Rickie Fowler and Patrick Cantlay found themselves firmly in the mix after the opening round of the Rocket Classic in Detroit, a tournament that quickly turned into a showcase of low scoring. At the top of the leaderboard, Peter Malnati produced a career‑best nine‑under‑par 61, a score that matched the event’s record for a first round and placed him two strokes ahead of Fowler and fellow competitor Ryan Gerard.
Cantlay, together with Patrick Fishburn, trailed by a single shot, keeping the competition tight and the excitement high. When Malnati approached the first tee, his caddie offered a conservative plan: leave the driver in the bag and opt for a safer club to ensure a steady start. Defying that advice, Malnati elected to unleash his driver, sending the ball to the middle of the fairway and setting the tone for a remarkable front nine that featured seven birdies. He reflected on the early moments of his round, saying, "Even before I realized it was going to be a special day, the usual anxiety wasn’t there.
I felt calm and confident." His confidence was justified. After a spectacular tee shot, Malnati continued to attack the course, eventually facing a 55‑foot birdie putt on the 11th hole. He sank it, pushing his total to nine under through 13 holes. The round remained bogey‑free, and although a few missed putts near the end prevented an outright sub‑60 finish, his performance was still extraordinary.
The tournament took place at the Detroit Golf Club, which recently underwent a $16 million renovation aimed at restoring the original vision of legendary architect Donald Ross. The revamp included converting two former par‑5 holes into challenging par‑4s and adding a substantial number of bunkers, making the course more demanding while preserving its classic character. Despite these tougher conditions, the field produced a flurry of birdies, continuing a trend that began in 2019 when the event helped revive PGA Tour play in Michigan after a decade‑long hiatus since Tiger Woods’ final Buick Open victory.
Fowler and Gerard each posted 63s, keeping them just two shots behind the leader and one stroke ahead of Cantlay and Fishburn. Michael Brennan made a dramatic surge, climbing the leaderboard after an initial two‑over start. He recorded eight consecutive birdies—a feat just one short of the PGA Tour record for most straight birdies in a round—ultimately finishing with a 65, which left him four strokes back. The round also featured Keegan Bradley, who became the subject of a light‑hearted moment when some spectators pretended he had made a hole‑in‑one on the par‑three fifth.
Other notable performances included Open runner‑up Cameron Young, who posted a one‑under round, and US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who finished one over. These results underscored the depth of talent in the field and the difficulty of the revamped course. Beyond the on‑course action, the Rocket Classic highlighted broader shifts within professional golf.
The PGA Tour is planning a structural overhaul for 2028 that will effectively split the organization into two distinct tours. Detroit’s tournament organizers, faced with the prospect of a $15 million annual commitment to remain in the secondary tier, decided against escalating costs to join the elite tier. As a result, the Rocket Classic will not return, marking the 2024 edition as its final appearance.
Fowler, who also serves as a spokesperson for Rocket Mortgage and is the defending champion from 2023, expressed his disappointment about the tournament’s departure. "It’s definitely been a bummer to come into this knowing it was the last one," he said, reflecting on the event’s significance for both players and fans. For those who missed the live action, the second round of the Rocket Classic was scheduled to air at 7 p.m.
on Sky Sports Golf, with streaming options available for viewers without a contract. The tournament’s blend of dramatic scoring, historic course renovations, and the looming changes to the PGA Tour’s structure made it a memorable start to the season, setting the stage for an exciting series of events to follow.