Niall Lyons has five selections for the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
Rocket Mortgage Classic Winner
Detroit is the destination for the 5th time for the Rocket Mortgage Classic as the players take on the Donald Ross designed North Course in Detroit. This is a relatively short par 72 where birdies and plenty of them are needed to contend over the weekend.
The course is usually receptive and is another somewhat straightforward task like last week. The greens here represent the only minor challenge and finding the right parts of them with your approach play will provide better opportunities to make the requisite birdies.
The one takeaway from recent winners and contenders is the length they hit the ball. Finau, Cam Davis and Dechambeau are the last three winners here and it'll pay to look to those who can bomb and gauge their way to victory here.
2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic Tips
The 3M Open is an event to look to for some pointers as Dechambeau and Wolff have posted a dual forecast in both events whilst Finau managed to win both just last year. Both courses favour the longer hitters and that's where most of my attention lies when looking at the betting market.
Collin Morikawa at 18/1 (Eight Places)
Collin Morikawa may have missed the cut last week but he's the first of my Rocket Mortgage Classic tips as he debuts here in Detroit. It has been a disappointing few months for Morikawa as his short game woes continue and you have to go back to the Masters in April to see his last top 10 finish.
Ever since it has been a tale of putting and chipping woes that have seen him not land a blow but this surely can't last for long and he looks set to capitalise upon a sparkling long game sooner rather than later.
He ranks second on tour in strokes gained approach and this course represents a big opportunity for him to score well. His iron play was off last week as a whole but a first round of 74 was followed by a second round of 63 where he got things largely back on track to miss the cut on the number.
His iron play has been that scintillating of late though that I expect it to pay off in droves pretty soon. As ever he is one good putting week away from blowing the field apart and a runner up at Twin Cities back in 2019 is a good sign as to what we can expect from him here this week.
3pts each-way C.Morikawa 18/1 (1/5 8) Paddy Power
Alex Noren at 100/1 (Eight Places)
Alex Noren had been struggling off the tee for a fair while before hitting the ball much better at the US Open a couple of weeks ago and his missed cut there was only down to a really poor week with the putter. That in uncharacteristic for the Swede and on a venue that has rewarded the best putters before I'm hopeful of his chances here.
His long game was in really good shape at LACC and a return to the venue on which he finished 4th upon in 2021 will be welcome. 3rd at Twin Cities in 2020 is another string to his bow and if LACC was a true return to form with the big stick then he could be a sleeping giant in this field. The added incentive of a late surge towards Ryder Cup selection has spurred other Europeans on to victory in recent years and Noren could add himself to that list.
1pt each-way A.Noren 100/1 (1/5 8) William Hill
Carson Young at 150/1 (Eight Places)
Carson Young is another worth keeping on side following another solid effort at the Travelers last week where he ranked 15th on approach. That continues an excellent season with the irons and it's no surprise he has landed four top 20s in his last nine starts. As well as a near miss in Puerto Rico where he held the 54 hole lead for this column at triple figures he has had a largely successful rookie season on tour.
He has shown to ill effects of seeing these courses for the first time so I'm not in any way worried about this being his debut. The odds aren't particularly high that he manages to get off the mark on the PGA Tour quicker than his namesake Cameron and he has shown plenty enough in the last few months to warrant a lot of respect here at 150/1.
1pt each-way C.Young 150/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 Place market
Davis Thompson at 250/1 (Eight Places)
Another outsider worth considering this week is Davis Thompson who has gone off the boil slightly following an impressive start to his rookie season. He caught the eye especially in the Californian desert where he shot 18 under par for the opening couple of rounds and led after three days only to be mowed down by Jon Rahm on Sunday. He hasn't kicked on from that near miss but he doesn't appear too far off and with his short game in specially good nick the past few weeks he looks worth chancing.
His long game will need to improve to contend here that's for certain but he can bomb and gauge his way into contention and a hot putter will help him to do so. These birdie fests often open the door to a few big priced contenders and Thompson is talented enough to make his presence felt at some stage across the four days.
0.75pt each-way D.Thompson 250/1 (1/5 8) Paddy Power
Cameron Champ at 150/1 (Eight Places)
I'm prepared to risk Cameron Champ this week despite the obvious pitfall that it may be a botched experiment. His long game last week at the Travelers was fair with his short game still determining his fate each week he tees it up. There have been numerous good signs with the long game for months now but the putter and game around the green continues to plague him.
This event and the 3M Open at Twin Cities are two worth considering him in no matter his recent form. They remain two of his most consistent events with two top 20s here in his last three efforts and a victory and top 20 over at Twin Cities. His last top 10 (Mexico) came after six missed cuts on the trot whilst the previous top 10 at the Zozo was posted following three missed cuts. Therefore, all is not lost here on a venue that suits and upwards of 150/1 is enough to tempt me with a small bet.
0.75pt each-way C.Champ 150/1 (1/5 8) Skybet, Paddypower
