Monday, June 24, 2019
Ted Potter returns from vacation again this week in time to inaugurate a new venue on the PGA Tour schedule - the Rocket Mortgage Classic, to be played at the Detroit Golf Club with a purse of $7.3 million.
The field is light, as such events usually are at this time of year, and the short list of marquee names includes Rickie Fowler, Charles Howell III, Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland. Also entered are Chez Reavie, yesterday's winner of the Traveler's Championship, and runner-up Zack Sucher.
There's also a group of the elderly who will be on hand for the Detroit debut, including Stewart Cink, Ernie Els, Mike Weir, Alex Cjeka, Rod Pampling and Hunter Mahan. Add to that Viktor Hovland, the Norwegian who tied for 54th yesterday at 1 under in his first PGA foray, and Gators Brian Gay and Billy Horschel.
Reavie closed with 1-under 69 for 263 in Connecticut, 17 under par at the TPC River Highlands course. That was four better than Sucher, who closed with 67 for 267 to deadlock with Keegan Bradley, who also posted 67. Seminole rookie Hank Lebioda finished at 2 under, tied for 51st, and Brooks Koepka was a little off his game, winding up tied for 57th at even par 280.
These are the events that allow players who are well down the FedEx points list to move up if they can muster up 72 holes of good play. Vaughn Taylor tied for fourth at 12 under and jumped from 84th to 65th. Joaquin Niemann tied for 5th at 11 under and vaulted 36 spots, from 141st to 105th. Brian Harman tied for 8th at 10 under and leaped from 132nd to 109th, all significant moves.
The Traveler's had just three players who began the week in the top 10. Koepka, despite his spotty play, moved from third to second. Patrick Cantlay, who tied for 15th at 8 under, moved from seventh to sixth. Paul Casey tied for fifth at 11 under and remained in eighth place.
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