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Time to get revved up for some Motor City action as the PGA TOUR returns to Detroit for the Rocket Mortgage Challenge. Despite a significant history of golf in Michigan and even the Detroit metro area, last season’s tournament at Detroit Golf Club represented the first top level golf in Detroit proper. And it produced perhaps the best feelgood story of the season as Nate Lashley led from the green light to the checkered flag. Lashley was the last player in the field and clearly not expected to contend. The fact he was even playing on the PGA TOUR was seen as a huge achievement given he lost his parents and girlfriend to a tragic plane crash in 2004 as they returned from watching him play in college. It was others who failed to contend. Lashley would eventually win by six shots in a goose bump inducing display. What incredible story awaits us this year? RELATED: Featured Groups, tee times | Power Rankings | Expert Picks THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER THE FLYOVER Detroit Golf Club is an old classic Donald Ross design that invites you to showcase your skills. Hopefully we will see plenty of sublime skills at the 3-1-3 challenge holes. Using the Detroit area code as a base the tournament will offer the chance for players to make significant charitable impact while playing the par-5 14th, the par-3 15th and the par-4 16th during each round. The first golfer to go 3-1-3 will have a $313,000 contribution made in his name towards the Rocket Giving Fund charities connected to digital access and Detroit’s digital divide. In addition, each eagle at 14 earns a $5,000 donation, each ace at 15 earns a $25,000 donation and each birdie at 16 results in a $5,000 donation. Get an in-depth look at the challenge and those holes here. LANDING ZONE The par-4 18th at Detroit Golf Club features a narrow ditch running down it just waiting to swallow a ball and create all sorts of drama for those looking to finish on a high. Last season it was the second hardest hole in the tournament, playing to a 4.113 over the four rounds. Nine double bogeys and two triple bogeys showed you might need a Lashley type lead to be secure as you hit the 72nd tee. From the tee precision is key. You must split the bunkers guarding both sides to have the best chance at holding the toughest green on the course. Those hitting the short grass off the tee actually played the hole fractionally under par… but those that didn’t all had struggles. Here’s a look at how players placed their tee shots and the results they garnered from them. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams: “High pressure will provide hot temperatures as we go through the rest of the week into the weekend with highs in the low 90s. There will be some weak upper level energy moving across the state on Friday that could produce an isolated shower or thunderstorm as it passes. Otherwise dry conditions will continue with partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies expected with light winds averaging 5-10 mph each day.” For the latest weather news from Detriot, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK This course, it should be kind of a premium on hitting the fairways, so if the rough is a penalty this week, that’s probably the way it should be.In the mornings I usually have four eggs, five pieces of bacon, some toast and two Orgain protein shakes. Throughout the course of the day, I’ll have a GoMacro bar, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and at least two protein drinks on the golf course, and then after the round I’ll have one. After that, I’m snacking when I’m practicing after. Go back to the hotel, eat a dinner, steak, potatoes. Then I’ll have two protein shakes with it there as well. BY THE NUMBERS -46 – Bryson DeChambeau is a combined 46-under par since the Restart to Golf on the PGA TOUR, best of any player entering this week. -14 – Nate Lashley dominated the par 4s at Detroit Golf Club in 2019, playing them a field leading 14 under, tied for the best by a winner on TOUR last season. 5 – Number of rounds of 63 or better this season by Brendon Todd. Todd’s five rounds of 63 or better have come in his last 43 played on TOUR compared to just three rounds of 63 or better in his first 497 rounds on TOUR. 7 – Players in the field who have made the cut in all three of the PGA TOUR events since the Restart to Golf. They are Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland, Tyler Duncan, Lucas Glover, Mark Hubbard, Doc Redman and Brian Stuard. 51.52 – Percentage the field who hit their drives over 300 yards, marking the third highest percentage of drives over 300 yards of any course last season. 1,895 – Number of birdies the field made last season at Detroit Golf Club, marking the second-most of any course. SCATTERSHOTS Flash Gordon… After a T3 finish last week at the Travelers Championship, 23-year-old Will Gordon accepted Special Temporary Membership on the TOUR and now looks to ride the momentum. The 2019 SEC Player of the Year shot a career best 61 at Travelers on the way to his second top-10 from eight starts. Will Peter Kuest, James Nicholas or Sahith Theegala be able to follow in his footsteps this week as young stars trying to pave their own path? Health and Safety… The PGA TOUR has been committed to learning from an operational standpoint and adjusting its extensive COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place in order to mitigate risk and promote the health and safety of all involved, including