’s representation in golf. In this year’s John Shippen’s National Invitational Men, Willie Mack III emerged victorious and one of the rewards was an exemption into the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Golf – The 151st Open Championship – Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, Britain – July 23, 2023 South Korea’s Tom Kim tees off on the 4th hole during the final round REUTERS/Phil NobleTalking about the second event, the First Tee – Greater Detroit Youth Clinic took place on Tuesday from 3 pm to 4:30 pm ET. This event aims to help elementary and middle school-aged children build self-confidence, inner strength, resilience, and leadership skills. The program believes that these qualities can be developed through experience, and getting tips and tricks from golf pros in a watch-and-learn format is a winning combination of learning and fun!

Finally, the last event, which also took place on Tuesday from 5 to 6 pm ET, was the Area 313 Celebrity Scramble. Under the event, six teams of four players each will compete over the 14–16 holes of the Detroit Greens. Each team comprises celebrity entertainers, athletes, and golfers from the John Shippen National Golf Invitational and is led by a PGA Tour star.

This year, the young American footballer Aiden Hutchinson made his debut at the event. Joining him were fellow American football players Calvin Johnson and Chris Webber. Basketball coach Tom Izzo also participated in the event. Now, coming to the match rounds, how can those be enjoyed by a stay-at-home kind of person?

What are the TV and live-streaming schedules for the tournament?

For those who want to witness the Motor City roars from the comfort of their couch, here’s the TV schedule for the Rocket Mortgage Classic: For the Thursday and Friday rounds, it is the same; just tune in to the Golf Channel between 3 pm and 6 pm ET. For the penultimate and final rounds, one  will have to switch between the Golf Channel and CBS. Firstly, the Golf Channel will air the rounds from 1 to 3 pm ET, and then the charge will be taken by CBS from 3 to 6 pm ET.

If someone prefers live-streaming to watching TV, then there is that option as well. Peacock, Paramount+, and ESPN+ will provide live coverage of the event. Going a bit more in detail, Peacock will be assigned the streaming of the Golf Channel’s coverage, while Paramount+ will do the same for CBS. If some want to rely on just one channel for not only the match rounds but also for their early coverage, then ESPN+ is the go-to.

Are you excited for the 2024 edition of the Rocket Mortgage Classic? Let us know your thoughts below.