Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic

Bryson DeChambeau, Webb Simpson or Patrick Reed: Who’s on top of the power rankings for the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic?

This week Detroit Golf Club plays hosts for the second annual Rocket Mortgage Classic in the Motor City.

Webb Simpson and Bryson DeChambeau highlight a slightly weaker field than golf fans have seen in the last three events, but it’s still significantly stronger than last year when Nate Lashley won by six strokes at 25-under par. Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Detroit Golf Club, designed by Donald Ross, measures 7,334 yards and plays to a par of 72. Simpson returns to play after withdrawing from the Travelers Championship amid COVID-19 concerns. He rose to No. 3 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings following his win at the RBC Heritage.

Fantasy golf: Rocket Mortgage Classic odds, picks and best bets

Fantasy rankings

30. Brendon Todd

Resurfaced with a T-11 finish last week in Connecticut. A back-to-back winner early in the 2019-20 season, we know he can stay hot for two weeks in a row.

Brendon Todd reacts to a putt during the final round of the Travelers Championship. (Photo: Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)

29. Matthew Wolff

He’s out of form with two straight missed cuts, but he’s a PGA Tour winner and his stock rises in the weaker field after missing the cut on the number last week.

28. Rafael Cabrera Bello

Finished T-32 last week thanks to a final-round 64. Tied for 16th in a strong field at the WGC-Mexico Championship before the season was suspended.

27. Rory Sabbatini

Riding a streak of five straight made cuts dating back to The Genesis Invitational. Ranks sixth in this field in Sand Saves Gained over everyone’s last 50 rounds, according to Fantasy National, and will be capable of escaping any of the 87 bunkers covering this course.

26. Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Has three international wins in the last five years, but still looking for his first in North America. This will be one of the weaker Tour fields in which he has played.

Branden Grace tees off at the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Branden Grace

Missed the cut on the number last week. Ranks 26th in this field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

24. Brian Harman

An expert sand player who ranks 18th in this field in SG: Tee-to-Green. Came out of the break with back-to-back top-30 finishes before a missed cut last week.

23. Sebastian Munoz

Got off to a strong start at the RBC Heritage before slipping to a T-28 result, and then missed the cut at the Travelers Championship. Ranks 17th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 23rd in SG: Approach.

22. Tom Hoge

Came back from consecutive missed cuts to finish T-37 last week. Ranks fifth in the field in SG: Approach.

21. Russell Knox

Seven missed cuts dating back to a T-16 finish in a strong field at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Still ranks seventh in SG: Approach and 13th in Bogey Avoidance.


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20. Harold Varner III

Missed the cut in 2019 despite gaining a stroke per round on the field in SG: Approach, according to Data Golf. Flashed his potential with a T-19 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but needs to string four rounds together.

19. Adam Hadwin

One of the best putters on Tour on any surface. Has missed the cut in just one of his last 12 events.

18. Cameron Tringale

Tenth in this field in Bogey Avoidance and 16th in both SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach. Tied for fifth in 2019 while gaining 2.02 strokes per round from tee-to-green.

17. Erik Van Rooyen

Rested last week following a T-21 finish at the RBC Heritage. Ranks 11th in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and 18th in SG: Approach.

16. Doc Redman

Last year’s runner-up got hot last week with a T-11 finish at the Travelers Championship. Hasn’t missed a cut in his last four events.

Kevin Kisner at the RBC Heritage. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

15. Kevin Kisner

Missed the cut in three of his last four events and each of his last two, but finished T-46 in the weaker field last year at 9-under par, despite losing strokes putting.

14. Bubba Watson

Lost 1.70 strokes per round on approach in 2019 and missed the cut last week following a T-7 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T-52 at the RBC Heritage. Ranks 28th in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and is 13th by the betting odds to win at BetMGM.

13. Rickie Fowler

Fowler returned to play with consecutive missed cuts before taking last week off. He has slipped all the way to 98th in the Golfweek rankings, but he’s still 10th by the tournament’s betting odds.

12. Brandt Snedeker

Fourth in the field in Sand Saves Gained and 14th in Bogey Avoidance. Finished T-41 last week following a missed cut at the RBC Heritage in his return to play.

