After two consecutive weeks of tough greens and high scores, the PGA Tour returned to an easier track last week at the Travelers Championship. Scottie Scheffler took home his sixth PGA Tour title of the season – the first man to reach that number since Tiger Woods – after overcoming Tom Kim in a playoff.
Scheffler and Kim were tied after 72 holes on a scored of 22-under-par and similar low-scoring is expected this week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. The winner last year, Rickie Fowler, finished with a score of 24-under-par so expect another birdie-fest this week.
Last week was also the final signature event of the season, so a much larger field will tee it up at Detroit Golf Club. However, after a hectic schedule, a whole host of big names are sitting this one out to rest up ahead of the final major of the season next month in Scotland.
As a result, we won't see win number seven for Scottie Scheffler this weekend, nor will we see the return of Rory McIlroy. Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth are all also sitting this one out.
This leaves us with a wide-open field for the Rocket Mortage classic. Here are our selections for the week.
Rocket Mortgage Classic Betting Tips
Cameron Young E/W (Ten places) – 12/1
Cameron Young had the round of his life at TPC River Highlands last Saturday when he became the 12th player in PGA Tour history to shoot a score of 59. Young's effort came in the third round of the Travelers Championship and it showed why so many people regard him as one of the most talented players on the tour.
Young's 59 wasn't enough to propel him to success last week, as he ended up finishing in a tie for ninth. It was his fifth top-10 finish of the season with the closest he has come to victory coming at the Valspar Championship in Mach when he finished second.
Young has serious momentum coming into this event after his performance last week and given the weakened field at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, there is every chance that he will win his first-ever PGA Tour event on Sunday.
Aaron Rai E/W (Ten places) – 28/1
As mentioned earlier, a low-scoring affair is expected at the Rocket Mortgage Classic this week and historically, iron play has proven to be the most important part of the game around Detroit Golf Club.
Last year, the four players with the lowest score at the end of the week all ranked inside the top 10 for shots gained on approach shots. The same was the case for the top three players in 2022, illustrating that if you are a good iron player then you will do well around here.
Aaron Rai has been one of the best iron players on the PGA Tour this season. For the season, he ranks sixth for shots gained on approach shots. Interestingly, though, the six players above him in this stat aren't taking part this week which is brilliant news for the Englishman.
Kevin Yu Top 20 finish – 10/3
Continuing with the theme of iron importance, Kevin Yu is a great outside bet this week. I'm playing it relatively safe with a top-20 bet but his 80/1 price for outright winner could be worth a couple of quid.
Yu is another good iron player and ranks second for greens hit in regulation this season on the PGA Tour. Granted, he hasn't played in some of the bigger tournaments which naturally means he's used to easier courses but that's exactly what the players are facing this week. The last two winners of this tournament have finished inside the top five for greens in regulation.
Yu has secured four top-20 finishes this season, including an impressive 6th-placed finish at the Farmers Insurance Open back in January.
Rocket Mortgage Classic singles
- Cameron Young E/W (Ten places) – 12/1 @ Betfred
- Aaron Rai E/W (Ten places) – 28/1 @ Betfred
- Kevin Yu Top 20 finish – 10/3 @ Betfred
Andy is tipster who has been calling Golf tournaments for several years across many different platforms. He has covered all tournaments from the Asian Tour to the Masters.