players, caddies, staff and volunteers. With that in mind, the TOUR made the following changes last week: additional testing for those traveling on the charter flight between events; potential withholding of the stipend program if a player tests positive after not following protocols; the return of the TOUR fitness truck to encourage use of on-site facilities; in the COVID-19 pre-tournament testing process, players, along with all other individuals “inside the bubble,” will now not be allowed on host facility property until first being cleared with a negative in-market test. Course deets… Donald Ross designed both courses at Detroit Golf Club (1916) with renovations done by Robert Trent Jones, Arthur Hills and Bruce Hepner. It plays to a Par 72 at 7,340 yards. There are 87 bunkers but just one water hazard. There has been some re-routing for the tournament, including using a hole from the South Course. The South’s first hole will function as the tournament’s third hole and will be played from the North Course’s first hole tee box. The usual eighth hole and ninth holes, will be No. 1 and No. 2 for the tournament. The oak tree located to the right side of the tee box on the original No. 1 was bent by Native Americans to mark the trail when traveling from Detroit to Saginaw. Major pedigree… Three major winners have been head pros at Detroit Golf Club. Nine years before he was hired at DGC, Alec Ross won the 1907 U.S. Open, posting four rounds in the 70s to win by two strokes at Philadelphia Cricket Club (his brother and course designer Donald finished 10th). Following Ross as head pro was Horton Smith, the inaugural Masters winner (1934) who would win again in 1936. And after Smith was Detroit native Walter Burkemo, who had won the 1953 PGA Championship at nearby Birmingham Country Club. George Bayer also held the job for some time, a four-time PGA TOUR winner known for long drives. He finished inside the top-15 at the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open during his career. For more things to know about DGC check this out.
The RBC Heritage returns to its traditional post-Masters spot on the schedule after serving as the second event in last year’s Return to Golf. While Dustin Johnson missed the cut at the Masters, the reigning FedExCup champion and South Carolina native will be headlining the field at Hilton Head. Webb Simpson is the defending champion. FIELD NOTES: Collin Morikawa looks to improve on his T64 finish at last year’s Heritage… Current FedExCup leader Bryson DeChambeau returns to Hilton Head after finishing T8 last season… Will Zalatoris, who was in the final group Saturday at the Masters, will make his RBC Heritage debut… In the absence of the RBC Canadian Open for the second consecutive year, Canadian Michael Gligic is among the sponsor exemptions… Other sponsor exemptions include former college standouts John Augenstein and Bryson Nimmer. Nimmer is from Bluffton, South Carolina – just minutes from Hilton Head – while Augenstein is a past champion of The Players Amateur, which is held annually in Bluffton… Each of the last eight winners at the RBC Heritage are back in the field for 2021, including two-time champion Jim Furyk… More notables teeing it up at Harbour Town include Patrick Cantlay, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, and Daniel Berger. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: Harbour Town Golf Links, par 71, 7,121 yards. Located in South Carolina on Hilton Head Island, the Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus collaboration has hosted the PGA TOUR since 1969 and puts a premium on driving accuracy. STORYLINES: Simpson broke a streak of four-straight first-time TOUR winners at Harbour Town, setting a tournament record to earn his second win of the season. He is now looking to become the first back-to-back champ at the RBC Heritage since Boo Weekley in 2007 and 2008… The event’s capacity is 20% of a typical year. Tournament organizers announced tickets for the week are sold out… Five out of the last 11 RBC Heritages have gone into a playoff, with only two of the events over the last decade won by more than one stroke… Thirty-seven golfers are scheduled to make the trek from Augusta National to Hilton Head. 72-HOLE RECORD: 262, Webb Simpson (2020) 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, David Frost (2nd round, 1994), Troy Merritt (2nd round, 2015). LAST TIME: The event, moved from April to June during the TOUR’s pause on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, saw Webb Simpson capture his seventh PGA TOUR title, in record-setting fashion at that. Simpson’s 22-under 262 set the scoring record at the Heritage. He shot a 7-under 64 in Sunday’s final round to win by one over Abraham Ancer, who was tied with Simpson after 54 holes. Daniel Berger and Tyrrell Hatton finished two shots back at 20 under and were T3. Sergio Garcia and Joaquin Niemann rounded out the top five. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel/PGA Tour Live Freeview). Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS) PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups), Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes) Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). TOURCast: Get shot-by-shot info in real time with shot tracks and video with TOURCast. TOUR Pulse: Get the PGA TOUR app to utilize TOUR Pulse, which provides users the ability to experience a mix of content, such as video highlights, written hole summaries and stat graphics on every player after every hole they complete.