11. J.T. Poston

One of my favorite betting plays this week at +4000. Finished T-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and T-8 at the RBC Heritage before a missed cut last week. Tied for 11th in Detroit last year.


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10. Kevin Na

Ranks 11th in Bogey Avoidance and 13th in Sand Saves Gained. Finished fifth last week.

9. Scottie Scheffler

Yet another player who missed the cut on the number at 3-under last week. Ranks eighth in this field in SG: Tee-to-Green.

8. Patrick Reed

Reed missed the cut at the RBC Heritage following a T-7 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but returned with a T-24 last week. He’s seventh in Bogey Avoidance and 13th in SG: Tee-to-Green.

7. Tony Finau

Ranks eighth in SG: Approach and leads the field in SG: Tee-to-Green. Hasn’t finished in the top 20 since a disappointing runner-up result at the Waste Management.

6. Viktor Hovland

Up to 21st in the Golfweek rankings following a T-11 finish last week. Has steadily improved his results over his four events dating back to the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Sungjae Im on the third tee during at the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Sungjae Im

Returned to play with a T-10 result at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but missed the cut at the RBC Heritage and finished T-58 last week. Ranks fourth in this field by the Golfweek rankings and has the seventh-lowest betting odds.

4. Tyrrell Hatton

Ranked fourth by the betting odds, Hatton is 17th in the world and fifth in the field by the Golfweek rankings. Took last week off following a T-3 at the RBC Heritage.

3. Hideki Matsuyama

Missed the cut last week, but ranks third in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and ninth in both SG: Approach and Bogey Avoidance. Ranks fifth by the betting odds at +1800.

2. Bryson DeChambeau

A massive betting favorite at +650, DeChambeau has six straight top-10 finishes. Ranks fourth in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and Bogey Avoidance.

1. Webb Simpson

The RBC Heritage champ withdrew last week, but returns to lead this week’s stat model. His first career win came at the Donald Ross-designed Sedgefield Country Club in 2011.

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Rocket Mortgage Classic odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Place your bets for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic. Here who has the best chance to win the PGA Tour event at Detroit Golf Club.

Detroit Golf Club hosts this week’s Rocket Mortgage Challenge, beginning Thursday in Detroit.

Webb Simpson highlights the field as the third-ranked player in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. He’s joined by sixth-ranked Bryson DeChambeau as heavy betting favorites this week. Below, we look at the best bets and long shots to target in our 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic betting picks.

Dustin Johnson, now ranked No. 10 in the world following his Travelers Championship victory, is among the best in the world taking the week off.

Detroit Golf Club measures 7,334 yards and plays to a par of 72.

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic Betting Picks – Tier 1

Hideki Matsuyama and his caddie during the second round of the RBC Heritage. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, June 29 at 2 p.m. ET.

Hideki Matsuyama (+1800)

Matsuyama is playing for the second time since the PGA Tour resumed the 2019-20 schedule. He missed the cut at the RBC Heritage, but finished T-13 in Detroit last year in the first running of the Rocket Mortgage Classic as one of the top names in the field. He hasn’t won anywhere in the world since the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, but has excelled in strong fields over his career with five PGA Tour wins, including two in WGC events.

Matsuyama is third in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and ninth in both SG: Approach and Bogey Avoidance.


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J.T. Poston (+4000)

Poston’s strength among the key stats for this week is in Sand Saves Gained. Detroit Golf Club features 87 bunkers as the primary hazard. He tied for 11th last year while gaining an average of 1.32 strokes per round on the field, according to Data Golf. He tied for 10th at the Charles Schwab Challenge and eighth at the RBC Heritage before missing the cut last week. This is the weakest field of the four events in the Tour’s return.

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic Betting Picks – Tier 2

Adam Hadwin and his caddie during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

Adam Hadwin (+6000)

Hadwin took last week off following a T-43 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T-41 at the RBC Heritage. He ranks fifth in this field in Sand Saves Gained and 19th in the Golfweek world rankings as the sixth-best golfer in attendance, but he’s 18th by the odds to win.


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Harold Varner III (+6600)

Varner once again flashed his potential by starting the Charles Schwab Challenge with opening rounds of 63-66, before finishing T-19. He finished 32nd in last week’s scoring fest at 10-under par, while shooting in the 60s all four rounds. He ranks sixth in the field in SG: Approach and fifth in SG: Tee-to-Green. He’ll need to go low with last year’s winner, Nate Lashley, finishing 25-under par.

