Rocket Mortgage pulls plug on Detroit PGA Tour event over 2028 costs
The sponsor of the Rocket Classic will not renew its deal as the PGA Tour's new two-tier model threatens to double the $15 million annual cost of elite tournament hosting.
Peter Malnati holds a two-shot lead at the Rocket Classic in Detroit after a nine-under 61, but the tournament itself is playing out its final edition. The event's financial future was sealed before the first tee shot, overshadowing the sporting contest.
Title sponsor Rocket Mortgage is withdrawing from the PGA Tour, declining to participate in the circuit's new 2028 structural model. The organization is effectively splitting into two distinct tours, and Detroit organizers refused to double their current $15 million annual commitment to secure a spot in the new elite tier.
The competition originally launched in 2019 when the Detroit-based lender ended a ten-year hiatus for top-flight golf in Michigan, stepping in after Tiger Woods won the previous Buick Open. Rickie Fowler, a company spokesman and the 2023 champion, acknowledged the disappointment surrounding the franchise's demise.
"It's definitely been a bummer to kind of come into this knowing it was the last one," Fowler said. He shot a 63 to sit two strokes behind Malnati, alongside Ryan Gerard, while Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Fishburn are one stroke further back after rounds of 64.
Hosting the tournament has required significant capital expenditure from local stakeholders beyond the title sponsorship. The Detroit Golf Club recently completed a $16 million renovation, converting a couple of par-5s to par-4s and adding numerous bunkers to honor Donald Ross' original century-old design.
The investment was specifically intended to toughen the layout and curb the high scores that have defined the event since its inception. However, Malnati took full advantage with a bogey-free round featuring seven front-nine birdies and a 55-foot putt on the 11th hole.
Michael Brennan also capitalized on the conditions, surging to a 65 with eight consecutive birdies. Open runner-up Cameron Young and US Open champion Wyndham Clark trail further back, leaving Malnati to defend his lead in the final edition.