ST. LOUIS – With his FedExCup Playoff spot on the line Adam Scott produced a vintage performance at Bellerive on Friday. Sitting in 119th spot on the FedExCup standings, Scott entered the PGA Championship with his FedExCup Playoff future in doubt. The Australian is one of only 13 players who have qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs every year since its inception in 2007 but a rough 14 months put the streak under threat. So a tidy 5-under 65 was very welcome indeed, ensuring he will start the weekend just five shots back of leader Gary Woodland. As a 13-time PGA TOUR winner and former Masters champion it has surprised many to see the 38-year-old’s spot in jeopardy. Including Scott himself. But the reality is he has just one top-10 finish in 14 months, a tie for ninth this season at the AT&T Byron Nelson. “The difference between the level I think I’ve played at and the top level is very fine and really after a little while it’s just that little bit of confidence that you lack,� Scott said. “And it is very very hard for anyone to give you that other than yourself. “That self-belief has to come out and I feel like the last six to eight weeks has been a real positive for me. My results look a lot worse than what it has felt. I have played some good golf but inconsistently.� Scott said his warmup before an opening round 70 was the best he’s had all season. Having recently re-hired his brother in law Brad Malone as a swing coach after a two-year hiatus the benefits are beginning to show. “It felt like the young Adam Scott swinging the golf club. With a bit of ease, a bit of grace, bit of flow and rhythm,� Scott said. “That was enough to make me play a little more freely. There were good signs that carried over to today, and hopefully tomorrow it gets better and better.� At 5-under through 36 holes Scott projects up towards 100th place on the points list. It would be enough to secure his spot and give him the option of not playing the season ending Wyndham Championship should he wish to rest up for THE NORTHERN TRUST. But he’s got his sights set on another number. One. He believes he can win at Bellerive. He believes he can secure a FedExCup Playoff berth. And he believes he can get to the TOUR Championship for the eighth time in the FedExCup era and ultimately win the FedExCup. “If I can get myself to New York then I can get myself to East Lake,� he says. Scott won the TOUR Championship in 2006, the year before the FedExCup Playoff system was implemented. Another former Masters champion in Sergio Garcia has not been so fortunate in terms of his FedExCup Playoff push. Garcia is projecting towards a missed cut and having started the event at 131st in the standings he will indeed head to the Wyndham Championship next week. Like Scott, he has qualified every year since 2007. He has made it to Atlanta six times and was runner up at East Lake in 2008. Garcia also needs a 15th event to meet his PGA TOUR minimum start requirement, a mark he will hit next week. Bill Haas (147th) and Luke Donald (212th) also need a late surge if they are going to keep their 100 percent playoff record alive. Justin Rose (3rd), Bubba Watson (4th), Phil Mickelson (9th), Charles Howell III (44th), Zach Johnson (51st), Ryan Moore (57th), Matt Kuchar (58th), Brandt Snedeker (77th) and Charley Hoffman (92nd) will all make it 12 straight FedExCup Playoff runs.
