The Detroit Golf Club, home of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, is scurrying more than usual to make sure the course is playable for the tournament in June. That’s because vandals destroyed two greens with chemicals in April.
Per Golf.com, the course is currently working on the greens on the 11th and 12th holes of the North Course. Per the report, “swathes of grass (were) burned yellow by chemicals, snaking across the greens.”
The Rocket Mortgage Classic comes to town at the end of June.
“The length of time the greens will take to recover will continue to be weather dependent,” course superintendent Sam Moynihan wrote, according to the Detroit News. “The colder the weather, the slower the recovery. I will be working in conjunction with the PGA Tour Agronomy Department to develop an appropriate plan for optimal recovery. I will continue to keep you updated with progress pictures, treatments, and recovery plans moving forward.”
Police continue to investigate the situation.
Moynihan also said that he’s seeing “progress” made on the greens. There’s confidence that, despite the damage, the greens on holes 11 and 12 will be playable by the time the Rocket Mortgage Classic tees off.
This year’s event runs from June 29-July 2.
Tony Finau won last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic
Assuming the Detroit Golf Club is in good shape by the time late June rolls around, Tony Finau will look to defend his crown at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Last year, he dominated the field.
Finau shot an impressive -26 for the tournament, defeating Patrick Cantlay, Taylor Pendrith and Cameron Young. It was one of three events Finau won during the 2022 PGA Tour season. He also claimed victories at the 3M Open and Cadence Bank Houston Open.
In late April, Finau won his sixth PGA Tour event and secured his first victory of 2023 by winning the Mexico Open. The 33-year-old finished ahead of Jon Rahm by three strokes, carding a -24 for the tournament.
After claiming the trophy at the Mexico Open, Finau immediately spent time with his family. He was caught on video caddying for his kids at a Par 3 course hours after the tournament ended.
Over the course of his career, Finau has been an easy golfer to root for among fans. We don’t expect that to change when he heads to the Rocket Mortgage Classic this year, hoping to defend his title.
