Niall Lyons has a team of five to follow heading into this week's Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club, Michigan, USA.
Rocket Mortgage ClassicSee All Odds
Detroit Golf Club, Michigan, USA. Detroit is the destination for the 8th time for the Rocket Mortgage Classic as the players take on the Donald Ross designed North Course in Detroit. This was a relatively short par 72 which this year has been reduced to a par 70 with two par 5s removed.
The renovation work that has taken place should result in a tougher examination that normal for these golfers but I still expect low scoring and receptive greens. 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. Potgieter, Finau, Cam Davis and Dechambeau are four of the last five winners here and it'll pay to look to those who can bomb and gauge their way to victory here. Peter Kuest topped the driving statistic for the week when finishing 4th in 2023.
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 a couple of years ago. Both courses favour the longer hitters and that's where most of my attention will lie when looking at the betting market
Rocket Mortgage Classic Previous Winners / Winning Score:
- 2025 - A.Potgieter (-22)
- 2024 - C.Davis (-18)
- 2023 - R.Fowler (-24)
- 2022 - T.Finau (-26)
- 2021 - C.Davis (-18)
- 2020 - B.Dechambeau (-23)
- 2019 - N.Lashley (-25)
Rocket Mortgage Classic Player Stats
Rocket Mortgage Classic Betting Tips
| Player | Bet | Odds | Stake | Terms | Bookmaker | Bet Here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Cantlay | Each-way | 22/1 | 2pts E/W | 1/5 odds, 10 places | Ladbrokes / Coral | Click Here |
| Davis Thompson | Each-way | 50/1 | 2pts E/W | 1/5 odds, 8 places | Bet365 | Click Here |
| Michael Thorbjornsen | Each-way | 50/1 | 1.25pts E/W | 1/4 odds, 5 places | PricedUp | Click Here |
| Sungjae Im | Each-way | 70/1 | 1.25pts E/W | 1/5 odds, 10 places | Ladbrokes / Coral | Click Here |
| Sam Stevens | Each-way | 90/1 | 1pt E/W | 1/5 odds, 8 places | Bet365 | Click Here |
Patrick Cantlay at 22/1 (Ten Places)
Jackson Koivun will be the story of the early part of this week to see if he can repeat the heroics of last week at Twin Cities. If he does then expect some takes that we're watching a future world number one, and they could well be right. He is a good starting point for the odds though as he lined up at 14/1 for the ISCO and at 30/1 last week. There are some stark differences in golfers he was priced alongside the last few weeks and it may be that those are the ones worth chancing.
Of the bigger names towards the top of the market the one that that catches my eye, I must say reluctantly, is Patrick Cantlay. Cantlay went off a 20/1 shot at the Heritage, a field that included Scottie Scheffler. 22/1 at the Cadillac (before withdrawing) and 25/1 at the Travelers were another two events that had the world number on in tow.
There has only been one event in his last nine where he has played without Scheffler teeing it up and almost never gets a bigger price than this (bar the Scottish/Open Championships). In two appearances here he finished 32nd last year then runner up to runaway winner Tony Finau back in 2022.
It's getting a long time between drinks for Cantlay but if he is to get back into the winners enclosure I would be pinpointing events without the world number one and having gained strokes in all departments at Birkdale he looks a nice bet at the price.
Davis Thompson at 50/1 (Eight Places)
After his 7th place last week landing a place for this column at 75/1 it seems like a silly idea to desert Davis Thompson as he heads to another track that should bring out the best in him. A better short game last week would have had him in contention for the victory but there was no doubting the condition of his long game.
3rd off the tee and 6th on approach contributed to him topping the field in the strokes gained tee to green category. A similar effort here in Detroit would see him go close once again. His putter warmed up on Saturday and Sunday which is a really good sign ahead of this week.
He has made all four cuts when teeing it up here with a best of 2nd place back in 2024. Should the changes to the course not result in too much upheaval from the status quo here Thompson looks like one of the best bets of the week.
Michael Thorbjornsen at 50/1 (Five Places)
There is a small chance Koivun's victory last week opens the floodgates for maidens on the PGA Tour and the one most likely to walk through that door is Michael Thorbjornsen.
In 2019 Wolff, Dechambeau and Morikawa went toe to toe at the 3M Open in what many seen as a changing of the guard. What followed wasn't a million miles off and it feels like the time is nigh for the likes of Koivun and Thorbjornsen to surpass many of the older brigade who take up a chunk of the market each week.
The 2018 US Junior Amateur champion had a great week in Scotland finishing 7th and didn't disgrace himself the following week at Birkdale when finishing 40th. With these tests being so similar it's a little bit of a negative that he didn't tee it up last week but two missed cuts from two at Twin Cities may have played its part in that decision.
He had a couple of missed cuts in this event also before finishing 4th last year and he looks better equipped to manage a victory now in this sphere. He should gain plenty of confidence from his trip to Scotland and England and maybe this is the perfect time to pounce after Koivun's win.
Sungjae Im at 70/1 (Ten Places)
Although longer hitters have dominated here down the years there has always been a sprinkling of plodders. Chris Kirk made the playoff last year whilst Aaron Rai and Lucas Glover have both made the frame in the previous couple of stagings.
One I'm happy to chance at the price is Sungjae Im. He has struggled with iron play for a couple of years now but one good week in that department could spell a turnaround in his career. It is nearly five years since he won on the PGA Tour but his top 15 at Birkdale was a sign of what he is capable of.
This year alone he led after rounds 1,2 and 3 at the Valspar, led at halfway at Quail Hollow, was 2nd at halfway at Craig Ranch then was 2nd after round one a few weeks at the Open Championship.
He is finding it difficult to put all four rounds together but on any given day he is proving himself to be more than competitive.
He has a runner up finish at Twin Cities as well as a top ten posted here back in 2021. There were 10pts difference between him and Koivun last week, now there are up to 70 which looks too big to turn down.
Sam Stevens at 90/1 (Eight Places)
Since Sam Stevens' impressive 7th placed finish at the US Open last month he hasn't managed to land a blow since. The week after at the Travelers can be excused after a gruelling Shinnecock test and to a certain extent so can the two links efforts.
I'd have expected better from him last week but he has doubled in price for this weeks test and is certainly interesting. I'm not jumping through hoops at him playing for the fourth week on the trot but I can't turn down the triple figure prices.
Stevens showed just what he is capable of at Shinnecock and if a victory is to land on the tour this is just the type of event that suits. Longer hitters are most welcome here at Detroit GC and with a top 10 here back in 2024 where he stood a lively chance of winning heading into the final round he should relish this opportunity.
2nd and 10th at Twin Cities marries well with this week and we should expect to see a better effort this week than last. More than anything else I can't turn down the price as he has rarely been bigger in an event of this quality all year and it's a really good course fit.
