Tag: Rocket Mortgage Sponsorship – RMC Golf

Willie Mack’s Rocket Mortgage Classic marathon included 21 holes on 3 hours of sleep

Willie Mack III came to the Rocket Mortgage Classic to play a golf tournament, but the first two rounds became an endurance test.

DETROIT – Willie Mack III came to the Rocket Mortgage Classic to play a golf tournament, but the first two rounds at Detroit Golf Club turned into more of an endurance test for the Flint, Michigan, native.

Working on about three hours of sleep, Mack returned to the course at 6 a.m. to resume his first round and played 21 holes Friday. He was at 3-under 141 after the second round, having followed a 68 with a 73.

“I’m tired,” he said, “but I think adrenaline kept me going and hopefully it can hold up for the next two days.”

The craziness started for Mack on Thursday, when a 3-hour, 15-minute weather delay pushed his tee time back from 1:50 p.m. to 5:05 p.m. The round was suspended at 9 p.m. because of darkness, forcing Mack to return Friday to resume the final three holes of his first round at 7:15 a.m. He started the second round at 8:35 a.m.

[vertical-gallery id=778113800]

“I think I had like 25, maybe 30 minutes,” he said of his break between rounds Friday.

“I had three holes left, I played 1 under, played pretty solid,” he said. “I played good all day actually. I missed a lot of putts, so if those went in, it would have kind of been a different story.”

After an excellent first round, the second round was a different story for Mack. Even though he has extensive experience at Detroit Golf Club, the wind wreaked havoc on his game and a few missed putts cost him a much better score.

“Yeah, I played here a million times and I’ve never seen the wind so consistent for two days all day long,” he said. “Yeah, the back nine was kind of rough, but held it together a little bit and came in with an OK score.”

Thanks to saving par with a 4-footer on his last hole Friday, Mack gave himself a chance to play on the weekend. He was on the projected cut line when he finished his second round in the early afternoon.

Mack has had a large contingent following him and cheering him on this week with cheers of “let’s go, Willie Mack” ringing out regularly from the gallery.

“Yeah, I heard some of my friends,” he said with a smile. “I wasn’t looking, but I know their voices, so I heard them. It’s exciting to just be able to play in your hometown amongst friends and family. It was a fun two days.”

Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.

[mm-video type=video id=01f9jwrz969f0bg8jnwf playlist_id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f9jwrz969f0bg8jnwf/01f9jwrz969f0bg8jnwf-b4a0a4d9698b038baace2732e8e56871.jpg]

Rocket Mortgage Classic: Russell Knox rides the wind to a PGA Tour rarity

Russell Knox hit a perfect 18 of 18 greens in regulation in the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which is more rare than you might think.

DETROIT – Russell Knox scrolled through social media last night and stopped to read a post from Lou Stagner, who goes by the nickname Golf Stat Pro, claiming that a PGA Tour pro is more likely to make an ace than hit all 18 greens.

According to his data, the chance a player hits all 18 greens happens once every 582 rounds while the chances of a hole-in-one is once every 563 rounds. On Friday, Knox mentioned this to his fellow playing competitors Joaquin Niemann and Garrick Higgo on the 15th hole and that’s when it hit him.

“I had no idea that I had hit every green. I started doing the math and I was a little nervous over my second shot at 18 because I knew I hadn’t chipped all day,” Knox said.

Knox knocked that approach on the green to complete a perfect 18 of 18 greens in regulation. He recalled he once hit every fairway and green in a round at a Korn Ferry Tour event in Omaha, Nebraska. But the last time he hit every green in regulation? Glad you asked: It was the third round of the 2016 Sentry Tournament of Champions.

“I play terribly in Maui,” Knox said.

He’s dialed in so far in Detroit, shooting a second-round 7-under 65 at Detroit Golf Club to climb into contention at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Knox made eight birdies and one bogey, including six birdies in a seven-hole stretch beginning at No. 8. The 36-year-old native Scotsman missed the cut last week at the Travelers Championship but had already forgotten about his subpar performance.

“I needed a round like today, just to be like, OK, things are good, I know I’m swinging good, nice kind of pat on the back, let’s hammer down. My game has been there for months. I just haven’t done it yet. But today was a nice day where it was there,” he said.

Knox leads the field this week in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green and proximity to the hole. He averaged 14 feet, 7 inches in the second round on a day when gusting winds made judging club selection challenging. But the wind is Knox’s friend.

