PGA Tour: 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic Preview

2021 US PGA Tour
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Detroit Golf Club, North Course, Michigan
1st July- 4th July

Harris English showed plenty of mental fortitude last week, holding off Kramer Hickok in an epic playoff at the Travellers. The tour now travels to the Motor City for what should be an interesting week. Many of the big guns will be in hibernation this week ahead of the Open Championship in a fortnight. This could be the perfect opportunity for some of the lower-ranked players to accumulate some much-needed FedEx Cup points. The Rocket Mortgage Classic is a recent addition to the PGA Tour calendar, replacing the Quicken Loans National two years ago. It was the first event staged in Michigan since the final edition of the Buick Open held in 2009. It actually became the first PGA Tour event ever held in Detroit.

This Donald Ross design is a true suburban parkland layout. There are two courses at Detroit Golf Club, the North and South. They will be using the North Course this year with the exception of the 3rd (they will be using the 4th hole of the South Course as the 3rd this week). This layout is a fairly tight, tree-lined affair. The small Poa Annua greens will run at around 12 on the stimp. At first glance, this appears to be one for the surgeons. But Bryson and Matthew Wolff turned it into nuclear arms race last year. So, there’s something in it for everyone this year. This isn’t a severe examination and it will basically devolve into a putting contest. You can also look for corollary form at other Donald Ross layouts (such as Sedgefield and East Lake).

Bryson DeChambeau will be looking to defend his title with memories of that Torrey Pines meltdown still fresh in his mind. He recorded a decent top 20 last week and may be primed for a return to contention. Patrick Reed has flattered to deceive in recent weeks while Masters Champion Hideki Matsuyama will need to rediscover his putting to contend again. Webb Simpson is a great fit for this course while Will Zalatoris will look to use his power to put the North Course to the sword. Elsewhere, the likes of Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson will command the attention of galleries.

Past Winners

2020: Bryson DeChambeau (-23)
2019: Nate Lashley (-25)

To Win Outright:

Bryson DeChambeau 15/2
Patrick Reed 14/1
Hideki Matsuyama 16/1
Webb Simpson 18/1
Will Zalatoris 25/1

Value Bets

Kevin Kisner: To Win 35/1 | To Place 15/2

Kevin Kisner is the ‘horses for courses’ option in this week’s event. The three-time PGA Tour winner was 3rd here last year. His brand of surgically precise golf is ideally suited to this tree-lined track. He is also coming here in decent form, finishing 5th at TPC River Highlands last week. The thing that really appeals to me about Kisner this week is his putting. He was 3rd for SG: Putting at the Travellers last week. If that putting form holds, he should be ideally suited to succeed here.

Mackenzie Hughes: To Win 125/1 | To Place 25/1

Hughes ultimately tied for 76th last week after his disappointing Sunday collapse at Torrey Pines. To be fair, who didn’t collapse on Sunday at Torrey Pines? Jon Rahm. That’s about it. Hughes lost 0.84 strokes per round last week off the tee. This course should be far better suited to his talents. He is an excellent putter who is looking back to his best following five consecutive missed cuts. He finished T21 here in the 2019 edition. He should represent great value in the place markets.

The Man to Beat: Jason Kokrak: To Win 28/1 | To Place 6/1

Jason Kokrak played in the inaugural edition of this event, finishing in a fairly unremarkable T29. But he has enjoyed a fantastic season thus far. He already has victories at the Charles Schwab Challenge and CJ Cup. Weak scrambling stats are a slight deterrent. But he more than makes up for that in various other significant departments. He is currently 2nd on tour for Strokes Gained Putting. He is also 12th on tour for Birdie Average. These should be vital stats during this veritable shootout.