The PGA Tiour heads to Detroit this week for a new tournament as the Rocket Mortgage Classic is introduced to the circuit, a lively looking event which carries the usual Tour privileges for winning as well as a couple of places in The Open for those not yet qualified for Royal Portrush.
Some iconic players will look to begin their preparation for the final major of the season which is less than a month away now by teeing it up here, so we should be in for a decent inaugural staging of this tournament.
The Course
We are on a composite course at the Detroit Golf Club this week. The Donald Ross designed circuit uses Poa grass and with the rough said to be up and consistent, like most Ross decks this one needs to be played from the short grass. Tight fairways and small greens should bring the ball strikers into play over the bombers once again.
The course itself is a par 72 which can measure 7,340 yards so it isn’t overly long which makes accuracy an even bigger feature. With the small size of the greens this week we are looking for shot shapers who can scramble. Nobody has an advantage on the greens so it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if one of the poorer putters gets the job done but accurate sorts are the ones to be on I fancy.
The Field
Dustin Johnson is the headline attraction in the field this week while Rickie Fowler will be a popular man for the crowds to follow on site. Hideki Matsuyama adds a classy international touch to proceedings while US Open champion Gary Woodland tees it up for the first time since he won around Pebble Beach.
Other major champions such as Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Jason Dufner are also in the field while young guns such as Aaron Wise and Viktor Hovland will look to make their mark on the scene. Poa lovers Brandt Snedeker, Ryan Moore and Billy Horschel also line up in what is an extremely competitive field.
Market Leaders
It is the main man Dustin Johnson who is a 6/1 market leader this week. He is clearly the standout player in the field but I’ve mentioned a few times recently how I’m concerned about his play since he changed coach and he hasn’t really done a whole lot to convince me that all is well in Camp Johnson. I wouldn’t be backing him at this price anyway but I’ve a suspicion his strengths could be negated here so he isn’t for me.
Rickie Fowler will tee it up as a 12/1 second favourite alongside the Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama. Both men have done plenty of winning on the West Coast and you would think this course would resemble that slightly so there is a case to be made on both of these men. I can’t say I’m particularly excited about their price though I have to say so I’ll swerve them on those grounds.
US Open champion Gary Woodland is next in the betting at 16/1. This is his first start since becoming a major champion and so we are guessing as to how he will cope. I’ve got a feeling he will be fine as he seems a laid back individual but we’ve seen the likes of Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed and Danny Willett in recent times win a major and then go AWOL. I’ll take a watching brief on the Kansas native here.
Last week’s winner Chez Reavie is 25/1 to follow up his success at TPC River Highlands with another one here. You could tell in his speech after that win that it meant a lot to him so you’ve got to think the emotional reserves will be on the low side here. Normally he would have every chance on this track but there is only so much water in the well and his might need topping up again after the highs of last week. It is 33/1 bar.
Main Bets
I’m taking the Donald Ross design lovers as my two main bets this week. They are Ryan Moore and Brandt Snedeker. The case for both are pretty obvious but Moore is a clean ball striker who can sometimes go a bit stale on the greens but these putting surfaces are so small that I don’t see the weak putters being too inconvenienced. Moore is third on Tour in fairways hit which should be a big thing this week and he was T4 in GIR at River Highlands last week which bodes well as those greens were small too. He looks a leading chance here.
Brandt Snedeker has been trending in the right direction for a while and a combination of a Ross design and Poa greens should bring his game to the fore. His long game is getting better every time I see him tee it up which is good because he has always been one of the better putters on the Tour. He has three top 20s recently and I fancy he is in the form to take a tournament down soon. This week could very well be the one with the way he is scoring right now.
Outsiders
When pure ball striking is needed Charles Howell III is often at the fore. Usually what lets him down is his putting but with that unlikely to be as much of an issue this week I think that this is a good time to get on him at 66/1. He is as good a ball striker as you’ll find on the PGA Tour and actually ranks eighth for that discipline statistically. His tee to green game is as reliable as any on the circuit so if he can get a few putts to the hole on these smaller surfaces he isn’t going to be far away.
Another one I always like when we are looking for a ball striker is Kyle Stanley. He hasn’t been in the best of form recently but I wonder if this will be the week he comes good. He won the Quicken Loans National on this weekend two years ago so can take good memories from that. He hasn’t lost any of his ball striking skills but the putter has refused to cooperate so far this term. With the putting not under such scrutiny here I’ll pay to see how close Stanley goes.
This week is a home game for Brian Stuard and that could lead to another big result from a man who I flagged up prior to the US Open was going under the radar. He is seventh on Tour in fairways hit, just outside the top 10 in proximity to the hole and as high as fifth in scrambling. It is the putter that lets him down but as I repeatedly say I think that disadvantage is levelled out somewhat here so he is a big price at a three figure quote.
Tips
Back R.Moore to win Rocket Mortgage Classic (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Betfred (1/5 1-7)
PLACED – Back B.Snedeker to win Rocket Mortgage Classic (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Betfred (1/5 1-7)
Back them here:
Back C.Howell III to win Rocket Mortgage Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Betway (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
Back K.Stanley to win Rocket Mortgage Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with 888sport (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
PLACED – Back B.Stuard to win Rocket Mortgage Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 151.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-8)
Back him here:
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