Rocket recap: Highlights from Day 3 of the Rocket Classic at DGC

Detroit — Here’s a snapshot look at Round 3 of the final Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club on Saturday.

On another ideal day for low scoring, many of the best golfers on the planet obliged, with Davis Riley, making birdies at Nos. 17 and 18, shooting a 7-under 63 to take a one-shot lead into Sunday’s final round. Riley, 29, a Mississippian, was at 15 under, one shot better than Michael Brennan, who made bogey on 18 but still shot 64. Plenty of others were in hot pursuit, including 2023 Rocket Classic champ Rickie Fowler (67), Rasmus Hojgaard (61), Chris Kirk (66) and Cameron Young (68) at 12 under, and Xander Schauffele (67) among those at 11 under.

Kris Ventura had more than one to choose from Saturday, so we’re giving him the leeway. The excitement began at the 339-yard, par-4 eighth hole, where he drove the green and made a 39-foot putt for an eagle-2. Then, at the par-5 14th, from the fringe, he drained 39-footer for an eagle-3 as he made a third-round charge toward getting in contention at the Rocket. In between those eagles, he also made double-bogey at the par-3 12th.

Stay OUT of the fescue.@RocketClassicpic.twitter.com/cLtwPvcwwq

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 1, 2026

Players were in full attack mode at the short par-3 fifth hole all day, it seemed like there might actually be an ace there for a second consecutive day. In the fact, the guy that made that hole-in-one there Friday, Matt Kuchar, nearly went back-to-back. He hit it to 8 inches Saturday, for one of 17 birdies on the hole in Round 3.

6 — Players who have competed in all eight Rocket Classics, including 2023 champion Rickie Fowler, this year’s first-round leader Peter Malnati, two-time Rocket champ Cam Davis, Beau Hossler, Patton Kizzire and Adam Schenk.

“There have been times where I wanted to just stay at home and not play golf, honestly.” — Davis Riley, Rocket Classic leader, who came into this week’s tournament having missed 10 of 20 cuts this season. He entered this week 146th in the playoff points race, with the top 70 making the playoffs. He’d jump to 61st with a win Sunday.

Hole locations for the final round of the Rocket Classic pic.twitter.com/hbEInAXv0z

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) August 2, 2026

The AREA 313 Challenge is back, triggering a $313,000 charitable donation from Rocket Companies should any player go 3-1-3 on Nos. 14-16 (eagle-ace-birdie) at any point in the tournament. The challenge has yet to be won in, this, the seventh year of the tournament. So far, three players who made the cut have made eagle at 14 and birdie at 16: Rickie Fowler, Rico Hoey and J.J. Spaun. They’re just missing the hole-in-one. One more shot at it Sunday.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Rocket recap: Highlights from Day 3 of the Rocket Classic at DGC