The PGA TOUR returns to full force this week, setting up shop in Detroit, Michigan, for the seventh edition of the Rocket Classic. Hosted at the Donald Ross-designed Detroit Golf Club, this full-field event welcomes the maximum 156 golfers and marks the crucial starting point of a six-week dash to secure a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs. With significant stakes and a historic venue poised for transformation, the field is eager to contend.
Here’s a look at some of the top players projected to make noise this week in Motown, factoring in recent form, course history, and overall talent.
Who to Watch: Rocket Classic Contenders
While the field might lack the world’s absolute top two players this week, it features a compelling mix of proven winners, in-form players, and course specialists hungry for victory. The competition for the hefty prize purse is wide open.
Top-Ranked & Proven Stars
Collin Morikawa: As the highest-ranked player committed, the World No. 4 brings undeniable talent. His only prior start at Detroit Golf Club resulted in a T2 finish after losing in a three-man playoff in 2023. He’ll look to convert this year.
Patrick Cantlay: Another top-tier player in the field (ranked 16th). Cantlay also boasts a strong record in Detroit, finishing T2 in his sole appearance at the Rocket Classic in 2022. He’s a consistent threat whenever he tees it up.
Keegan Bradley: Ranked 17th, Bradley arrives with solid recent form, pushing for a Ryder Cup spot. While he hasn’t notched a T2 finish here like Morikawa or Cantlay, he’s made the cut in all four of his previous starts at Detroit Golf Club, demonstrating consistency.
In-Form & On the Rise
Ben Griffin: Few players are hotter right now. Griffin has been on an incredible run since late April, stringing together finishes of T8, a win, second place, T10, and T14. His recent sequence is arguably unmatched in the field, proving he’s “hotter than the sun.”
Harry Hall: A player identified as a high-scoring threat, Hall ranks among the top scorers on TOUR and has banked two top-10 finishes in his last three starts. Having skipped some recent demanding events, he might have an edge in freshness.
Matt Wallace: While not hitting the absolute peak, Wallace has shown remarkable consistency recently, posting five finishes of T26 or better in his last six starts. That kind of steady play can pay off in a shootout.
Course History Specialists & Threats
Cam Davis: The defending champion is also the only two-time winner of the Rocket Classic (2021 and 2024). He capitalized on a final-hole mistake to win last year’s playoff and arrives with four consecutive finishes of T17 or better, making him a clear favorite at Detroit Golf Club.
Rickie Fowler: The 2023 champion, winning in a playoff over Akshay Bhatia and Cam Davis. Fowler has been consistent in 2025, missing only one cut and recording three finishes of T16 or better in his last five starts. His proven ability to win here makes him a threat despite a less prominent 2025 season overall.
Tony Finau: The 2022 champion set the tournament scoring record at 26-under par. While his form has been inconsistent since, with only one top-10 in 16 events, his dominant win here two years ago proves his capability on this specific layout.
Cameron Young: A player with strong history here, finishing T2 in 2022 and T6 in 2024. After back-to-back T4s, he had a dip last week, but his Detroit track record suggests he could easily find his stride again.
Stephan Jaeger & Taylor Moore: Both players have excellent track records at Detroit Golf Club. Jaeger boasts solo fifth and T9 finishes, even matching the course record previously. Moore has finished T10 or better in all three of his appearances here, consistently posting low rounds.
Lee Hodges: Leads the PGA TOUR in par-5 scoring average, a critical statistic on a course featuring four par-5s. He recently added a T9 finish to his resume, showing improved form.
Akshay Bhatia & Min Woo Lee & Davis Thompson: These three players finished T2 behind Cam Davis in the 2024 event. Both Lee and Thompson remarkably led the field with 23 birdies that week, highlighting their scoring potential here. Bhatia narrowly missed the playoff with a final-hole three-putt but showed impressive form and low bogey count.
Detroit Golf Club: A Venue Built for Scoring
Detroit Golf Club, a classic Donald Ross design, is known for yielding low scores, often turning the Rocket Classic into a “shootout.” The stock par 72 layout stretches to 7,370 yards but caters to aggressive play. While fairways are bordered by four-inch rough, they remain relatively welcoming, and players consistently hit a high percentage of greens in regulation (north of 12 per round), despite their modest size (just over 5,000 square feet).
Scrambling difficulty ranks in the easier half across the TOUR schedule when conditions are favorable. However, success hinges on consistently strong putting on the fast Poa annua surfaces, typically prepped to run at 12 1/2 feet on the Stimpmeter. Contenders must capitalize on scoring opportunities and pile up birdies.
The Stakes: $9.6 Million Purse
The Rocket Classic offers significant financial reward. The total purse for the 2025 tournament stands at a substantial $9.6 million. The winner will take home a massive $1.728 million, representing 18 percent of the total prize money. The payout structure is comprehensive, distributing prize money down to the 90th position.
A Farewell (For Now): Major Course Transformation Ahead
This year’s Rocket Classic holds unique significance as it is expected to be the final playing on the Detroit Golf Club layout before a major, multi-million dollar restoration project commences immediately after the tournament concludes. Architect Tyler Rae will lead the extensive transformation.
The restoration, reportedly costing $16 million for the North Course alone initially, aims to return the course closer to Donald Ross’s original vision. Key changes will include:
Redoing all greens to reflect Ross’s early intentions.
Restoring bunkers to their original prominence.
Introducing additional tees and removing many trees (over 100 on the North Course).
Eliminating the pond fronting the par-5 14th hole.
Crucially, improving drainage across the entire property.
The project will begin on the North Course first, with plans for its completion before the 2026 tournament. The South Course, which includes some holes used in the composite tournament layout, will follow. Upon completion, the course is expected to play approximately 200 yards longer. This means this year’s event offers a final look at the course configuration that has hosted the Rocket Classic for its first seven editions, potentially making past course history less predictive for future tournaments on the revamped layout.
The Field: A Mix of Experience and Emerging Talent
The 156-player field is determined through the PGA TOUR’s standard Priority Ranking system, supplemented by various exemption categories, including sponsor invites and the winner of The John Shippen exemption for Black golfers. The 2025 field sees an improvement in strength compared to 2024 with the inclusion of multiple players ranked inside the top 20, such as Morikawa, Cantlay, and Bradley. Alongside the established stars and hot streaks, past champions Cam Davis, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, and Nate Lashley are set to compete, adding to the tournament’s narrative.
Weather Outlook
The forecast suggests a potentially challenging start to the week, with a persistent threat of rain and storms daily through Friday. Conditions are expected to improve over the weekend, which would provide organizers with ample time to recover from any delays. Daytime temperatures will hover near 90 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the tournament, with the most significant increase in wind possibly coinciding with the cut line on Friday.
As the PGA TOUR postseason looms, the Rocket Classic offers players a vital opportunity to secure FedExCup points, a significant paycheck, and a chance to etch their name in the history books at Detroit Golf Club before its dramatic transformation. Get ready for a week of aggressive play and exciting finishes.