“I need the wind, I think, to bring out the creativity in my game,” he said. “I know my caddie (Bradley Whittle) prays for wind every day.”

The wind treated Knox well on Friday, all the way to a rare achievement. Although for the record, Scott Brown made an ace on the 15th tee, proving that the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic was the rare chance to see both a hole-in-one and 18 of 18 greens in regulation. Hey, Lou, what are the odds of seeing both in one round?

[mm-video type=video id=01f9jwrz969f0bg8jnwf playlist_id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f9jwrz969f0bg8jnwf/01f9jwrz969f0bg8jnwf-b4a0a4d9698b038baace2732e8e56871.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=778113908,778113883,778113184]

Rocket Mortgage Classic Fantasy Golf Power Rankings

We look at the fantasy golf power rankings and odds for the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic, with PGA Tour picks and predictions.

[mm-video type=video id=01f9dx1nfpy7fztsvq23 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f9dx1nfpy7fztsvq23/01f9dx1nfpy7fztsvq23-94919b7ebbcdb6215746d0be7bef0b47.jpg]

Detroit Golf Club hosts the third running of the Rocket Mortgage Classic this week. The event is one of the final North American tune-ups for the 2021 Open Championship, which is set for July 15-18 in England. Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings and odds for the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic, with PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Bryson DeChambeau, entering the week at No. 6 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings, returns as the defending champion and prohibitive betting favorite. He’s coming off a T-19 finish at last week’s Travelers Championship.

Detroit Golf Club was designed by Donald Ross and is a par 72 measuring 7,370 yards. The front nine plays tough with tight, tree-lined fairways, but the back nine is open and provides plenty of scoring opportunities.

2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Fantasy Golf Top 20

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday at 11:11 a.m. ET.

20. Brendon Todd (+6600)

Bounced back from a missed cut at the U.S. Open with a T-30 finish in a quality field at the Travelers Championship. No. 1 on Tour in driving accuracy and should avoid the trouble on the front nine but will need to score on the back.

19. Si Woo Kim (+5000)

Missed the cut in this event in 2019 but tied for 57th last year. He’s 32nd on Tour in par-5 birdies or better percentage and has the distance to take advantage of the four par 5s.

18. Bubba Watson (+4000)

Finished in a tie for 19th last week with a disappointing Sunday round of plus-3 73. He missed the cut in both runnings of this event but should be motivated to get right ahead of The Open.

17. Emiliano Grillo (+5000)

Three top-10 finishes in 2021, highlighted by a T-2 showing at the RBC Heritage. Comes in off of back-to-back missed cuts but tied for 39th in this event last year with 0.87 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green per round.

16. Jason Day (+2800)

Missed the cut at Detroit Golf Club last year but tied for 10th at the Travelers Championship. He was first among those who made the cut with 0.92 SG: Around-the-Green per round.

Place your legal, online 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic bets in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV and Washington D.C., at BetMGM. Risk-free first bet! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

15. Cameron Tringale (+4000)

Has gained 1.55 total strokes per round across eight rounds at Detroit Golf Club over the last two years. He tied for 30th in 2020 and for fifth in 2019.

14. Gary Woodland (+5000)

The 2019 U.S. Open champ seemed to be rounding into form prior to a missed cut at the Memorial Tournament and a T-50 finish at Torrey Pines. The weaker field should lead to a better finish as an under-the-radar play at inflated odds.

13. Keegan Bradley (+4000)

Has been undone by 0.49 strokes lost per round with the putter this season but is seventh among qualified golfers in SG: Approach. Tied for 45th here last year in another poor putting performance and just needs to be neutral with the flat stick.

12. Max Homa (+5000)

Back-to-back missed cuts at the US Open and Travelers Championship following a strong T-6 showing at the Memorial Tournament. He has two T-6 finishes and five missed cuts in his last seven events as a boom-or-bust fantasy option.

11. Doc Redman (+5000)

His 1.93 strokes gained on the field per round at Detroit Golf Club are the most among those with the maximum of eight career tournament rounds played here. The 2019 runner-up tied for 21st last year and has excelled on these greens.

Play our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

10. Garrick Higgo (+4000)

Still 39th in the Official World Golf Ranking despite back-to-back missed cuts at the US Open and Travelers Championship after winning the Palmetto Championship in just his second career start on the PGA Tour. He can rely on his putter at the relatively unimposing venue.

