The Rocket Mortgage Classic will tee off for the first time this Thursday as this event will serve as the inaugural year. In previous years, this PGA Tour event would have been the Quicken Loans National, but is being permanently replaced by the Rocket Mortgage Classic! The Rocket Mortgage Classic doesn’t have a defending champion, but last year’s Quicken Loans National was won by Italianman Francesco Molinari.
The event will be played at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan, the first time the PGA Tour has visited the home of the Great Lakes in a whole decade. The prize pool is a healthy $7.3 million, giving plenty of incentive for the field to shine. The last PGA Tour event held there was the Buick Open in 2009, making this year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic a triumphant return to the Motor City. The Rocket Mortgage Classic is the first of three events that are hosted in the Midwest this year.
Detroit Golf Club is known for being an exceptionally tough golf course, requiring careful selection of clubs and accurate striking to achieve a low score. It has two different courses, a southern course of roughly 6000 yards, and a northern course that is longer. The Rocket Mortgage Classic will be played on the northern course, a par 72 that ultimately stops just shy of 7350 yards.
Weather may also be a concern this weekend, considering Michigan has had heavy rainfall recently and fairly significant wind. The weekend is projected to be fairly dry and sunny, but the wind will consistently stay around 15 MPH with gusts that can get twice as fast!
Once again the betting favorite for this even is Dustin Johnson, despite failing to acquire a win since February. Johnson still holds the position as 2nd best golfer in the world, and his 20 Tour event wins give him an excellent resume to fall back on. Even if DJ hasn’t won in a few months, he’s still one of the best golfers in the world, and capable of winning on any given Sunday.
Great Picks
Hideki Matsuyama, 12:1 – Matsuyama has a fantastic shot at picking up his first win this year. He’s managed to make the cut in every event he’s played this year, including 4 top 10 finishes. While he did finish just 21st at the U.S. Open, he did come 6th at The Memorial a few weeks prior. Considering DJ has finished 20th or worse in all but one of his last 4 events, Matsuyama may be your best pick for short odds.
Billy Horschel, 30:1 – Horschel is another good choice here for reasons similar to Matsuyama. He’s only missed the cut a single time this season, and has 2 top 10 finishes. Unfortunately, he came in 32nd at the U.S. Open, but did finish 9th at The Memorial. Horschel may not be exciting on paper, but a weak playing field gives a great opportunity for a solid golfer like him.
Sungjae Im, 40:1 – If you want longer odds, you definitely can’t go wrong with Sungjae Im here. While he has missed the cut 8 times this season, he has 3 top 5 finishes and another 3 in the top 10. He’s actually played in different events than the other two picks, finishing just 21st last week at the Travelers Championship, but 7th at the RBC Canadian Open a few weeks prior. Im is fairly volatile, but he clearly has the potential to have an excellent showing at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, making him the best pick for long odds.
Betting Odds
- Dustin Johnson – 6:1
- Rickie Fowler – 10:1
- Hideki Matsuyama – 12:1
- Gary Woodland – 12:1
- Chez Reavie – 20:1
- Patrick Reed – 30:1
- Billy Horschel – 30:1
- Brandt Snedeker –30:1
- Kevin Kisner – 30:1
- Ryan Moore – 30:1
- Bubba Watson – 40:1
- Joaquin Niemann – 40:1
- Kevin Streelman – 40:1
- Sungjae Im – 40:1
- Aaron Wise – 40:1
