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Todd McGill's DraftKings, FanDuel PGA DFS picks for the 2025 Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club. Picks for daily fantasy golf based on course history
After an exciting U.S. Open, last week's Travelers Championship had just as much drama down the stretch. Current U.S. Ryder Cup Captain, Keegan Bradley, made a birdie on the 72nd to overtake Tommy Fleetwood by one shot after the Englishman made a bogey from the front of the green. It was a gutwrenching end to what felt like the breakthrough victory on American soil for the 34-year-old for most of the weekend. However, it seems plausible to expect to see him in contention again this year, given how consistent Fleetwood has been for most of the season.
The PGA Tour is slowing things down for the next couple of weeks in terms of importance and field strength. This week's Rocket Classic is missing many top players, with Collin Morikawa and Keegan Bradley currently headlining the field. With its first tournament being held in 2019, we are just starting to develop enough course history data to make this article useful. But, a handful of guys have made multiple starts with quality finishes that are worth looking into from a DFS perspective.
Horse For The Course is an article highlighting players in this week's field with elite course history and is part of our free PGA DFS content here at RotoBaller. For some of the favorite DFS plays of the week, check out the Core Four article written by my buddy, Joe Nicely, here at RotoBaller every Wednesday. It's part of our amazing PGA Premium package that includes an all-new PGA Research Station, Lineup Builder & Optimizer, and some of the best articles in the PGA DFS industry! You can sign up now using the Promo Code TDG for an extra discount at checkout!
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2025 Rocket Classic
For what it's worth, the field is much better than I expected after the slugfest at Oakmont and the importance of the Travlers Championship, which strong-armed players into competing that perhaps would have otherwise skipped. With two of the top 10 players in the world and five of the top 20, competitor turnout has certainly been worse at other events this season.
Ranking in the upper half of the course length on the PGA Tour doesn't quite tell the whole story, as the par-72 layout will likely feel shorter to the players who competed at Oakmont a few weeks ago. However, looking at the list of past winners, guys with a large proficiency off the tee have found good outcomes in years past.
Cam Davis will be looking to win this event for a third time and defend his win from last season, which saw him overcome a one-shot deficit to hold off four other players. His comfort level at Detroit Golf Club can't be denied, as the only course he's managed to win at. Given the Australian's impressive track record, he'll surely be discussed later in this article.
You can find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report weekly. And be sure to read our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS articles and Player News/Matchup Outlook Posts to help you win big!
Detroit Golf Club
Par 72 - 7,370 | Greens: Bentgrass/Poa annua | Designed By: Donald Ross
Detroit Golf Club has a long history, originally opening in 1899 with six holes to play and eventually turning into a 36-hole facility by 1916, which transformed into a traditional Donald Ross layout that challenges players with undulating greens that fall off in all directions, but doesn't do much out of the ordinary from tee to green.
The composite course primarily uses holes on the North Course (also uses hole three from the South Course) and allows guys to attack it however they want. However, the one thing that must be present is the ability to hole putts, and a good majority of them better be for birdies. And while strokes gained off the tee don't necessarily point you in the right direction, many of the winners since 2019 have employed a successful "bomb and gouge" approach.
Other statistical considerations for me include hole proximity from 150 yards and in, birdie average, and par-5 scoring. Like last week in Connecticut, the Detroit Golf Club is one of the easiest tests all year for these players, so putting four rounds together in the 60s is a must.
Recent Rocket Classic Winners
- 2024: Cam Davis (-18)
- 2023: Rickie Fowler (-24)
- 2022: Tony Finau (-26)
- 2021: Cam Davis (-18)
- 2020: Bryson DeChambeau (-23)
The Horse
Cam Davis
- Notable Finishes: 1st ('21 & '24)
Because of the lesser importance of this event, retaining players year over year is a little more difficult. Many players who decided to make a spot start in recent years have established high metrics without the number of rounds to be considered in this article. Cam Davis is not one of those guys.
The 30-year-old has come to Detroit in all six iterations of this event, and after missing the cut in the first two, has managed to win this event twice, with two other top 20 finishes in between. His length off the tee, modest proximity numbers with wedges/short irons, and birdie or better conversion rate (33.8%) are all reasons to like his chances. He hasn't had the greatest season, so a strong performance on a course with so much positive energy will be important.
The Ponies
Cameron Young
- Notable Finishes: T2 ('22), T6 ('24)
Cameron Young is headed to Oakmont! pic.twitter.com/s1Q5gO9HLe
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) June 3, 2025
Cam Young is one player who has absolutely used the big stick to its fullest at the Detroit Golf Club. In eight competitive rounds, he's averaging +1.037 strokes gained off the tee on top of averaging above +0.500 in both strokes gained around the green and on approach.
He has been putting solid performances together, with recent T4 finishes at the U.S. and Canadian Opens. Look for Young to be a part of the conversation at some point this week.
Taylor Moore
- Notable Finishes: T4 ('23), 6th ('22), T10 ('24)
263 yards ➡️ 1 foot
A brilliant approach on the par-5 18th for @TaylorMooreGolf. pic.twitter.com/tIvSVUCE4c
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 27, 2024
It has been a quiet couple of weeks for Taylor Moore, who was not at Oakmont or TPC River Highlands. He returns to Detroit Golf Club, where he's secured top 10 finishes each of the last three years by averaging +1.663 total strokes gained per round. He's committed the deadly sin of posting one score in the 70s in two of the three years, which has thwarted chances of winning.
His ability to hang around has come from strokes gained with the putter, which isn't the case on a week-to-week basis. The need for quality approach play from shorter distances is a concern, but his length off the tee should provide plenty of opportunities to score.
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Chris Kirk
- Notable Finishes: T12 ('21), T14 ('23)
"Sobriety has certainly made it a lot easier for me to be more motivated."
After taking a break from golf in 2019, @Chris_Kirk_'s road to recovery from alcohol abuse has led him to the winner's circle once again. pic.twitter.com/ZFpBDaQWcJ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 28, 2023
More of a longevity pick than a flash-in-the-pan type of one-off performance, Chris Kirk has been a loyal participant in this event since 2019. He hasn't been able to crack the top 10 in five career starts, but he's made the cut in all five appearances and finished in the top 25 in four.
Like many of Kirk's solid performances, his approach play has been the leading metric for the 40-year-old, averaging +0.8225 strokes gained on approach over his last four starts at Detroit Golf Club. Coming off his best performance of the season (T12 at U.S. Open), the former Georgia Bulldog should come into the week reeling with confidence.
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