Eight years ago, the Rocket Classic began with the almost unbelievable heart-wrenching story of tragedy and triumph from unknown journeyman Nate Lashley. It was a beautiful moment that marked the PGA Tour’s long-awaited return to Michigan and its debut in Detroit.
That was followed several other exhilarating moments throughout the years, like Phil Mickelson’s self-righteous battle in 2021 with a local newspaper that he said was trying to besmirch him and his reputation. (Boy, that didn’t age well.)
There was a thrilling playoff in 2023 that ended with fan-favorite Rickie Fowler taking dead aim from 184 yards and slashing a 7-iron out of the rough to 11 feet, 10 inches for his first PGA Tour win in four years.
Now that the Rocket prepares to stage its final tournament in Detroit this week, it’s going to be hard to say goodbye, as everyone wonders when or if the Tour will return to Michigan, or whether we’ll face another 10-year wait, like the one after the Buick Open ended in 2009.
Before we get into all that, I bring just a little bit of hopeful news, courtesy of Mark Hollis, the former Michigan State athletic director now serving as the tournament’s director: Essentially, the door hasn’t been slammed shut on the tournament returning.
“There are not conversations going in that direction right now,” he said, “but it’s not to say that something about bringing the Tour (back) could be back on the table, coming from the PGA Tour. And yeah, the door is always open. But right now we’re focused on ’26.”
So why did Rocket Companies, the title sponsor of the Rocket Classic, choose not to exercise its option to host a 2027 tournament?
It’s not an easy answer, but it basically comes down to Rocket wanting to make sure it was getting its bang for its buck. And it’s not just the approximate $15 million it pays to sponsor the tournament at Detroit Golf Club. It’s about having an assurance the tournament would get the right dates that ensure better fields, attendance and ratings.
“Yeah, I think from a from a Rocket standpoint, optionality and certainty are the two words that I’ve pretty much used,” Hollis said. “When you’re investing the kind of dollars you do as a title sponsor, you want to be certain what it is that you’re getting. …
“The change isn’t a financial decision, even though there’s big finances associated with being a title sponsor. It’s more about knowing what you’re getting and knowing that the impact is delivering. And it was just at a point where that wasn’t resonating.”
The tournament wasn’t one of the PGA Tour’s pricier Signature events – which run sponsors about $30 million – that lured golf’s most elite players, such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. As a lower-tier tournament, the Rocket didn’t get an ideal spot on the calendar. It was held mostly in late June and early July, when elite players were resting up for majors and Michiganders were going Up North on vacation.
“So there’s a lot of variables with any tournament anywhere,” Hollis said, “but the value comes in who’s watching. And who’s watching is determined by who’s playing, and who shows up depends on dates.
“So all those things are components that add up to TV ratings, attendance, excitement for the city, people wanting to come in and be visitors to the city. Those are all things that, unfortunately, we just couldn’t make a solid determination on, based on the information that we have.”
The hopeful news is that even though this is the final Rocket Classic, that doesn’t mean the company is divorcing itself entirely from golf, or that another sponsor couldn’t potentially step in. The sands of golf continue to shift as the PGA Tour moves to a new two-tier system in 2028, while LIV Golf – which has an August tournament in Michigan facing some severe issues – deals with its financial uncertainty.
“I’m also not saying Rocket’s totally moving away from the PGA Tour,” Hollis said. “There are other elements where you can stay connected and be part of it. But this event has done a lot of positivity.”
That positivity includes the Rocket having invested more than $10 million into local charitable organizations, including $6 million in contributions to help end the digital divide in Detroit by connecting the city’s residents to high-speed internet through digital devices and digital training.
The final tournament is also tuning up for a special swan song that will begin by showcasing architect Tyler Rae’s $16 million restoration of Donald Ross’ design at Detroit Golf Club that will make the track look a lot like a more wide-open British links course.
“I think he plotted where every shot went and put either bunkers or heather,” Hollis said of Rae’s design. “So it’s a tougher course and it’s a beautiful course. It’s really changed.
“You can see the dramatic difference because the South Course still has its prior look, and then the North Course, the championship course, by contrast, really it looks like it’s something unique and special that has a feel of a links course.”
The new design will open up walking areas and views for fans – and TV cameras. Beyond that, there will be more fan-pleasing features, such as an espresso martini bar and a cooling mist zone with large TVs nearby where fans can take a break from the heat.
After each round, the Motown Museum Music Stage will showcase live performances by Hitsville NEXT and other local artists. There’s also the new Range by Bedrock, which will occupy the dormant members’ driving range, and will include a cigar-smoking area, a hole-in-one contest, caricature artists, face painters and various games.
When Hollis listed all of the new fan amenities of the tournament, there was a lilt in his voice. I told him I feared the opposite. That the tournament might have the vibe of a sale at a Halloween store in November. Hollis laughed.
“So yeah, we’re very much viewing this year as a celebration of all we’ve accomplished, but also a celebration of what we yet want to do,” he said. “Unfortunately, it just won’t be through the PGA Tour next year. It’ll be in different ways that we continue to make a positive impact in Detroit.”
Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on X @cmonarrez.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rocket Classic ending in 2026, but Detroit ‘always open’ for PGA Tour
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