Following the Travelers Championship won by Keegan Bradley, which was the eighth and final Signature Event of the season, next up on the PGA TOUR schedule is the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club (par 72, 7,370 yards, bentgrass/POA annua greens). This course has been the home of the Rocket Classic since it’s inception in 2019 and Cameron Davis (-18) is the defending champion of this event, with his win last year notably being his second at Detroit Golf Club. For this week, there will be 156 golfers competing at the Rocket Classic and a standard top-65 and ties cut after the first two rounds.
Detroit Golf Club was designed by Donald Ross and is a scorable par 72, that features wide fairways, small greens, 87 bunkers and water in play on only one hole. With the average winning score for the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club being a low 22.3 strokes under par, this venue is one of the easiest courses on the annual PGA TOUR schedule. With the fairways wide at this short, parkland course, players can freely swing their driver at Detroit Golf Club and long hitters have had an advantage here, with three of the Rocket Classic winners finishing the tournament top-eight in driving distance. More importantly, to contend at this birdie fest, you must have an excellent showing with your irons, as each of the last four winners at Detroit Golf Club have finished the tournament top-11 in SG APP.
Detroit Golf Club is a standard par 72 with four par fives and walking away with a birdie or better every time you face one of these par fives is critical for contending at this susceptible track. Three of these four par fives fall between 550-600 yards and targeting golfers who score well on this length of hole is very smart this week. Of the last five winners at Detroit Golf Club, four have ranked top-five in 550-600-yard par five efficiency during their Rocket Classic victories.
Below, I have featured four of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the Rocket Classic, which all cost less than $7.5K.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $800K Summer Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]
Emiliano Grillo ($7,400)
Grillo is in terrific form and can’t be ignored at this low salary. The professional out of Argentina has carded four straight top-25 finishes, most recently with a T19 at the U.S. Open. In the brutal conditions at Oakmont Country Club that week, Grillo was one of only 11 players to gain strokes in every major category. The 32-year-old has gained strokes on approach at seven consecutive events and he ranks first in SG APP when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds.
In this type of form as a ball striker, Grillo has a legitimate chance to contend in this weak field, despite his average results at Detroit Golf Club in the past. In his two starts at this par 72, Grillo has finished T39th and MC.
Victor Perez ($7,400)
Perez should make some noise in his Rocket Classic debut this week. The 32-year-old has made 10-of-15 cuts this season and in his last two starts, Perez has finished T9th at the RBC Canadian Open and T19th at the U.S. Open. The French professional’s irons were on fire during these past two starts, as Perez finished top-10 in SG APP at both events.
Perez ranks 24th in SG APP for the season and he ranks 12th among this field in strokes gained per round at Ross designed courses. Perez has top-20 upside this week and is a superb target at only $7,400.
Vince Whaley ($7,300)
Whaley has made four straight cuts at Detroit Golf Club – including a T17 in 2022 – and he returns to the Ross creation in strong form. Whaley has advanced through the cut in each of his last five solo starts and he has produced three top-15 finishes during this span. Whaley has shot under par in 12 of his past 16 rounds and he ranks 26th in par five performance this season, which is great news with a classic par 72 in Detroit Golf Club up next.
Whaley should effortlessly out produce his low salary with a quality finish this week and he can be confidently rostered in all formats.
Mark Hubbard ($7,100)
Hubbard should bounce back this week after missing the cut at the U.S. Open in his last start and that missed cut should keep his ownership low in GPPs. Hubbard has a T12 on his resume at Detroit Golf Club and before missing the cut at the U.S. Open by only two shots, Hubbard had made the cut in his previous five solo starts and three of these finishes were top-12 results.
Impressively, Hubbard gained strokes on approach and with his putter at every event during this cut streak. Hubbard is at his best in low scoring conditions and he brings outstanding upside relative to his cheap salary.
