Event: Rocket Classic
Where: Detroit Golf Club (Detroit, MI)
When: June 26th – 29th
Watch: Golf Channel, ESPN+
Purse: $9.5 million
The PGA Tour rolls into Detroit this week for the seventh edition of the Rocket Classic, and honestly, this tournament has quickly become one of my favorites to bet. Why? Simple – it’s a birdie-fest where aggressive play gets rewarded, and that creates some fantastic betting opportunities if you know what to look for.
Detroit Golf Club has been serving up low scores since this event started in 2019. We’re talking about a course that averaged 69.92 strokes in 2023, with three different players reaching 24-under-par. When you see numbers like that, you know the cream rises to the top pretty quickly.
The tournament has a short but wild history. Nate Lashley came out of nowhere to win the inaugural event at 300/1 odds, then Bryson DeChambeau won as the favorite the next year. It’s been a mix of longshots and chalk ever since, which makes handicapping this thing both challenging and rewarding.
About the Course
- Par 72
- Distance: 7,370 yards
- Designer: Donald Ross (classic parkland design)
- Key Features: Exceptionally flat layout, tree-lined fairways, smaller than average greens
- Surfaces: Bentgrass fairways, Poa Annua greens running around 12.5 on the Stimpmeter
- Scoring: One of the easiest courses on tour – expect fireworks
Here’s what you need to know about Detroit Golf Club: it’s a bomber’s paradise that still requires precision. The fairways are generous enough to let the big hitters open up, but those smaller Ross greens demand accurate approach shots. And since everyone’s going to make birdies, putting becomes absolutely crucial. Miss a few makeable putts here and you’re toast.
Who to Bet This Weekend?
Ben Griffin – To Win (+2000)
I’m all over Griffin this week, and at +2000, this might be the best value bet on the board. This guy is having the season of his life – we’re talking two wins already (Zurich Classic and Charles Schwab Challenge), plus he just finished T10 at the U.S. Open. When a player is in this kind of form, you ride the wave.
What I love about Griffin for this spot is his combination of distance and precision. He’s gained strokes off the tee consistently this year, which will serve him well on Detroit’s wide fairways. But more importantly, he’s been lights out with his iron play, ranking in the top portion of the field in approach shots. At a place where everyone’s going to hit it close, Griffin has shown he can capitalize on those scoring opportunities.
The cherry on top? Griffin has been one of the most consistent putters on tour over his last several starts. In a birdie-fest like this, that’s usually the difference between contending and watching from the couch on Sunday.
Cameron Davis – To Win (+7000)
Now this is what I call a value play. Davis has won this tournament twice already (2021 and 2024), making him the only player in the field with multiple victories at Detroit Golf Club. And at +7000? That’s just disrespectful to a guy who clearly knows how to get it done here.
Sure, course history isn’t everything at Detroit – the place has seen some wild results over the years. But when someone has figured out how to win at a specific venue twice, especially in recent memory, you’ve got to give them serious consideration. Davis won here just last year after Akshay Bhatia three-putted the final hole, showing he knows how to capitalize when opportunity knocks.
Davis brings the perfect combination of length and touch around the greens that this course demands. He’s also proven he can handle the pressure of being in contention, which matters more than people think when birdies are flying everywhere and the leaderboard gets bunched up.
Keegan Bradley – Top 5 Finish (+350)
Bradley is riding sky-high after his emotional victory at the Travelers Championship last week, and I want to keep backing him while he’s hot. The guy rallied from three shots down with four holes to play to win in front of his home crowd – that’s the kind of momentum you can’t manufacture.
What makes Bradley such a great play this week is his track record at Detroit Golf Club. He ranks fifth in course history with strong finishes, and he’s clearly comfortable with the low-scoring nature of this event. Bradley has always been a guy who feeds off positive energy, and right now he’s got more of it than anyone on tour.
The Top 5 bet at +350 gives us some cushion while still cashing in on his recent form. Bradley might not have the distance of some guys, but his iron play and putting have been exceptional lately, which is exactly what you need to stay near the top of the leaderboard here.
Max Greyserman – Top 10 Finish (+300)
Greyserman is one of those guys who’s been knocking on the door all season, and this feels like the perfect spot for him to finally break through. He’s got eight top-25 finishes this year and has been a runner-up three times on tour. At some point, that consistency has to pay off.
What I love about Greyserman is his steady approach to the game. He’s not going to wow you with 340-yard drives, but he hits fairways, finds greens, and rarely makes big numbers. In a tournament where everyone’s firing at pins, having a guy who can avoid disasters while still making his share of birdies is valuable.
The Top 10 bet gives us a nice margin for error, and honestly, Greyserman has been playing well enough that he should be closer to even money for this market. At +300, I think we’re getting decent value on a player who’s due for some positive regression.
Luke Clanton – Top 20 Finish (+175)
I’m intrigued by the young gun Clanton this week. The 21-year-old just earned his PGA Tour card and has been playing some really solid golf lately – four top-10s in his last 13 starts is nothing to sneeze at. What catches my eye is his short game, which has been exceptional on Ross-designed courses.
Detroit Golf Club’s smaller greens mean guys are going to miss more approaches than usual, making scrambling ability crucial. Clanton has shown he can get up and down from anywhere, which should keep him in the mix even when his ball-striking isn’t perfect.
At +175 for a Top 20, we’re getting solid odds on a player with the skill set to thrive here. Even if he doesn’t contend, Clanton should have enough game to hang around the upper portion of the leaderboard.
Long Shot Special
Tony Finau – To Win (+4500)
I can’t resist throwing a small bet on Finau here. The guy won this tournament in 2022 with a ridiculous 26-under total, setting the tournament scoring record in the process. He clearly knows how to score at Detroit Golf Club, and at +4500, the odds are too good to pass up.
Finau’s been quietly solid this year without grabbing many headlines. He’s the kind of player who can get hot with the putter for a week and run away from the field. Given his history here and the generous odds, he’s worth a small flyer.
First Round Leader Plays
Getting off to a fast start is crucial at Detroit Golf Club. History shows that most winners are near the top after the first round, so these bets can offer quick returns.
Cameron Young (+3500): Young shares the course record with a 63, and his aggressive style suits getting out of the gates quickly.
Ben Griffin (+3500): His recent form suggests he’s ready to post a low number early.
Betting Strategy for Detroit Golf Club
Here’s the thing about this tournament – you need to get out front early and stay there. The course plays so easy that making up ground becomes nearly impossible when everyone’s shooting in the mid-60s. Seven of the top eight finishers in 2023 were inside the top nine after 36 holes.
Don’t get too caught up in course history either. This place has produced some wacky results over the years. Davis missed his first two cuts here before winning, and Finau finished 57th in his only appearance before capturing the title. Current form trumps everything else.
Focus on guys who can putt. I can’t stress this enough – when everyone’s hitting it close, the guy who makes the most putts wins. Look for players who’ve been gaining strokes on the greens recently, especially on Poa surfaces.
Final Thoughts
This is shaping up to be another wild week in Detroit. With Ben Griffin’s red-hot form, Cameron Davis’s course history, and guys like Bradley riding momentum, we’ve got plenty of angles to attack this tournament.
My advice? Spread your bets around a bit. Take Griffin as your main play at +2000, grab Davis as a value longshot at +7000, and sprinkle in some Top 5 and Top 10 bets to give yourself multiple ways to win. This tournament rewards aggressive play both on the course and in your betting strategy.
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