2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Top 10 Power Rankings at Detroit GC
The PGA Tour is sticking in the Great Lakes states moving from the 3M Open in Minnesota to the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Michigan.
It’s the fourth edition of this event, which has been held annually at Detroit Golf Club.
DGC is in Detroit proper and opened as a six-hole course in 1906. Famed golf architect Donald Ross came in 1913 to increase the club to 36 holes.
DGC has hosted big events across its century-plus history.
It hosted the 1911 Western Amateur, 1941 Ryder Cup, and 1992 U.S. Mid-Amateur.
The field of 156 players this week will be taking on a 7,334-yard, par-72 layout that is a composite of the property’s North and South courses.
The bentgrass/poa annua greens aren’t as severely tea cup shaped as other Ross designs like Pinehurst No. 2, but they are still one of the courses’ main defenses.
The fairways and rough are bentgrass/poa mixed with bluegrass. Fairways tend to run fast this time of year but are very generous as nearly everyone who made the 36-hole cut hit 70% of them for the week in 2021.
The weather forecast looks to be warm and dry, so expect fiery conditions.
According to PGA Tour Shotlink data, DGC is the flattest course on the schedule.
It’s also one of the easiest. Nate Lashley won at 25-under in 2019, Bryson DeChambeau at 23-under in 2020, and Cam Davis at 18-under in 2021.
Here are my 10 best bets to pile up birdies and contend for the Rocket Mortgage Classic title:
Sahith Theegala carries himself like a seasoned vet. Even the cool, calm, and collected miss cuts from time to time.
The 24-year-old has been a model of consistency since reaching the PGA Tour, but the momentum stalled with a missed cut at last week’s 3M Open. Prior, the former Pepperdine standout was playing elite golf that made his first career win seem inevitable.
Theegala had a streak of 12 made cuts going in 2022.
In that span, he was a hole away from winning the Travelers Championship (T-2nd) and was also T-5th at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.
In his only major start of 2022, Theegala took T-34th at The Open Championship. He is inching closer to the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, which will help him potentially play in all four in 2023.
According to a Golf WRX/PGA Tour article, Theegala switched this spring to a longer 37-inch putter that seems to be helping. He’s 147th in strokes gained putting per round (-.147), but that expects to improve this season and next.
Theegala also led late at the WM Phoenix Open where he took T-3rd. He’s in the mix for Rookie of the Year thanks to nine top-25s.
This will be his Rocket Mortgage Classic debut.
Theegala ranks fourth on the PGA Tour in total eagles (13th). I see him rolling in at least one this week and earning himself another big payday.