Rocket Mortgage Classic 2026

The Rocket Classic marks the penultimate event of the PGA Tour regular season and once again heads to the historic Detroit Golf Club in Michigan. A classic Donald Ross design, the course has traditionally played as a par 72 measuring just over 7,350 yards, although some changes have been made for the 2026 edition. Despite its modest length by modern standards, Detroit Golf Club remains one of the Tour's premier birdie-fests. Generous, tree-lined fairways encourage aggressive driving, while small, subtly contoured bentgrass greens place a premium on precise approach play. Winning scores have consistently reached 20-under-par or better, meaning players must attack from the opening tee shot and keep the putter hot throughout the week. 

Since the tournament's debut in 2019, it has produced several memorable champions. Nate Lashley announced himself with a fairytale six-shot victory in the inaugural event before Bryson DeChambeau overpowered the course in 2020. Cameron Davis has enjoyed remarkable success here, winning twice (2021 and 2024), while Tony Finau set the tournament scoring record at 26-under in 2022. Rickie Fowler ended his four-year title drought with a playoff victory in 2023, and Aldrich Potgieter claimed last year's title after another dramatic playoff. The repeat success of players like Davis highlights how course comfort and confidence can play a significant role at Detroit Golf Club. 

The profile of a Rocket Classic champion is fairly consistent. Strong iron players who create plenty of birdie opportunities tend to separate themselves, with Strokes Gained: Approach and Birdie or Better Percentage regularly proving among the strongest statistical indicators. While length off the tee is certainly an advantage given the reachable par fives and several short par fours, accuracy is not heavily penalised thanks to the forgiving fairways. Ultimately, this is a tournament where aggressive players thrive. Those capable of piling up birdies, taking advantage of scoring holes and producing a spike putting week are usually the ones lifting the trophy on Sunday. 

Rickie Fowler 1.5pts ew 35/1 (10 places Powers)

Rickie Fowler arrives in Detroit showing signs that another big week may not be far away. After hitting a purple patch in the middle of the season, recording finishes of 8th, 9th and runner-up at the RBC Heritage, Cadillac Championship and Truist Championship respectively, his form dipped through the major season with disappointing weeks at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, either side of a forgettable Memorial Tournament. Encouragingly, the signs have been far more positive since, finishing T38 at the Travelers before posting a T15 at the John Deere Classic and an impressive T18 at The Open Championship. That suggests his game is beginning to trend in the right direction once again.

Detroit Golf Club also holds special memories for Fowler, who ended a four-year wait for a PGA Tour title here in 2023, defeating Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in a playoff after all three finished on 24-under par. Confidence and comfort around a venue count for plenty, and few players in this field know how to attack Detroit better than Fowler. The Donald Ross design rewards creative iron play and confident putting rather than simply overpowering the golf course, and Fowler's record on Ross layouts is solid, with strong performances at Detroit, multiple good weeks at Sedgefield and a long history of competing well on classical, strategic layouts. Sedgefield, another Donald Ross venue, is widely regarded as one of the closest course comparisons to Detroit Golf Club. 

Perhaps the most encouraging statistic is on the greens, where Fowler ranks third on the PGA Tour for putts holed inside ten feet. In a tournament that regularly develops into a birdie shootout, converting those momentum-saving par putts and capitalising on birdie opportunities is essential. If his improving ball-striking continues to complement a putter that appears to be back to its best, it would be no surprise to see the 2023 champion firmly in contention once again.

Seamus Power 1pt ew 90/1 (10 places bet365)

Seamus Power is the type of player who always catches the eye when his game begins to trend in the right direction. A two-time PGA Tour winner, the Irishman has shown throughout his career that confidence can quickly breed results, and he arrives in Detroit on the back of consecutive encouraging performances. A T11 finish at the Corales Puntacana Championship was followed by another top-ten finish at last week's 3M Open, suggesting his game is beginning to click at an ideal time in the season.

His record at Detroit Golf Club has been a mixed bag, missing the cut on his first appearance in 2019 before bouncing back with finishes of T12 in 2020 and T8 in 2021. He has since added another missed cut last year, but those strong performances demonstrate that this is a venue where he is more than capable of contending when arriving in form. Detroit Golf Club's generous fairways should also play into his hands. Power has never lacked quality on and around the greens, establishing himself as one of the better putters on the PGA Tour, but inconsistent long-game performances have often prevented him from building on that strength. With less emphasis on driving accuracy this week and a greater reward for aggressive approach play, there is every chance he can continue the improvements shown in recent starts.