9. Matthew Wolff (+2500)

Last year’s runner-up to DeChambeau averaged 1.51 SG: Tee-to-Green and 1.52 SG: Putting per round. The two went on to finish in the same order at the 2020 U.S. Open. Wolff returned to play after a lengthy layoff with a T-15 finish at Torrey Pines but missed the cut last week.

8. Jason Kokrak (+2500)

His missed cut at the U.S. Open was his first through 14 events this year and followed his victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He tied for 29th in this event in 2019 despite struggling with his putter. He has been one of the Tour’s top putters over the last year.

7. Hideki Matsuyama (+1800)

April’s Masters champion tied for 21st at last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic while ranking third in the field with 1.86 SG: Tee-to-Green per round. He struggled on and around the greens but needs to be only a little better than average in those areas to show well in this field.

6. Joaquin Niemann (+2500)

Tied for fifth in 2019 but didn’t play last year. He’s tied for 28th in par 5 birdie or better percentage and shouldn’t be punished as harshly as usual for his often wayward driver.

5. Sungjae Im (+3500)

Slipped to 46th in the Golfweek rankings with a modest two top-10 finishes through 19 events to start 2021. All four of his missed cuts on the year have come since his T-8 finish at The Honda Classic. He has averaged 0.68 strokes gained per round at Detroit Golf Club and should bounce back to form before long.

4. Patrick Reed (+1400)

Missed the cut here last year but tied for fifth in 2019. Tied for 25th last week with 1.95 SG: Tee-to-Green per round following a T-19 finish at the U.S. Open.

3. Will Zalatoris (+2500)

Bound to be one of the most motivated golfers in the field while still in need of a PGA Tour victory in order to obtain full PGA Tour status and be eligible for the FedExCup Playoffs. Enters the tournament at No. 18 in the Golfweek rankings and is among the leaders in SG: Approach for the season.

2. Webb Simpson (+1800)

Averaging 1.08 SG: Tee-to-Green per round and has been excellent on and around the putting surfaces. Tied for eighth in his debut at Detroit Golf Club last year.

1. Bryson DeChambeau (+750)

The top-ranked player in the field has an implied win probability of 11.76% in the full-field event. He can’t be bet at these low odds, but he’s a strong fantasy selection with the wide-open back nine well-suited to his aggressive angles off the tee.

Get some action on the 2021 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. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.

[lawrence-related id=778113273,778113325,778113199]

Rocket Mortgage Classic blog: Michigan State coach Tom Izzo plays with Phil Mickelson at pro-am

for those of you who missed it, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo teed it up with none other than reigning PGA Champ Phil Mickelson during the pro-am.

[mm-video type=video id=01f9dx1nfpy7fztsvq23 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f9dx1nfpy7fztsvq23/01f9dx1nfpy7fztsvq23-94919b7ebbcdb6215746d0be7bef0b47.jpg]

There are a few storms in the forecast, but the scene is set for another Rocket Mortgage Classic here at Detroit Golf Club.

Follow along as we blog all week from the event — which is marking its third year after Michigan had a lengthy absence from the PGA Tour.

We have a team of folks on the ground in Detroit, including our Adam Schupak, Detroit Free Press columnist Carlos Monarrez and many others who will provide insight throughout the week.

Update, 10:18 a.m.: An interesting group will speak to the media today, including returning champ Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed.

Don’t forget, DeChambeau won the event last year after an incident with a cameraman during Saturday’s round. Our Eamon Lynch waved poetic on the subject in one of his most biting pieces:

DeChambeau paid for the cameras in his home, but not those at Detroit Golf Club. But he seems to believe any lens has the same function: to celebrate his brand of data-crunching and protein-shaking, to showcase his prodigious distance but never his astonishingly shallow depth. In short, to help him sling product. And you, dear viewer? Well, you’re just the mark. That’s what his comments Saturday told you.

We’ll have more after the champ speaks.

Also, for those of you who missed it, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo teed it up with none other than reigning PGA Champ Phil Mickelson during the pro-am. Here’s a look at the fun.

This is nothing new for the coach. Izzo played with Tiger Woods at the 2005 Buick Pro-Am at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, near the height of Tiger Mania and a few months after the Spartans made their fourth of now eight Final Fours under Izzo. Two years ago at the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic’s Area 313 Challenge, Izzo teamed with Bubba Watson and others against groups led by Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson.