DraftKings preview: Waste Management Phoenix Open

Is that the new car smell? Those in the Motor City of Detroit sure know the new car scent better than most. Close, it’s the aroma of a new stop on the PGA TOUR. Please join us in welcoming to the family the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club, the first TOUR event inside the city limits of Detroit. This Donald Ross gem will light up all the senses of players and fans alike. Tricky treelined holes followed by invitations to score on the back nine. Volatility on the scoreboard … that always excites. THE FLYOVER The back nine at Detroit Golf Club brings with it multiple chances to score. One such hole is the 555-yard par-5 14th. This is a classic risk-reward par 5 from Donald Ross. The long hitters will only have a mid-to-long iron approach shot into this two-tiered green guarded by water in front. Those who elect to lay up on their second will need to control the spin on their shots due to a false front on the left side of the green. The brave will make a move here. WEATHER CHECK From meteorologist Kyle Koval: A stalled out frontal boundary is expected to serve as the focus for showers / thunderstorms Thursday through Saturday. The most favorable window for activity appears to be Thursday night and Friday. Most likely weekly rainfall 0.25-0.75 of an inch, however higher amounts are possible if an organized thunderstorm complex can develop. Temperatures will generally be in the middle 80s each day with some cooling likely on Sunday. Wind gusts around 20 mph are possible Friday and Saturday. For the latest weather news from Detroit, Michigan, check out PGATOUR.com’s weather hub. SOUND CHECK It’s an old Donald Ross course that’s a lot of fun to play. It’s not real long, but the greens are very challenging. It’s a lot of slope, a lot of different locations on the green. It’s all little quadrants and you want to be in the right quadrant. We’re going to have a good many wedges, so being able to control the spin, it’s going to be difficult to get it close to the hole. BY THE NUMBERS 8 – Just eight events (over six weeks) remain in the FedExCup regular season as players vie for a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs. They need to be inside the top 125 on the points list to do so. Martin Laird currently sits in the 125th spot. He is in the field this week, as are those ranked 126-132. At the pointy end players are vying for position in the Wyndham Rewards Top 10. Those inside that mark after the last eight events share significant bonus cash. Woodland (5th), Johnson (7th) and Fowler (10th) all have the chance to push deeper into the reward zone this week. Last week’s winner Chez Reavie (12th) is just a half decent result away from jumping into the top 10. 3 – Number of former head pros at Detroit Golf Club who had won majors. Alec Ross, brother of course designer Donald, won the U.S. Open before serving at the club. Two-time Masters winner Horton Smith (1934, 36) then took over before 1953 PGA Championship winner Walter Burkemo took the job. 32’ 9â€� – The average proximity to the hole for Corey Conners, who leads the PGA TOUR in the stat this season. Proximity could be vital this week. Detroit Golf Club’s greens can be very tricky if you find yourself in the wrong section. Others inside the top 10 on TOUR who are in the field this week are Ryan Armour, Chesson Hadley, Chez Reavie, Vaughn Taylor, Jason Dufner and Talor Gooch. SCATTERSHOTS Local talent… Michigan native Joey Garber is looking for a big week. The 27-year-old from Petoskey, Michigan made the cut at the 2007 Michigan Open as a 15-year-old, the youngest player in history to do so in the state’s most prestigious golf tournament. In 2010, Garber won both the Michigan Amateur and the Michigan Junior Amateur titles, the first player ever to win both state amateur titles in the same year. He played 2018 on the Korn Ferry Tour (formerly Web.com Tour) and won the Rex Hospital Open to earn maiden PGA TOUR card. This season has made seven cuts in 16 starts on the PGA TOUR with one top-10 finish at the Puerto Rico Open to sit 183rd in the FedExCup. He needs to secure a spot in the top 200 to make the Korn Ferry Tour Finals or surge into the top 125 to make the FedExCup Playoffs. Popular Invite… Non-member Chip McDaniel – aka “Mr. Mondayâ€� – was awarded a sponsor invite. McDaniel has successfully Monday qualified three times this season, the latest came last week at the Travelers Championship after catching a red-eye after the final round of the U.S. Open. He finished T43 at TPC River Highlands. McDaniel’s real name is Tyler but has always been known as Chip as his mother’s favorite baseball player was former Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones. Portrush awaits… The Rocket Mortgage Classic is part of The Open Qualifying Series. The top two players not otherwise exempt who finish inside the top eight and ties will receive invitations to the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush. It is the second last chance on the PGA TOUR to qualify. The John Deere Classic (July 11-14) is the only other remaining PGA TOUR event that is part of the series, where one spot is up for grabs.

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Qualifiers: Rick Lamb, Bryson Nimmer, Michael Balcar, Brian Davis The qualifier for the Corales Puntacana Championship ended in a 6-for-1 playoff at the International Links of Miami on March 7. Two-time DP World Tour winner Brian Davis, who finished T6 at the 2003 Open Championship, was the playoff victor and will make his 374th PGA TOUR start this week at Corales Golf Course in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Rick Lamb, Michael Balcar and Bryson Nimmer shared medalist honors at 4-under 67. Lamb, who finished T30 at The Honda Classic after Monday qualifying for the event, had six circles on his scorecard including a clutch birdie on the 17th hole. The odds were stacked against Balcar after playing the front nine at 1-over which included a nasty double bogey on the par-4 sixth hole. “I stayed focused on taking one shot at a time,” Balcar told PGA TOUR Digital. You never know what can happen. Standing on the 10th tee, I told myself I was still in it.” Balcar’s positive self-talk paid dividends. After making the turn in troubled water, he went on a five-hole birdie run from holes 12-16 to qualify for his first PGA TOUR event. It’s phenomenal timing for the 29-year-old Cleveland State alum, who took a job as an assistant club professional at Brandywine Country Club in Toledo, Ohio once the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the United States. He worked 40 hours a week while traveling to impromptu TOUR RED events in Chicago and Ohio to keep his dream alive. Justin Crotin, Balcar’s caddie and best friend, played an essential role in helping Balcar handle stressful weeks of balancing work and professional golf. Balcar would drive from Toledo to Cleveland to pick up Crotin, and the pair would drive to Chicago for a TOUR RED event contested on a Tuesday. “He would help me drive so I could rest and be able to go to work on Wednesday,” Balcar said. “Shout-out to Matt Urban, the director of golf at Brandywine Country Club for allowing me to take Mondays and Tuesdays off when we didn’t have an event to work those days.” TOUR RED was an improvised professional tour created to provide convenient and affordable opportunities with decent payouts during the pandemic. Balcar finished first on TOUR RED’s end-of-season money list. It had been more than two years since Balcar finished third at the 2018 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Qualifying Tournament, shooting 10-under 62 in the final round to secure his card for the season. He carried a heavy heart that week as it was his first competition since his grandfather’s passing. He did not retain his card for the 2019 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica season and has since been playing on various mini-tours, Ohio PGA section events, and Korn Ferry Tour qualifiers. He feels like he took his game to the next level during his successful stretch on TOUR RED. Balcar credits his new swing coach Patrick Foppe and Orlando-based hypnotherapist Rebecca Zayas for the improvements in his game. “It’s been a long process and it’s taken a village of people to help me get to this point,” Balcar said. “I couldn’t be more thankful for the people in my life supporting me.” QUALIFIERS Rick Lamb (4-under 67) Age: 31 College: University of Tennessee Turned pro: 2014 PGA TOUR starts: 31 Cuts made: 11 Notes: Will make his second start of the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season … Finished T30 after Monday qualifying for The Honda Classic … Currently holds past champion status on the Korn Ferry Tour … Career-changing victory came at the 2016 LECOM Health Challenge after Monday qualifying into event … Played on PGA TOUR in 2016-17 and 2017-18, with best result coming at the 2017 John Deere Classic (T3) … Best finish on the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour was T8 at the Wichita Open … Finished 46th at the 2021 U.S. Open … Won 2015 Florida Championship on the West Florida Tour … Was an All-American in 2013 for the University of Tennessee … Finished runner-up at the 2013 NCAA Championship as a senior … Stands No. 845 on the Official World Golf Ranking. Michael Balcar (4-under 67) Age: 29 College: Cleveland State University Turned pro: 2016 PGA TOUR starts: 0 Notes: Will make his PGA TOUR debut this week … Finished 10th in the PGA Assistants