2025 Rocket Classic predictions: Three long-shot PGA Tour picks at Detroit Golf Club

New York Post

3 days ago

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After a grueling six-week stretch that included two majors, two signature events, and the Memorial, the PGA Tour will hit a simmer for the next two weeks before ramping back up ahead of the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush next month.
The Rocket Classic, which tees off on Thursday at Detroit Golf Club, features a middling field that is headlined by Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley, and Patrick Cantlay, who are the only players entered for this tournament priced under 20/1.
Morikawa is the outright favorite at 12/1, while Bradley, fresh off his win at the Travelers, is 16/1, and Cantlay is right behind him at 18/1.
The Rocket Classic has been a regular stop for the PGA Tour since 2019 and has a reputation for being one of the easiest setups on the circuit.
Nate Lashley, who was an alternate entry, won the inaugural event in 2019 with a score of 25-under par, and since then, the winning scores have been -23, -18, -26, -24, and -18.
Bettors should not only be prepared for a birdie-fest, but they should also be prepared for a surprise winner. We've seen some big names like Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau lift the trophy, but Detroit Golf Club has also been a happy hunting ground for long shots like Lashley, Cam Davis (twice), and Rickie Fowler.
There is a chance that the cream rises to the top at Detroit Golf Club this week, but the conditions of this event – easy course, weak field – make it a wide-open tournament.
Here are our favorite long-shot bets on the PGA Tour this week:
Cameron Champ finished T9 at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open earlier this month.
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2025 Rocket Classic predictions
Cam Davis (90/1, FanDuel)
It's been a tough 2025 season for Cam Davis, but he's won this tournament two out of the six times it's been held. That's enough for me to bite considering the price we're being dealt.
Davis has missed eight cuts in 18 starts this season, but he does have five top-20 finishes (including at the PGA Championship), so he's still able to get in the mix if he can get through the first two rounds.
Cameron Champ (120/1, FanDuel): One of the most boom or bust players in the sport, Cameron Champ has spent most of this season on the Korn Ferry Tour after losing his status on the main circuit.
His results have been mixed on the JV tour, but Champ has had some encouraging performances when he's gotten into PGA events, including the RBC Canadian Open, where he was the leader after 36 holes and finished T9.
This is a course that rewards players who can hit the ball a mile, so it wouldn't be a shock to see Champ in the mix if he has the rest of his game in somewhat decent shape.
Ryan Brehm (3,000/1, Bet365)
OK, let's get crazy.
On paper, you'd say that Ryan Brehm has almost no chance of even coming close to contending this week. He lost his PGA Tour card before this season, he has missed more cuts than he's made on the Korn Ferry this season, and he's currently ranked as the 1,062nd-best golfer in the world.
That said, this tournament is set up for a player like Brehm to have a chance of contending if the stars (in Brehm's case many, many stars) align.
Any professional golfer (Brehm is a former PGA Tour winner, after all) can dominate this track if things are clicking, and they won't have to beat a deep field filled with the best players in the world.
We've already seen one Cinderella winner at this event (Lashley wasn't even listed on most betting boards when he won in 2019), so why not throw a very small wager on Brehm, a Michigan native who should be very familiar with these conditions?
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.