Power Rankings: Rocket Mortgage Classic

And just like that, the Rocket Mortgage Classic is half a Barry. One of the newest PGA TOUR stops already is celebrating its fifth edition in Detroit, the city in which Barry Sanders logged 10 years in a Hall of Fame career for the Lions.

Although he opted to retire earlier than anyone anticipated, NFL fans of a certain age still can feel the magnitude of his impact on his team and the sport in general. In that context, it doesn’t seem possible that his career flew by as fast as it seems the Rocket Mortgage is motoring along.

Most professional golfers wouldn’t be unhappy with an athletic career highlighted with half that of Sanders’. At least one career will be defined in part by a victory at Detroit Golf Club this week. Details of the test, a statistical anomaly during Tony Finau’s five-shot romp here last year and more below.

Editors Note: Harris English withdrew from the Rocket Mortgage Classic on June 27, 2023.

Taylor Moore, Chris Kirk, Adam Hadwin and Tom Hoge will be among the notables reviewed in Golfbet Insider.

Week in and week out, the most unheralded of the performers are the grounds crews who just show up and do their jobs, but without them, the setup, its fairness, the imagery, etc. – all of that would cease to exist. Just because anyone representing any of the staffs rarely is seen doesn’t mean that they should be taken for granted. But every once in a while, how they respond is newsworthy.

A few weeks ago, the greens on the par-3 11th and par-4 12th holes at Detroit GC were vandalized. They’ve since been repaired, of course, but it was on top of the annual, long-range preparation for the Rocket Mortgage. Then, on Sunday of this week, damage from severe storms forced the closure of the course for a period of time on Monday. Access to the site was limited, so no doubt the staffers were the stars of the day, as they should be, regularly. (There’s your cue to manufacture and sell “Hug a grounds crew member” T-shirts, bumper stickers and other merch.)

For most intents and purposes, hands-on responses to the unexpected challenges are the only modifications made to the course in the last year. It’s a stock par 72 that can reach 7,370 yards. The tallest of the bluegrass rough is four inches and the combination Poa-bentgrass greens could touch 12½ feet on the Stimpmeter.

Detroit GC technically is a composite layout of the North and South Courses, but only the par-4 third hole grabs a piece of the South. Last year’s field averaged 70.397 in late July. Despite the shift back into its customary slot flanking Independence Day, that’s approximately where this week’s field of 156 should land as well.

Greens average just 5,150 square feet, so tee-to-green tacticians who are average-and-worse putters have the edge, but Tony Finau delivered a special kind of execution en route to a tournament-record 26-under 262 last year.

Finau hit 66 greens in regulation to lead the field, and he also went 6-for-6 in scrambling, but he still squared one bogey. That was as a result of a three-putt from just inside 69 feet on the par-3 11th hole in the final round. Aside from that wrinkle, he epitomized why hitting GIR and sinking putts plays so well in a shootout, but his profile as a long hitter on a course with four par 5s is just as powerful.

With more rain on the way mid-tournament, muscle could matter even more. Benign conditions are forecast for the open and close. Daytime temperatures will eclipse 80 degrees throughout and winds will be light.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled.

MONDAY: Power Rankings

TUESDAY*: Sleepers

WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider

SUNDAY: Payouts and Points, Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle

* - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.