Rocket Mortgage Classic 2024: Course & Field Preview, Key Stats, + Odds

The PGA Tour rolls into the Midwest and heads to Detroit, Michigan for the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club this week. Designed by World Golf Hall of Famer Donald Ross, Detroit Golf Club opened over a century ago in 1899 and is set to host the event for the sixth consecutive season. The course is remarkably flat with little penalty for wayward misses, leaving players with countless birdie opportunities throughout the tournament. The Rocket Mortgage Classic has ranked among the top 10 easiest PGA Tour events in the last five years.

After two Signature Events and a major championship over the past three weeks, it's unsurprising to see a lackluster 156-player field hit Detroit Golf Club. Only five of the top 40 in the Official World Golf Ranking are teeing it up, headlined by Tom Kim, Will Zalatoris, Cameron Young, Akshay Bhatia, Min Woo Lee, and defending champion Rickie Fowler. Robert MacIntyre, Chris Kirk, Stephan Jaeger, Taylor Pendrith, Jake Knapp, and Cameron Davis are other notable players in the field.

A handful of up-and-coming PGA Tour youngsters will also be part of the field this week, including 15-year-old Miles Russell, who recently became the youngest player to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour. Masters and U.S. Open low amateur Neal Shipley, Florida State standout Luke Clanton, Auburn star Jackson Koivun, and 2024 PGA Tour University winner Michael Thorbjornsen are names to watch in Detroit.

THE ODDS

Tom Kim (+1200), Cameron Young (+1600), Min Woo Lee (+1800), Alexander Noren (+2200), and Akshay Bhatia (+2200) enter the week as the betting favorites, according to BetRivers Sportsbook.

Stephan Jaeger (+2500), Taylor Pendrith (+2500), Maverick McNealy (+2800), Davis Thompson (+2800), Aaron Rai (+2800), Will Zalatoris (+3300), Keith Mitchell (+3300), Chris Kirk (+4000), Robert MacIntyre (+4000), and Adam Svensson (+4500) are the rest of the players listed below 50/1 odds.

Matt Wallace (+5000), Michael Thorbjornsen (+5000), Ben Griffin (+5000), Ryan Fox (+5000), Rickie Fowler (+5000), Taylor Moore (+6000), Cameron Davis (+6600), Beau Hossler (+6600), Nicolai Hojgaard (+6600), Patrick Rodgers (+6600), Erik van Rooyen (+6600), Doug Ghim (+6600), Nick Dunlap (+6600), Lee Hodges (+6600), Mark Hubbard (+6600), Sam Stevens (+6600), and Luke Clanton (+6600) fill up the jam-packed middle tier of the betting board.

Kevin Yu (+7000), Adam Schenk (+8000), Greyson Sigg (+8000), Ryo Hisatsune (+8000), Neal Shipley (+8000), Brendon Todd (+8000), Daniel Berger (+8000), Justin Lower (+9000), Eric Cole (+9000), Alejandro Tosti (+9000), Thorbjorn Olesen (+9000), and Webb Simpson (+9000) are the rest of the players under 100/1.

For the complete tournament odds board, click here .

*Odds subject to change*

PAST WINNERS

2023: Rickie Fowler (-24)

2022: Tony Finau (-26)

2021: Cam Davis (-18)

2020: Bryson DeChambeau (-23)

2019: Nate Lashley (-25)

KEY STATS

SG: Approach

Birdie or Better Gained

Opportunities Gained

SG: Off The Tee

Par 4s: 450-500 Yards

Proximity 100-125 Yards/125-150 Yards

Proximity 200+ Yards

SG: Par-5s (550-600 Yards)

SG: Putting (Bentgrass)

SG: Total (Donald Ross Courses)

THE COURSE

Detroit Golf Club (par 72) is making its sixth appearance on the PGA Tour and features receptive tree-lined fairways, four-inch Kentucky Bluegrass rough, and Bentgrass/Poa Annua green complexes. The tournament utilizes both courses at Detroit Golf Club, with 17 holes coming from the North Course and one from the South Course. A wonky composite routing will be in effect this week, as the South Course's first hole will play as the third hole of the tournament. Holes eight and nine from the North Course have also been moved to Nos. 1 and 2.

While five new tee boxes were created in 2018 to add length to Detroit Golf Club, the course still only stretches 7,370 yards and offers countless birdie opportunities throughout the round. With a winning score of at least 23-under in four of the five years, players must be shooting low scores for a chance of contending on Sunday.

Players will see a standard par-72 layout for the first time in a few weeks, with ten par-4s, four par-3s, and four par-5s on the course.

Among the ten par-4s, five are shorter than 400 yards, but another four measure over 450 yards. There is a lot of variance in length with the par-4s, but most are scorable for the field regardless of the distance. Nos. 2 (453 yards), 6 (461 yards), 12 (489 yards), and 18 (455 yards) each played over par last year.

Two of the four par-3s (Nos. 9 & 11) stretch over 200 yards and come in a three-hole stretch. Nos. 9 and 11 each ranked among the four most difficult holes on the course in 2023. The average distance of the par-3s is 192 yards.

Three of the four par-5s are shorter than 580 yards, meaning they will be reachable in two shots for a solid chunk of the field. The 635-yard 4th hole is the most challenging of the bunch, but there certainly will be a lot of birdies on the par-5s this week.

Among all the less-grueling tournaments on the schedule, perhaps no event deserves to be deemed a "putting contest" more than the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Historically, Detroit Golf Club has been one of the most generous courses from off the tee, leaving approach play and putting as the two essentials to have a crack at winning. The average driving distance at DGC is roughly ten yards longer than the Tour average, and there aren't any penalty hazards to be concerned about. The 'bomb-and-gauge' strategy can be implemented on this wide-open track, ala Bryson DeChambeau's win here in 2020.

Like last week at the Travelers Championship , a large percentage of approach shots come from inside 150 yards on this course. Players will frequently be hitting wedges into the greens on the par-4s, and the ones that capitalize with the flat stick will be in the mix once the weekend rolls around. With a birdie fest sure to transpire, putting from inside 20 feet will be another crucial statistic this week.

All in all, I'll target elite ball-strikers who can separate themselves from the pack with their approach shots and have the putting upside necessary to eclipse 20-under. Taking advantage of the four par-5s is also crucial, and course history has been rather sticky on Donald Ross's designs.

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