Power has also enjoyed success on Donald Ross layouts in the past, with Detroit's emphasis on precise iron play, smart course management and converting birdie chances suiting his skill set. If the recent improvements with the longer clubs continue, he'll have every opportunity to lean on one of the strongest putters in the field. At generous each-way odds, I wouldn't be surprised to see my fellow Irishman produce a hat-trick of impressive performances and give himself another chance to contend on Sunday.

Jacob Bridgeman 1pt ew 40/1 (10 places Powers)

Jacob Bridgeman announced himself as a PGA Tour winner earlier this season with a breakthrough victory at the Genesis Invitational, and ever since, it has felt like 2026 has been a coming-of-age campaign for the American. Consistency has been the hallmark of his season, missing just a single cut while recording four top-10 finishes and nine top-25s. Week after week he has given himself a chance to contend, and it's no surprise to see his confidence continue to grow as the season progresses.

Detroit Golf Club has already provided glimpses of what Bridgeman is capable of. He has made the cut in both previous appearances, finding himself well positioned heading into the weekend on each occasion before fading over the closing 36 holes. The difference this year is that he returns as a far more complete player, armed with the belief that comes from winning on the PGA Tour and backed up by some of the strongest approach statistics in the field. He ranks third on Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting, while his iron play has been particularly impressive from the key scoring distances, sitting seventh in approach shots from both 125-150 and 150-175 yards, while ranking second from 100-125 yards. Those are precisely the ranges players face repeatedly around Detroit Golf Club, making them especially relevant this week.

With Detroit once again expected to become a birdie-fest, Bridgeman possesses all the tools required to thrive. His improved confidence, elite wedge play and reliable putting make him an excellent fit for this Donald Ross layout, and having already shown he can put himself in contention here, it would be no surprise if the third time proved to be the charm. Whether he can bridge the gap to a second PGA Tour title remains to be seen, but all the signs suggest another big performance is well within reach.

Chandler Phillips 1pt ew 100/1 (10 places Powers)

Chandler Phillips is the definition of a confidence player, capable of producing something truly special when everything clicks. The American appears to be finding that groove at exactly the right time, arriving in Detroit on the back of finishes of T15 at both the John Deere Classic and ISCO Championship before taking another significant step forward with a brilliant T3 finish at last week's 3M Open. Those three results account for half of his top-25 finishes this season and suggest he may be peaking just in time for one final push before the FedEx Cup Playoffs get underway.

There are encouraging signs from his course history too. After missing the cut on debut in 2020, Phillips has steadily improved with each return visit to Detroit Golf Club, finishing T67 in 2024 before breaking into the top 15 with a T13 finish last year. That progression shouldn't be overlooked. Detroit rewards players who become increasingly comfortable with its subtle Donald Ross green complexes, and Phillips now returns with both confidence and valuable course experience on his side.

If his recent ball-striking continues and the putter stays warm, there's every reason to believe he can build on last week's podium finish. Momentum is a powerful thing at this stage of the season, and few players in this field arrive with more of it. Could Chandler BE in a better position to strike this week? I don't think so.

Davis Chatfield 1pt ew 250/1 (10 places Boyles)

Davis Chatfield is the only player in my team making his Rocket Classic debut this week, but he arrives with enough momentum to suggest that won't be much of a disadvantage. After enduring a difficult spell between February and June, missing nine cuts in a twelve-event stretch, the American has completely turned his season around in recent weeks. July has seen him make all four cuts, posting finishes of 33rd, 5th, 34th and 16th, a run of consistency that suggests he's beginning to find his feet at PGA Tour level.

This is Chatfield's rookie campaign on the PGA Tour following an impressive season on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he recorded two runner-up finishes and a third-place finish to earn his promotion. While this will be his first look at Detroit Golf Club, his recent performances indicate he has the tools to adapt quickly. Last week at the 3M Open he ranked second in Driving Accuracy and sixth in Greens in Regulation, a combination that should create plenty of birdie opportunities on a course that rewards players who consistently give themselves chances.

He's quietly become one of the more intriguing players in this field. The recent improvement has been built on solid fundamentals rather than one hot week, and if that level of tee-to-green performance continues, I wouldn't be surprised to see him outperform his odds. He's a player who's really caught my eye over the past month, and while this represents a step into the unknown around Detroit Golf Club, he looks to have all the ingredients to make a very positive first impression.