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic Betting Picks – Long shots

Matthew Wolff from the ninth tee at the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

Matthew Wolff (+12500)

Wolff ranks 96th in the Golfweek rankings coming into the event. The one-time PGA Tour winner has missed the cut in back-to-back weeks, doing so on the cutline last week in Connecticut. He’s not a strong statistical fit and missed the cut last year, but his odds are grossly inflated for a PGA Tour champion in a softened field.

Cameron Tringale (+17500)

Tringale trails only Simpson (+1100), DeChambeau (+650) and Doc Redman (+4500) in my stat model at Fantasy National. Tringale is 10th in the field in Bogey Avoidance and finished T-5 here last year, while ranking third with 2.02 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green per round.

Get some action on the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

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Detroit Golf Club hosts the second annual Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, beginning Thursday. Webb Simpson and Bryson DeChambeau highlight a slightly weaker field than golf fans have seen in the last three events, but it’s still significantly stronger than last year when Nate Lashley won by six strokes at 25-under par. Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Detroit Golf Club, designed by Donald Ross, measures 7,334 yards and plays to a par of 72. Simpson returns to play after withdrawing from the Travelers Championship amid COVID-19 concerns. He rose to No. 3 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings following his win at the RBC Heritage.

Also see: 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic odds, picks, predictions and PGA Tour best bets

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Jun 28, 2020; Cromwell, Conn.; Brendon Todd reacts to a putt during the final round of the Travelers Championship. (Photo Credit: Bill Streicher – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

30. Brendon Todd

Resurfaced with a T-11 finish last week in Connecticut. A back-to-back winner early in the 2019-20 season, we know he can stay hot for two weeks in a row.

29. Matthew Wolff

He’s out of form with two straight missed cuts, but he’s a PGA Tour winner and his stock rises in the weaker field after missing the cut on the number last week.

28. Rafael Cabrera Bello

Finished T-32 last week with thanks to a final-round 64. Tied for 16th in a strong field at the WGC-Mexico Championship before the season was suspended.

27. Rory Sabbatini

Riding a streak of five straight made cuts dating back to The Genesis Invitational. Ranks sixth in this field in Sand Saves Gained over everyone’s last 50 rounds, according to Fantasy National, and will be capable of escaping any of the 87 bunkers covering this course.

26. Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Has three international wins in the last five years, but still looking for his first in North America. This will be one of the weaker Tour fields in which he has played.

Jun 14, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas; Branden Grace tees off at the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Branden Grace

Missed the cut on the number last week. Ranks 26th in this field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

24. Brian Harman

An expert sand player who ranks 18th in this field in SG: Tee-to-Green. Came out of the break with back-to-back top-30 finishes before a missed cut last week.

23. Sebastian Munoz

Got off to a strong start at the RBC Heritage before slipping to a T-28 result, and then missed the cut at the Travelers Championship. Ranks 17th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 23rd in SG: Approach.

22. Tom Hoge

Came back from consecutive missed cuts to finish T-37 last week. Ranks fifth in the field in SG: Approach.

21. Russell Knox

Seven missed cuts dating back to a T-16 finish in a strong field at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Still ranks seventh in SG: Approach and 13th in Bogey Avoidance.


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20. Harold Varner III

Missed the cut in 2019 despite gaining a stroke per round on the field in SG: Approach, according to Data Golf. Flashed his potential with a T-19 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but needs to string four rounds together.

19. Adam Hadwin

One of the best putters on Tour on any surface. Has missed the cut in just one of his last 12 events.

18. Cameron Tringale

Tenth in this field in Bogey Avoidance and 16th in both SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach. Tied for fifth in 2019 while gaining 2.02 strokes per round from tee-to-green.

17. Erik Van Rooyen

Rested last week following a T-21 finish at the RBC Heritage. Ranks 11th in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and 18th in SG: Approach.

16. Doc Redman

Last year’s runner-up heated up last week with a T-11 finish at the Travelers Championship. Hasn’t missed a cut in his last four events.

