Rocket Classic predictions need a full reset this year. The 2026 Rocket Classic starts Thursday, July 30 at Detroit Golf Club, where a $16 million Tyler Rae restoration has reshaped the test. Two par 5s became par 4s, the card now reads par 70 at 7,328 yards, and the fescue, bunkering and restored Donald Ross greens all have more teeth. That matters where winning scores have averaged around 22 under. It is also the final edition of this tournament. Here are our five best bets.
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
2026 Rocket Classic — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, MI |
| When | Thursday, July 30 – 7:00 AM ET |
| TV | Golf Channel (Thursday), CBS (Sunday) |
2026 Rocket Classic Betting Preview
This is a regular season stop, not a signature event, so the 147-player field is deep rather than top-heavy. Cameron Young headlines it, with Xander Schauffele, Chris Gotterup, Wyndham Clark, Si Woo Kim, Patrick Cantlay, Hideki Matsuyama and Russell Henley behind him. Keith Mitchell and Maverick McNealy withdrew. Defending champion Aldrich Potgieter returns after winning at 22 under in a playoff. Winners went between 18 and 26 under every year from 2019 through 2025. The restored layout should compress that. Holes 7 and 17 now play as par 4s of 505 and 537 yards, only the 4th and 14th remain par 5s, and the bunker count is up to 91.
The board reflects that uncertainty. Young sits alone at +1000, and behind him the market is unusually flat. Gotterup and Jackson Koivun share +1800, Kim and Schauffele sit at +2000, and Clark follows at +2200. That is the shape you expect when nobody has played the new setup. This is also the second-to-last regular season event, and Koivun’s 3M Open win moved him to 70th in the FedExCup standings, the last automatic playoff spot. Players outside that line, Keegan Bradley among them, need a result now. See our 3M Open predictions for more market context.
2026 Rocket Classic — Top Odds to Win
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Cameron Young | +1000 |
| Chris Gotterup | +1800 |
| Jackson Koivun | +1800 |
| Si Woo Kim | +2000 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2000 |
| Wyndham Clark | +2200 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +2800 |
| Jake Knapp | +2800 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +3000 |
| Russell Henley | +3000 |
Odds accurate as of Wednesday, July 29, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest Golf Odds – Props
2026 Rocket Classic Best Bets
Russell Henley (+3000) is our pick to win the outright. The course lost two of its four par 5s, added fescue and deepened its bunkers, widening the gap between players who find fairways and players who do not. Henley leads the PGA Tour in driving accuracy at 71.9 percent. That skill was nearly worthless here in past years. It should pay now. Henley also won the Charles Schwab Challenge, finished third at the Masters, added a top 10 at The Open, and has a 2022 top 10 in Detroit.
Taking Henley means fading Young at +1000. Young’s season has been excellent, but putting is his weakest department, and rebuilt Ross greens are the biggest new variable here. What makes this wrong? Henley converts wins at a lower rate than the elite tier, so a strong week can end in a top five. And if the course plays soft and the field goes low anyway, his accuracy edge shrinks.
Rocket Classic Predictions Mid-Tier Value Plays
Hideki Matsuyama (-115) over Patrick Cantlay in the Tournament Match-Up is the cleanest edge on the secondary board. The market prices these two identically. Their recent scorecards are not. Matsuyama was third at the 3M Open, added top-15 results at The Open and the Travelers, and posted a top 15 in Detroit last year. Cantlay missed the cut at the Scottish Open and the U.S. Open. The counter is that Cantlay owns the better venue résumé, and a pick-em matchup is close to a coin flip.
Ryan Gerard (+350) to win Tournament Group Betting Group C is the second mid-tier play. The group pits him against Jake Knapp (+300), Akshay Bhatia (+350), J.J. Spaun (+350) and Harris English (+400). Gerard has been the steadiest of the five, with a ninth at The Open, a runner-up at the Memorial and a top 10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. This market asks him to beat four players, not 146. The case against is real. Knapp shares the Detroit course record and was fourth here last year.
Long Shot Picks for The 2026 Rocket Classic
Michael Thorbjornsen (+5000) is the first long shot, an outright. He shares the Detroit course record of 61, set last year en route to a fourth-place finish, and added a top 10 at the Scottish Open this month. That is evidence he handles firm turf and fescue. The counter is that his course history is partly obsolete, since those greens were rebuilt and expanded. He also missed the cut at the John Deere Classic.
Corey Conners (+8000) is the second long shot, also an outright. Conners ranks eighth on Tour in driving accuracy, exactly the profile this restoration should reward, and he has a top 15 at The Open and a top 10 at the Travelers this season. He has not played here recently, but the course is effectively new for everyone. The case against is familiar. Conners has long been a below-average putter, and quicker greens will not hide that.
2026 Rocket Classic Final Thoughts: What to Watch
Every pick traces to one question: how much did the restoration really change the math? The first two rounds should answer it. Watch the remaining par 5s, the 592-yard 4th and the 561-yard 14th, now the only obvious scoring holes. If the lead sits in double digits under par by Friday, the birdie-makers should control the weekend. If the number lands nearer the mid-teens, the accuracy plays in Henley and Conners are the right side. Our 2025 Rocket Mortgage Classic preview covers the old setup.
Rocket Classic FAQ: Thursday July 30, 2026
Who is the favorite to win the Rocket Classic?
Cameron Young is the favorite at +1000, the only player in four-figure odds. Chris Gotterup and Jackson Koivun are next at +1800. Young won THE PLAYERS and the Cadillac Championship this season.
When does the Rocket Classic start?
The Rocket Classic starts Thursday, July 30, 2026, with the first tee time at 7:00 a.m. ET at Detroit Golf Club. Play runs through Sunday, August 2, the second-to-last PGA Tour event before the FedExCup Playoffs.
What channel is the Rocket Classic on?
Golf Channel carries Rounds 1 and 2 from 3-6 p.m. ET Thursday and Friday. Weekend coverage opens on Golf Channel from 1-3 p.m. ET, then moves to CBS from 3-6 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
Who won the Rocket Classic last year?
Aldrich Potgieter won the 2025 Rocket Classic at 22 under par, beating Max Greyserman and Chris Kirk in a five-hole playoff. It was his first PGA Tour title.
What is the par and yardage at Detroit Golf Club?
Detroit Golf Club plays as a par 70 at 7,328 yards this year. A Tyler Rae restoration turned holes 7 and 17 into par 4s, leaving only the 4th and 14th as par 5s. The purse is $10 million.