Action Report: Bettors aligned behind Rickie Fowler at Rocket Mortgage

DETROIT – He’s one of the hottest players on the PGA TOUR this summer, and he’s coming off a pair of show-stopping performances in the last two weeks. In the eyes of bettors, it’s time for Rickie Fowler to break his 4+ year victory drought this week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Fowler was installed as a +1200 co-favorite alongside defending champ Tony Finau when BetMGM Sportsbook opened the action on this week’s event at Detroit Golf Club, but that short price has not dissuaded the betting public from getting behind a perennially popular player. Fowler enters this week on a run of nine top-20 finishes in his last 10 starts, capped by an opening 62 at the U.S. Open (T-9) and a third-round 60 last week at the Travelers Championship (T-13).

As a result he’s a clear favorite in pre-tournament action, receiving more tickets (individual bets) and handle (total money wagered) at BetMGM than any other player. A total of 15.8 percent of all money wagered this week has gone to Fowler, with no other player cracking the 10 percent mark. Fowler remains in search of his first PGA TOUR win since the 2019 WM Phoenix Open.

Coming off a five-shot romp last year in the Motor City, Finau is another popular play as he looks to become the first player to go back-to-back in the five-year history of the event. Finau is second in handle and third in tickets, behind both Fowler and Justin Thomas. Thomas (+1600) has had a turbulent couple of weeks, shooting an 81 at LACC and a 62 last week at the Travelers, but he’s second in tickets and third in handle as he makes his debut appearance at Detroit GC.

This event has seen a couple longshot winners in its brief history (Nate Lashley 2019, Cam Davis 2021), and odds have already shortened on some midrange prospects this time around. Austin Eckroat remains in search of his first win on TOUR, but his odds are down to +4500 after opening at +6600. He represents the second-biggest outright liability at BetMGM, behind only Fowler.

Similarly, Adam Schenk has shortened from +10000 to +6600 while Byeong-Hun An is down to +5000 after opening at +8000 to start the week. Newly-minted pro Ludvig Aberg has also drawn attention from bettors, dropping from +5000 to +4000.

Here's a look at the action leaders at BetMGM heading into the opening round:

Current Handle & Tickets

Tickets
1. Rickie Fowler – 12.7%
2. Justin Thomas – 8%
3. Tony Finau – 6.7%

Handle
1. Rickie Fowler – 15.8%
2. Tony Finau – 9%
3. Justin Thomas – 8.2%

Biggest Liabilities
1. Rickie Fowler (+1200)
2. Austin Eckroat (+4500)
3. Justin Thomas (+1600)

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