Jun 19, 2020; Hilton Head, S.C.; Kevin Kisner at the RBC Heritage. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

15. Kevin Kisner

Missed the cut in three of his last four events and each of his last two, but finished T-46 in the weaker field last year at 9-under par, despite losing strokes putting.

14. Bubba Watson

Lost 1.70 strokes per round on approach in 2019 and missed the cut last week following a T-7 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T-52 at the RBC Heritage. Ranks 28th in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and is 13th by the betting odds to win at BetMGM.

13. Rickie Fowler

Fowler returned to play with consecutive missed cuts before taking last week off. He has slipped all the way to 98th in the Golfweek rankings, but he’s still 10th by the tournament’s betting odds.

12. Brandt Snedeker

Fourth in the field in Sand Saves Gained and 14th in Bogey Avoidance. Finished T-41 last week following a missed cut at the RBC Heritage in his return to play.

11. J.T. Poston

One of my favorite betting plays this week at +4000. Finished T-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and T-8 at the RBC Heritage before a missed cut last week. Tied for 11th in Detroit last year.


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10. Kevin Na

Ranks 11th in Bogey Avoidance and 13th in Sand Saves Gained. Finished fifth last week.

9. Scottie Scheffler

Yet another player who missed the cut on the number at 3-under last week. Ranks eighth in this field in SG: Tee-to-Green.

8. Patrick Reed

Reed missed the cut at the RBC Heritage following a T-7 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but returned with a T-24 last week. He’s seventh in Bogey Avoidance and 13th in SG: Tee-to-Green.

7. Tony Finau

Ranks eighth in SG: Approach and leads the field in SG: Tee-to-Green. Hasn’t finished in the top 20 since a disappointing runner-up result at the Waste Management.

6. Viktor Hovland

Up to 21st in the Golfweek rankings following a T-11 finish last week. Has steadily improved his results over his four events dating back to the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Jun 14, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas; Sungjae Im on the third tee during at the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Sungjae Im

Returned to play with a T-10 result at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but missed the cut at the RBC Heritage and finished T-58 last week. Ranks fourth in this field by the Golfweek rankings and has the seventh-lowest betting odds.

4. Tyrrell Hatton

Ranked fourth by the betting odds, Hatton is 17th in the world and fifth in the field by the Golfweek rankings. Took last week off following a T-3 at the RBC Heritage.

3. Hideki Matsuyama

Missed the cut last week, but ranks third in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and ninth in both SG: Approach and Bogey Avoidance. Ranks fifth by the betting odds at +1800.

2. Bryson DeChambeau

A massive betting favorite at +650, DeChambeau has six straight top-10 finishes. Ranks fourth in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and Bogey Avoidance.

1. Webb Simpson

The RBC Heritage champ withdrew last week, but returns to lead this week’s stat model. His first career win came at the Donald Ross-designed Sedgefield Country Club in 2011.

Get some action on the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

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Detroit Golf Club hosts this week’s Rocket Mortgage Challenge, beginning Thursday in Detroit. Webb Simpson highlights the field as the third-ranked player in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. He’s joined by sixth-ranked Bryson DeChambeau as heavy betting favorites this week. Below, we look at the best bets and long shots to target in our 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic betting picks.

Dustin Johnson, now ranked 10th in the world following his Travelers Championship victory, is among the best in the world taking the week off.

Detroit Golf Club measures 7,334 yards and plays to a par of 72.

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic Betting Picks – Tier 1

Jun 19, 2020; Hilton Head, S.C.; Hideki Matsuyama and his caddie during the second round of the RBC Heritage. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, June 29 at 2 p.m. ET.

Hideki Matsuyama (+1800)

Matsuyama is playing for the second time since the PGA Tour resumed the 2019-20 schedule. He missed the cut at the RBC Heritage, but finished T-13 here last year in the first running of the Rocket Mortgage Classic as one of the top names in the field. He hasn’t won anywhere in the world since the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, but has excelled in strong fields over his career with five PGA Tour wins, including two in WGC events.

Matsuyama is third in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and ninth in both SG: Approach and Bogey Avoidance.


Looking to place a bet on the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!


