The trek across the Midwest continues, as we have hit the final sprint towards the FedEx Cup Playoffs. We make our stop in Michigan this week with the Rocket Classic, the second-to-last start for anyone trying to crack the top 100 in points and maintain their PGA Tour card for next season.
This stretch of the season is going to be very interesting in a couple of years with the two-track Tour, because who will get to keep their status, and at what level, and is there room for promotion, and all of these questions that we don't have any answers to. For right now, let's enjoy the straightforward run to the finish line.
I have to be honest; Detroit Golf Club isn't a great venue for a PGA Tour event. It doesn't have a standout feature, it's pretty easily overpowered by modern technology, and hasn't given any sort of super memorable moments (remember Nate Lashley?).
This one is bound to be relegated to the second-tier track come 2028, but let's enjoy it while we have it. We've gathered a pretty solid field overall, with four of the top 10 in the world playing this week. Scottie wasn't able to track down Jackson Koivun in Minnesota last week, but maybe we can find a winner here.
Honorable Mentions: Ben Griffin, Jake Knapp, Marco Penge, Kevin Roy, Kevin Yu
9. Doug Ghim
This is the choice that always backfires on me, so I'm ready and willing to let Doug Ghim disappoint me once again this weekend in Detroit. But let me ask you this question: Where do you think Doug Ghim ranks in strokes gained from tee to green this season on Tour?
Wrong answer, because the correct answer is 19th! That's right, Doug Ghim has been an elite-level ball-striker this season, and his putter has finally started to become a positive weapon in his bag. His T6 at the John Deere really showed what Ghim could be, and I think this week is another chance for us to see Ghim cash in on the potential we saw at the 2017 U.S. Amateur.
8. Jackson Koivun
I wrote last week about Ben James, and specifically mentioned that I would pick him over Jackson Koivun. Naturally, Koivun went on to win in his third professional start, while James missed the cut. I've talked about Koivun a few other times this year, most notably at the U.S. Open, but last week definitely felt like the true breakout of a rising star in golf.
It's been a while since one of these collegiate products immediately delivered after turning pro, but now we have the most exciting young prospect in golf since the Hovland-Morikawa-Wolff class of 2019. It's hard to go back-to-back, but clearly the 21-year-old is ready to fully establish himself as a force on Tour. Maybe he already has.
7. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
The last couple of weeks have been a sign of life from Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, following up his T9 at The Open with a T20 at the 3M. 2026 has showcased some growing pains for the Dane getting acclimated to Tour life after coming over from the DP World Tour, but the reigning Australian Open champion seems to finally be getting comfortable.
He's sitting at 90th in the FedEx Cup rankings currently, so he does need to come up with another good result to hopefully make Memphis, but at the very least guarantee his membership on Tour next year. This course and its benefit to those who can launch it off the tee and find a hot week with the putter should play right into his hands this week.
6. Taylor Moore
It feels like ages ago when Taylor Moore finished runner-up at PGA National, and that happened this season! Recent times have not fared well for Moore, as he's coming in having missed three straight cuts. However, even though he missed the cut by two shots last week, the 32-year-old did turn in a positive putting performance, a noteworthy trend going into a course that usually comes down to being a bit of a putting contest.
He's played well in Detroit in the past, finishing in the top 10 in three of his four career starts here. If the momentum with the putter maintains this week, Moore can be a threat.
5. Ryan Gerard
I feel very confident in saying Ryan Gerard's T9 at The Open won't be the last time we see the 26-year-old threaten at a major, and to do it in his debut at The Open is even more impressive. After a bit of a cold middle stretch of the season, Gerard has started to turn things around with his putter again.
This is always going to be the key with him; if you can find a stretch where the putter is cooperating, then Ryan Gerard is going to be a force to be reckoned with. He's been one of the better tee-to-green players by strokes gained this year, so if we marry that with a hot putter, then Gerard could be standing in the winner's circle by week's end.
4. Xander Schauffele
Now, I watched a lot of The Open this year, and felt like I was really locked in on the action. Looking up this week's field is truly the first I am hearing of Xander Schauffele finishing T18 at Royal Birkdale. Schauffele finished in the top 20 in all four majors this year (and third at The Players), and I don't think a single ripple in the sea of golf analysis was made about it.
This has been a strange year for Schauffele, as he's never felt like a serious threat but has put up consistently good performances this season. He's making his debut in Detroit this week, so maybe he can put everything together and finally be a part of the narrative.
3. Wyndham Clark
Wyndham Clark's Open experience this year was a disaster, as he ended up missing the cut by a couple of shots. However, it was only Clark's second missed cut in his last 11 starts, and every other start has resulted in a top-25 finish. I'm willing to look at The Open as just a brief hiccup for Wyndham, and that he should return to the form that we've seen from him recently.
The putter has been great for Clark this season, and he's managed to be a top-15 ball striker on Tour while technically being negative off the tee this season. His game still feels completely in control, and I can see an outcome where Clark brings Detroit Golf Club to its knees.
2. Chris Gotterup
Is it weird to be a little disappointed in Chris Gotterup's T18 at The Open? Maybe the expectations were a little too high for him a couple of weeks ago, but I think that came from a point of getting overly excited of how much Gotterup could win on Tour, considering he's won four times in the last year.
Aldrich Potgieter won this tournament last year by bombing the ball everywhere and making a ton of putts. Chris Gotterup can mirror this strategy with the best of them. I feel like I don't have to say much about why Gotterup is a good pick this week, as his game matches Detroit Golf Club perfectly.
1. Cameron Young
Much like Chris Gotterup, Cameron Young's game lines up perfectly with this golf course, and his runner-up finish at The Open is a sign that he's snapped out of his funk (hopefully he's over Ryan Fox stowing the Claret Jug right above him on the flight home).
Young has played well here in the past as well, with a T2 in 2022 and a T6 in 2024. He's the best player in the field per any rankings system you follow, so he wasn't going to go anywhere besides the No. 1 spot this week.
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