Championship, third at the Denny Shute Match Play Championship and won the Assistants Championship on the 2021 Northern Ohio PGA circuit … Won two Northern Ohio PGA section tournaments in 2020 … Was Player of the Year and topped the TOUR RED money list … Finished third at the 2018 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Qualifying Tournament in Mexico … Played nine events on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica that year with best finish coming at the Quito Open presented by Diners Club … Played three years of collegiate golf at Cleveland State University … Was named to 2013-14 All-Horizon League first team … Earned same distinction in 2012-13 as a sophomore … Qualified for the 114th U.S. Amateur Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club … Won four events as a senior in high school to earn first team all-district and all-city honors. Bryson Nimmer (4-under 67) Age: 25 College: Clemson University Turned pro: 2019 PGA TOUR starts: 6 Made cuts: 4 Notes: Will make second start of the 2021-22 season … Finished 69th at the Puerto Rico Open … Has played one event on the Korn Ferry Tour this year (missed cut at the LECOM Suncoast Classic) … Played three events on the 2020-21 PGA TOUR, making two cuts … Finished T35 at the 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree … Played three events on the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour with best finish coming at the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation … Finished T46 at the 2020 Shell Open on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica … Made five cuts in six starts with two wins on the 2020 LOCALiQ Series (Alpharetta Classic and The Championship at Echelon Golf Club) … Made eight cuts in eight starts on the 2021 Forme Tour, with best finish coming at Auburn University at Jennings Mills Country Club (T3) … Finished T47 at the 2019 Puerto Rico Open … Was a three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection at Clemson… Was ACC Freshman of the Year … Holds 27 different Clemson golf records … Stands No. 810 on the Official World Golf Ranking. Brian Davis (3-under 68; advanced via 6-for-1 playoff) Age: 47 Turned pro: 1994 PGA TOUR starts: 373 Cuts made: 219 Notes: Will make his second of the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season … Played first six seasons of his career on the DP World Tour … Won the 2000 Peugeot Open de Espana … Finished ninth on the 2003 DP World Tour Order of Merit … Best result of the 2003 season came at the Open Championship (T6) … Played on the winning Great Britain and Ireland team at the 2003 Seve Trophy … Second DP World Tour win came at the 2004 ANZ Championship … Became the first Englishman to earn medalist honors at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament in 2004 … Started to focus more on the PGA TOUR in 2006 … Finished inside the top-100 on the FedExCup standings for seven consecutive seasons (2007 to 2013) … Finished second at the 2007 FedEx St. Jude Classic … Had one of his best seasons on the PGA TOUR in 2009, finishing fifth at THE PLAYERS Championship and Valero Texas Open … Finished second at the 2010 RBC Heritage after calling a two-stroke penalty on himself on the first playoff hole against Jim Furyk … Finished T13 at the 2004 PGA Championship… Was ranked as high as No. 45 on the Official World Golf Ranking (2004) … Won the 1992 Peter McEvoy Trophy as an amateur. Notables to miss qualifying: Patrick Flavin (later received sponsor exemption), Jared du Toit, Andres Romero, Zack Sucher, Ben Silverman, Erik Compton, Mickey DeMorat, Nicholas Thompson, Marcelo Rozo, Alejandro Tosti 2021-22 Monday qualifier statistics Top-25s: Martin Contini (T16, The Honda Classic); Grant Hirschman (T17, Sanderson Farms Championship); Patrick Flavin (T17, Butterfield Bermuda Championship); Patrick Flavin (T22, Puerto Rico Open) Best finish: Martin Contini (T16, The Honda Classic) Most times qualified (2): Kyle Wilshire, Ben Silverman, Patrick Flavin, Rick Lamb Last event’s qualifier results (Valspar Championship): Blake Kennedy (72nd), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (T39), Andrew McCain (MC), Luke Guthrie (MC) Next PGA TOUR qualifier (March 28): Valero Texas Open qualifier; The Club at Comanche Trace (Hills/Creek) in Kerrville, Texas

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