Tiger Woods: Detroit, don’t get your hopes up for Rocket Mortgage Classic
Tiger Woods has always been one of the top “gets” for tournament organizers, but it would be a shock to see him play the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
Tiger Woods tees off this morning in the first round of the Memorial Tournament, one of his favorite events on the PGA TOUR schedule. It fits perfectly into the gap between the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. It’s hosted by a close friend, Jack Nicklaus. It was one of the most obvious events he was ever going to play, if healthy.
As he maintains a limited schedule in 2019 to stay healthy and in top form for the majors, the biggest question is if and where he will play between Pebble Beach and the trip to Royal County Down for the Open Championship. For some reason, organizers at the Rocket Mortgage Classic say they’re “optimistic” that the 15-time major winner will join their field.
I don’t exaggerate at all when I say this: that would be an even bigger surprise to me than anything else Tiger Woods can do this year. Here’s why.
I’m on record saying that I believe if Woods plays between the Opens, it will be at the 3M Open in Minnesota. It’s a new event for the PGA TOUR, but it replaced the 3M Championship on the PGA TOUR Champions – which Jack often attended as part of the “Greats of Golf” event, but I digress.
The Twin Cities event is already building a strong field, including Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day and major buzzsaw Brooks Koepka. Tiger would make this a truly must-see event, and the feel of prepping for a major just two weeks later is that much more real. That also happens to be a perfect fit with his traditional major routine.
But let’s put that aside for a second. The Rocket Mortgage event is doing okay for itself, with commitments from Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler (who is sponsored by Quicken Loans). And that’s all well and good, but one big deal remains.
Next to zero chance. He is not playing a tournament where the sponsor moved and in process bailed on his event leaving him without one.
— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) May 22, 2019
More from Golf News
- Golf Rumors: LIV set to sign Masters Champion in stunning deal
- Brutal return leaves Will Zalatoris looking towards 2024
- Stars You Know at World Champions Cup Starts Thursday at Concession
- 2023 Hero World Challenge Predictions: The Return Of Tiger Woods?
- RSM Classic Brings the controversial 2023 PGA Tour Season to a close
Quicken Loans essentially abandoned Tiger’s D.C. event after last year, when they picked up and moved to the Motor City. And Woods hasn’t typically been known to forgive a slight, certainly not this quickly.
Sorry, Detroit. I’d love to see Tiger Woods play every event as much as you would. But this one just isn’t happening, barring some monstrous change of circumstances. Timing really is everything, and in this case, it just isn’t there.
"“There’s always a chance; we’re optimistic,” Jason Langwell, the executive director of the tournament, told The Detroit News. “We’d like to think we’re well-positioned.”"
Next. Jack Nicklaus, "Play Yellow" to make a major impact at Memorial Tournament. dark
Look, I get it. There’s tickets to sell, still, and until Tiger says “no”, you have to be prepared for “yes”. But if you’re the gambling type, this is a longshot, bordering on a fool’s bet. I’ll be thrilled for the tournament if they land the Big Cat, but that’s an olive branch I don’t think he’ll be ready to accept – or offer – yet.