Paulie's Picks: 2025 Rocket Classic

This week the PGA Tour heads to Detroit for the Rocket Classic, held once again at Detroit Golf Club. The 156-player field is composed of players trying to move up the FedEx Cup rankings or grab a victory in a weaker field (I’m talking to you, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, and Wyndham Clark). 

Detroit Golf Club puts an extreme emphasis on driving distance, wedge play, and putting. There are very few hazards on the course, and the penalty for errant tee balls is one of the smallest on Tour, especially with its patchy three-inch rough. The strategy is simple: bomb driver every par 4 and par 5 and go from there. That makes this 7,300-yard par 72 course play very short with an abundance of wedges on approach. The winning score in this event has averaged 22 under over the six years it has been at Detroit Golf Club. The course will be undergoing a renovation after this event, so they may be able to set the course up harder than in past years, but birdies will still be plentiful. 

This week will value players who bomb the ball but may be a bit wild, which can cause issues in other weeks on Tour. Let’s take a look at three players who have the upside to contend this week but may not appear to be in the best of form:

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Min Woo Lee: Top 20, +250

Min Woo Lee ranks sixth in the field in diving distance, yet ranks 88th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee due to his inaccuracy. He hasn’t finished better than 49th in his last seven starts but most of those were on courses that punished that inaccuracy. Prior to that, he won at the Houston Open on a course that allowed him to rip driver with reckless abandon. He clearly likes Detroit GC, as he finished runner-up in 2024 in his sole appearance. He also may have a bit of extra motivation this week after watching his sister, Minjee Lee, capture her third major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Taylor Moore: Top 20, +275

Taylor Moore has quietly finished in the top 10 in this event each of the last three years. The course suits his game well as it takes the pressure off his driver and allows him to swing freely. Regardless of his current form, he has shown up to this event and played well. In 2024, he finished 68th or worse in his four starts prior to the Rocket. Similarly, in 2023, Moore finished 72nd or worse in his four starts leading into this event. So I’m willing to look past his current form and look back at his results here, which makes a price of +275 for a top 20 awfully high.

Cameron Davis: Top 20, +350

Most weeks on Tour, Cameron Davis is a double bogey waiting to happen due to his errant tee shots. Similarly to Lee and Moore, he has struggled the last few months, but his record at Detroit Golf Club is stellar as he has finished in the top 20 each of the last four years, including two wins. Many of those finishes came amid bad form, including his win last year, where he ended a seven-tournament streak of finishes 38th or worse. I’m not scared of his current form and I think this is a great buy-low spot.