The shootout mentality continues this week so find the players ready to go low in every round at the Detroit Golf Club.

The winner of a three-man playoff last season, Rickie Fowler (+4000) returns to defend his title in a field of 156 players. The Rocket Mortgage Classic was won by the Rocket Mortgage ambassador on the fifth try, surpassing his previous best finish of T12 in 2020.

Making four cuts in five trips and posting a scoring average of 69 on the 7,370-yard par-72 layout, the six-time TOUR winner needed 27 birdies and an eagle to win the title at 24-under.

Birdie Average

Players listed are in the field this week; 2024 season stats.

Detroit Golf Club has ranked in the top 12 easiest courses on TOUR in all five editions. The winner needed 27 or more birdies and posted 23-under or better in four of the five editions. The five champions, all different, have not made more than seven bogeys on the road to victory. 2022 winner Tony Finau (not entered) only squared one bogey (11th hole Sunday afternoon), in his win.

The BetMGM Sportsbook favorite, Tom Kim (+1200) closed 66-63 on debut in 2022 for seventh but posting 2-under after 36 holes last year sent him home early. The cut has been 3-under or better in each event. Last year, 51 players (T47) posted 10-under or better, the fourth time in five events that required double-digits under par to hit the top 50. Go low or go home!

Greens in Regulation

The formula in a shootout does not change regardless of par, grass, greens or anything else. The more greens in regulation found, the more chances to hole birdie putts. The Donald Ross greens are tilted back to front, so staying underneath the hole will provide the green light for the putter. The Bent/Poa greens are like the surfaces used last week at TPC River Highlands in grass make-up and size (5,150 square feet, on average). Half of the par-3s play less than 170 yards, and half of the 10 par-4s play 425 yards or less, including four sub-400 yards.

Cam Davis (+6600), the winner of a five-hole playoff in 2021, broke through on his third attempt and became the first winner to lead the field in Par-5 Scoring. The Australian posted the highest winning total on 18-under and picked up his first and only PGA TOUR win. Missing the cut on 4-under the previous season, he posted red figures in 12 of 14 career rounds. Following his win, he posted 15-under (T14) in 2022 and followed with 16-under (T17) last year.

Par-5 Scoring

The five champions have ranked T5 or better in manhandling the par 5s. Playing at 635 yards, No. 6 is the only hole of the quartet that measures over 577 yards. With only one water penalty area and wide-open routing, it’s time to bomb away and attack the holes, which gave up birdies over 50 percent of the time last year.

2019 winner Nate Lashley (+10000) circled 28 birdies, the most by a champion, in his six-shot runaway victory in the inaugural edition. Missing the cut the next two years, he’s cashed in the top 60 in his last two visits and has played every season.

Oddsmaker’s extras

Taylor Moore (+5500): Cashing T4 last year and solo sixth in 2022, his two visits to Michigan have produced seven of eight rounds in the 60s, a 40-under-par aggregate, and a 67.00 scoring average.

Alex Noren (+2800): After missing the cut on debut in 2020, the Swede closed 67-64 in 2021 for T4 before returning last year and posting four more rounds in the 60s for T9.

Stephan Jaeger (+2800): Making his fourth visit, the German missed the cut on 2-under on his debut but has cracked the code since. Tying the course record with 63 on Sunday last year, he picked up T9 after cashing solo fifth in 2022.

Taylor Pendrith (+2800): The only winner in this column from the 2024 season, the Canadian had a front-row seat in the final pairing in 2022 to watch Finau blow away the field. Sitting on 21-under-par and tied with the eventual champion, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson winner from May, posted 72 and cashed T2. Last year, he sat two shots off Fowler’s 54-hole lead but faded again on Sunday with 73.

Troy Merritt (+12500): After missing the cut in the inaugural event, the Midwest native lost in a playoff and shared eighth, 14th and 17th in the last four tournaments.

Cameron Young (+1400): Fresh off 59 at TPC River Highlands, the big hitter is one of six men in the field this week who has posted 63, the course record, at Detroit Golf Club. In his only visit in 2022, he closed 63-65-68 (-21) to finish five back of Finau.

Chris Kirk (+5000): Playing the last four editions, the Georgia native has posted 15 of 16 rounds of 70 or better, including 12 straight. Never finishing in the top 10, he’s cashed between T12 and T21. Autoplay.

Kevin Kisner (+60000): All 14 rounds are par or better, and he’s cashed twice in the top 10 (T8 2021, 3rd 2020) from four visits. Hey, everyone needs a long shot!

-Odds courtesy of BetMGM-

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