The Rundown: 2023 Rocket Mortage Classic
After a whirlwind eight weeks full of majors, designated events and the entire golf landscape changing beneath our feet, the sport finally takes a breather. Congrats to Keegan Bradley for seizing the last chance to cash a BIG check last week, but now that the designated/elevated, whatever the hell they're called are behind us, it's time to settle in for a couple of not-so-big events as we prepare for Liverpool in a few weeks time. Most of the world's best are taking some much-needed time off this week, but true golf addicts will be pumped to see if one of the rank-and-file TOUR pros can break through at Detroit Golf Club. Here's everything you need to know to cash some tickets at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
course notes & quotes
This is only the fifth edition of the RMC, which began in 2019, taking over for the former Quicken Loans National. Detriot Golf Club has hosted the event all four years, and despite battling schedule changes and a slight lack of star power, has provided one of the better atmospheres in golf since it joined the TOUR rotation.
The 7,370-yard par-72 is a classic Donald Ross design, but unlike his famous work at East Lake and Oak Hill, this one plays nice and easy. In the tournament's four-year history, all but one of the winning scores eclipsed 20-under-par. The organizers at Detroit Golf Club know they're not attracting the biggest names, so they make sure to provide what the Michigan locals want to see: birdies in bunches. There's not much about this track that will really challenge these players. It's the flattest course on TOUR with less than 10ft of elevation change between the lowest and highest points on the property. There are also hardly any hazards to speak of, with water coming into play on just one hole. As a result, DataGolf ranks DGC fourth on this season's TOUR stops in fewest penalty strokes per round averaging a microscopic .08.
While not long by any means, the number on the scorecard suggests a middle-of-the-pack course length, but a closer look at the card shows most of that distance comes from the massive, 635-yard par-5 fourth. By contrast, six of the 10 par-4s play under 450 yards, with a few that will be drivable for the longer hitters. The only thing keeping these guys from shooting 59s are these greens, which, in true Donald Ross fashion, are divided into sections by massive slopes and banks. Most of the holes are a driver-short iron challenge, but these guys better hit the correct spots on these greens to go low and keep up with everyone else.
"Off the tee, it’s not too difficult, but where it plays difficult will be on the greens," Dustin Johnson said of Detroit Golf Club. "It’s a lot of slope, a lot of different quadrants, and you want to be in the right quadrant. We’re going to have a good many wedges so you need to be able to control the spin or it will be difficult to get it close to the hole."
But these Ross greens won't be as firm as the organizers would like, as recent weather is expected to add to the easy scoring conditions. The area has been battered by rain and thunderstorms in recent days, softening the course up and even knocking down a few trees. Low winds and cloudy skies throughout the week should keep it soft and slow, so this week's winner may well be north of Finau's current record of -26 set last year.
Pick Your Spots
“It’s a lot of slope, a lot of different quadrants, and you want to be in the right quadrant. We’re going to have a good many wedges so you need to be able to control the spin or it will be difficult to get it close to the hole."”
— Dustin Johnson
Course history
Through just four events as a new TOUR stop, Detroit Golf Club has yielded strong performances from a variety of players. While bombers such as Tony Finau, Cameron Davis and Bryson DeChambeau have taken this title, so too has Nate Lashley, and notorious plodders Kevin Kisner and Troy Merritt each have a pair of top-10s at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. With that said, here are a few notes and numbers to keep in mind when making your picks.
Off the Tee
Detroit Golf Club is one of the easiest driving courses on the TOUR calendar. The rough isn't overly penal, and with no real hazards to scare these guys off the tee, it will be bombs away this week. A look at recent leaderboards proves driving distance hasn't been a prerequisite at DGC: only nine of the 35 players to finish T10 or better since 2020 finished in the top 15 in driving distance that week. But the conditions will play into the bomber's hands if the softened fairways don't allow much runout off the tee.
Tee to Green
As expected with a shorter course, players will have short irons and wedges in their hands more often than not on approach. Last year's event saw 46.4% of approaches come from inside 150 yards, well above the TOUR average for short-range approaches. But players will have to be dialed in with the small sticks to avoid the greenside rough which is some of the thickest on the grounds.
Around the Green
Everyone knows how Jon Rahm feels about 'putting contests', so it's no surprise his name is missing from the tee sheet this week. As mentioned above, the greens are the only real defense at Detroit Golf Club, so there's a good chance it will come down to which of these guys can get hot on these bentgrass/poa putting surfaces. As proof noted by Ron Klos, every single player who's finished T10 or better since the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic has gained strokes putting.
Betting picks & plays
There aren't too many big names to choose from in this week's less-than-elevated field but so I'm taking a look down the odds list at some longer shots. As always, be sure to check out the Tour Junkies Blog for more picks and insight from the rest of the gang, including DB's Big Balls Betting Card, which always comes in hot with the long bomb plays. With that said, here are some names and numbers I like at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Ludvig Aberg (+4500, T10: +450, T20: +230)
I've been looking for a chance to bet golf's hottest rising star, and now seems like a great time to do it. This is only the third professional start for the 23-year-old rookie, but he's quickly proven he belongs on the PGA TOUR since leaving Texas Tech as the nation's best collegiate golfer. The big-hitting Swede posted T25s in his first two starts at the RBC Canadian Open and last week at the Travelers, and I like him to bomb and gouge his way to another strong performance in Detroit.
Chris Kirk (+5000, T10: +500, T20: +230)
My 'bet Bulldogs' strategy didn't pan out at the Travelers last week, but at least Florida managed to choke away another shot at a national championship in baseball (thanks LSU). Anyway, I'm going back to the well with Chris Kirk despite his recent run of poor performances. He's missed the cut in each of his three starts since his T29 at the PGA Championship, but let's not forget how well he was playing to start the year. The Georgia grad began 2023 with back-to-back (see what I did there) third-place finishes before winning the Honda Classic. He also posted a solid T10 at the birdie fest Valero Texas Open. There are few in the field this week with a better history at Detroit Golf Club. Kirk boasts finishes of 17th, 12th and 21st in three appearances at the RMC, and his game should fit this short, putting contest challenge as he ranks 10th in the field in approach proximity from 50-125 yards and second in putting from outside 25 feet.
Meet the Author:
Nate Moore
A Georgia native, proud UGA alum and former media guy for Augusta National, the only thing Nate Moore loves more than the Peach State is a Top-20 parlay. Nate is a golf-obsessed sportswriter/journalist who brings his experience in the golf industry to the Tour Junkies brand.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and commentary in this post belong to its author and do not necessarily represent the Tour Junkies as a whole.