This article is part of our FanDuel PGA DFS Picks series.
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Course: Detroit Golf Club (7,370 yards, par 72)
Purse: $8,400,000
Winner: $1,512,000 and 500 FedExCup points
Tournament Preview
In its short three-year history as a PGA Tour event, the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club has proven to be a shootout. In 2019 and 2020 the 36-hole cut fell at a whopping five-under-par, with winning scores of 25-under and 23-under, respectively. Last year's edition saw Cam Davis emerge from a three-man playoff at 18-under following a three-under-par cut. With this being the penultimate event of the regular season, there is certainly a lot to play for. Many are trying to make a late charge into the top 125 in the FedExCup standings to secure playing status for next year, while others are hoping to improve their positioning to give themselves a better shot of making it to East Lake.
The majority of the top players are resting up following the Open Championship to get ready for the FedExCup Playoffs, but some notables are making the move to Detroit to compete this week. World No. 4 Patrick Cantlay is the highest ranked player in the field this week. He will be joined by Cameron Young, who is coming off an impressive runner-up finish at St. Andrews. Another man familiar with runner-up finishes in majors, Will Zalatoris will be in Detroit hunting his first PGA Tour victory. 3M Open winner Tony Finau will also tee it up this week hoping to stay hot in the upper Midwest. Max Homa, Sahith Theegala, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Adam Scott, and Webb Simpson make up some of the other notables looking for victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
By the looks of the forecast we are in for a beautiful week. There is not significant threat of precipitation throughout the tournament rounds and temperatures should average out in the mid-80's. Winds look to be slightly higher in the first two rounds compared to the weekend after the 36-hole cut is made, but still it's not something that should affect scoring too much. We should see some very big drives this week and a 20+ under-par winning score should not shock anyone.
Recent Champions
2021 – Cam Davis (-18)
2020 – Bryson DeChambeau (-23)
2019 – Nate Lashley (-25)
Key Stats to Victory
- SG: Off-the-Tee
- SG: Approach
- Par-5 Scoring Average
- SG: Putting
Champion's Profile
Detroit Golf Club really gives viewers the full representation of how the modern game is played. It is a true bomber's paradise with wide fairways and plenty of trouble that can be taken out of play by the longest hitters. The greens are also pretty sizable, so even if you miss some fairways there is plenty of room to still leave yourself a look for birdie. With thick rough surrounding most of these greens and very little closely mown runoff areas, some of the short game skills may be mediated. The greens feature a blend of Poa annua and bentgrass that will be prepped to run at a fairly standard 12.5 on the Stimpmeter. It will be important to take advantage of the four par-5s at Detroit Golf Club. Last year Cam Davis led the field in par-5 scoring en route to victory at 4.25.
FanDuel Value Picks
The Chalk
Patrick Cantlay ($12,000)
I think Cantlay being the priciest option this week might scare some away, but it shouldn't. Not every highly ranked player excels in birdie shootouts, but Cantlay is one who loves when he gets the chance to go low. The 30-year-old comes in riding an impressive hot streak with top-15 finishes in seven of his last eight starts. Cantlay ranks 19th in SG: Off-the-Tee, 19th in SG: Putting, fourth in birdie average and first in par-5 scoring average on the season.
Cameron Young ($11,700)
Young is exactly the type of player who should find success at Detroit Golf Club. He ranks second in SG: Off-the-Tee, fifth in putts per round and ninth in birdie average. Confidence has to be at an all-time high for the rookie after posting a runner-up finish at St. Andrews a couple weeks ago. Young is also not that far removed from a T3-T2-T3 stretch at Heritage, Wells Fargo and the PGA.
Keegan Bradley ($11,200)
This is a great week to hop on Bradley. He is coming off two straight missed cuts in Scotland, but prior to that racked up six top-11 finishes in an 11 tournament stretch in the U.S. where he only missed one cut. Unlike recent years with Bradley, his numbers are steady across the board with his lowest strokes gained category being putting where he ranks a solid 78th on Tour. His ball-striking remains elite and he posted a top-15 in Detroit last year.
Maverick McNealy ($10,400)
McNealy is quietly having a very good season and sits inside the top-30 in the FedExCup standings. His game is in great form heading into the playoffs with top-16 finishes in three of his last four starts. McNealy has found comfort at Detroit Golf Club with a T8 and a T21 in his two starts in this event. He is gaining strokes in every category and ranks 12th in par-5 scoring average and 20th in birdie average.
Longer Shots with Value
Mark Hubbard ($9,400)
It's really hard to argue with the consistency that Hubbard has shown the last couple months. He has now made seven cuts in a row and went T13-3rd-4th in his last three starts. Hubbard is not a bomber, but he is top-30 on Tour in SG: Approach and putts per GIR. The 33-year-old notched a T12 here back in 2020 despite a poor final round.
Wyndham Clark ($9,200)
Clark's undoing throughout his career has been inconsistency, but he is really starting to put things together. The former Oregon standout has made six of his last seven cuts with a T7 at the Canadian Open and a T16 at the Scottish Open in that stretch. Clark fits the bill for Detroit Golf Club as a bomber who can fill it up with the putter. He did score a top-20 here back in 2019.
Nick Hardy ($9,000)
Sticking with the theme of consistency, Hardy is in the mix of a stretch in which he has made seven straight cuts with three top-15 finishes. The Illinois native ranks 30th in SG: Off-the-Tee, 47th in SG: Putting and 19th in GIR percentage this season. At 138th in the FedExCup standings with just two events to go before the playoffs, there is plenty of incentive for this young player to put his best foot forward.
Trey Mullinax ($8,700)
It was mostly a lost season for Mullinax and then he turned all of that around with a win at the Barbasol Championship at an impressive 25-under-par. He got the final spot into the Open Championship and posted a solid T21 finish at St. Andrews. There is certainly some risk with Mullinax, but he is an absolute bomber who is 33rd on Tour in birdie average and is riding a high.
Strategy Tips This Week
Based on a Standard $60K Salary Cap
The field strength this week is about double what it was at the 3M Open, but it's still nothing to really write home about. There are a lot of sneaky good plays in the $9,000-$10,500 range, but things seem to fall off pretty fast once you get below $8,500. I'm expecting very high ownership on Tony Finau coming off a win at 3M and going to a course that should fit his strengths. I'd also be cautious with Will Zalatoris, who is a great course fit on paper but has missed the cut in his last two starts after majors. If you're deciding between two players this week, take the longer one at Detroit Golf Club.