J.T. Poston (+4000)

Poston’s strength among the key stats for this week is in Sand Saves Gained. Detroit Golf Club features 87 bunkers as the primary hazard. He tied for 11th last year while gaining an average of 1.32 strokes per round on the field, according to Data Golf. He tied for 10th at the Charles Schwab Challenge and eighth at the RBC Heritage before missing the cut last week. This is the weakest field of the four events in the Tour’s return.

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic Betting Picks – Tier 2

Jun 11, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas; Adam Hadwin and his caddie during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

Adam Hadwin (+6000)

Hadwin took last week off following a T-43 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T-41 at the RBC Heritage. He ranks fifth in this field in Sand Saves Gained and 19th in the Golfweek world rankings as the sixth-best golfer in attendance, but he’s 18th by the odds to win.


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Harold Varner III (+6600)

Varner once again flashed his potential by starting the Charles Schwab Challenge with opening rounds of 63-66, before finishing T-19. He finished 32nd in last week’s scoring fest at 10-under par, while shooting in the 60s all four rounds. He ranks sixth in the field in SG: Approach and fifth in SG: Tee-to-Green. He’ll need to go low with last year’s winner, Nate Lashley, finishing 25-under par.

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic Betting Picks – Long shots

Jun 13, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas; Matthew Wolff from the ninth tee at the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

Matthew Wolff (+12500)

Wolff ranks 96th in the Golfweek rankings coming into the event. The one-time PGA Tour winner has missed the cut in back-to-back weeks, doing so on the cutline last week in Connecticut. He’s not a strong statistical fit and missed the cut last year, but his odds are grossly inflated for a PGA Tour champion in a softened field.

Cameron Tringale (+17500)

Tringale trails only Simpson (+1100), DeChambeau (+650) and Doc Redman (+4500) in my stat model at Fantasy National. Tringale is 10th in the field in Bogey Avoidance and finished T-5 here last year, while ranking third with 2.02 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green per round.

Get some action on the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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What Michigan golf pros expect for fanless Rocket Mortgage Classic

The tournament will commence without fans in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which has prompted stay-at-home orders across the country.

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The Rocket Mortgage Classic made the cut in the PGA Tour’s latest reshuffle of the 2020 schedule.

The tournament is moving from late May to July 2-5, the PGA Tour announced Thursday, setting the stage for what should have been an raucous July Fourth weekend at Detroit Golf Club.

The tournament will commence without fans in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which has prompted stay-at-home orders across the country and social-distancing recommendations that ask people to stay at least 6 feet apart.

The same rules apply to golfers — and caddies — on tour.

PGA Tour pro Brian Stuard figures players will have no problem grabbing and replacing their clubs in the bag while letting their caddies just focus on carrying the bag and helping players in other ways.

“I’m sure that is something the Tour will give us guidelines or tips — even dealing with going into the locker room or entering the clubhouse or what to do at the driving range,” Stuard said. “There’s going to have to be some kind of set of rules, at least to start with. It will probably be more things like, will the caddies wash the balls, can he get a ball out of the bag for you? It will be interesting to see what happens.”

Stuard tied for fifth with Brandt Snedeker and Patrick Reed, among others, in last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, the first PGA Tour tournament played inside Detroit’s city limits.

He agreed the PGA Tour should take additional measures to promote social distancing, such as assigning volunteers to rake bunkers or handle the flag stick on each green. And Ryan Brehm, a Mount Pleasant native who regained conditional status on tour for this season, said COVID-19 testing should occur for caddies and players.

“There will be necessary protocols that we’ll all need to learn and accept and adopt, but that’s OK,” said Brehm, who now lives in Traverse City. “The feedback I am getting from people who talk about this is that at least in golf, we’re not sharing the same golf ball; we all have our own, compared to sports like basketball and baseball.”

Brehm could join Stuard in Detroit in July, though his conditional status likely will prevent him from knowing until much closer to the event. He downplayed the impact of playing without fans, saying players get into their “own world out there, anyway.”

That’s not to say that he hasn’t felt the rush of energy created by a gallery of patrons, but he and Stuard both recognize a new reality must be accepted in professional golf. At least for the next few months.

“It could make it a little more relaxed atmosphere,” Stuard said. “Maybe not so much of a stress (environment), possibly. I don’t know. I’m sure we’re still going to know that you’re playing for something; but not having a thousand people staring right at you might be a little different. I think it’s going to be strange and different for everybody.”

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