Rocket Classic deal is good through 2026 but there are no plans to pursue signature status

USA Today

a day ago

DETROIT — It sounds like Bill Emerson liked what he saw as he watched outgoing PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Grant Gilbert, president of Rocket Mortgage Sports and Entertainment (and son of Rocket Mortgage founder Dan Gilbert), tee it up in the Rocket Classic Pro-Am at Detroit Golf Club.
Emerson, the Rocket Companies president who basically writes the million-dollar checks that keep the tournament going and will need to decide if it continues past 2026, walked Wednesday alongside the power group that played with longtime company ambassador Rickie Fowler.
Speaking with Emerson afterward, it seemed he liked what he saw. Oh, maybe not those amateurs' swings so much, but rather the entire field that teed off in the first round Thursday and is shaping up to be one of the tournament's strongest, with five players ranked in the top 10 and 11 among the top 50.
The tournament is in its seventh year and it hasn't been known for strong fields. Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson made brief appearances but marquee players such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have never played Detroit, and its place on the tour's schedule has been considered the culprit, with the Rocket wedged next to majors and other premier events with bigger purses.
'I think the placement certainly matters as it goes (toward) attracting players,' Emerson said. 'Some weekends are easier than others.
'You know, we got a pretty good field this year, man. So, you know, the weekend we've got, all the people thought maybe that would be a bad one, we've done pretty well getting players to come out here and play.'
This year's tournament comes on the heels of the U.S. Open two weeks ago and last week's Travelers Championship, a tour-designated 'signature' event with a $20 million purse. The Rocket's purse is $9.6 million.
Collin Morikawa, the tournament's highest-ranked player at No. 5 in the world, made his return to Detroit after losing a thrilling playoff to Fowler in 2023. He gushed about Detroit's strong sports culture and its presence as a big-city event. Most tour stops are in located in tiny suburbs. He said other players feel the same, but the realities of scheduling can be an issue.
'So it's hard,' he said, 'because as much as we would like to play, trust me, we would love to go to new cities, see other places, see other areas. But you just have to build 'em around certain signature events and majors for us, you know?'
Rocket has an option to continue the tournament in 2027, but Emerson said many factors will go into that decision —including its spot on the schedule.
'I think it's a factor,' he said. 'I don't think it's a deciding factor. I mean, the place will be the place. … We've made every weekend that they give us work for us in the past, so I don't think it's going be the deciding factor.'
Those are welcome words for fans of the tournament — and maybe the tour itself, which is going through a leadership change. The schedule has been considered a bit of a sticking point in negotiations, but Emerson downplaying its singular importance should be good news for incoming PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who said he would take a 'clean sheet' approach and would even consider signature-event status for the Rocket.
'So I think everything's on the table, including that,' he said. 'I think the feedback from fans, and even some of this feedback I'm getting from players, just in my short amount of time here, is the signature events seem to be working.'
It boils down to fans simply wanting to see the best golfers compete against each other, Rolapp said. The signature events are accomplishing that.
'So I think we're going to take a very hard look at the competitive model and figure out how we can improve it for the benefit of the tour and benefit of the fans,' Rolapp said. 'But again, as far as this tournament's place in it, or anyone else, I think it's a blank sheet of paper and we'll take a look at it.'
Rocket Classic not sure it wants to pursue signature status
Rolapp might not have to even consider elevating the Rocket's status, because Emerson isn't sure that's a path worth pursuing.
'I think at the end of the day, man, it's 'signature,' not 'signature,' it's already a pretty great event,' he said. ' 'Signature' is a different dollar sphere, so you know it's just a question at that point whether we want to put the extra money into being that or not.'
The cost could be prohibitive. According to the Sports Business Journal, the sponsorship cost of a regular tour event ranges between $13 million and $15 million. Truist reportedly will pay $200 million over seven years (about $28 million per year) for its signature event.
'I don't see us doing a 'signature' event,' Emerson said. 'I don't see that being something we need to do to make this happen. At the end of the day, man, this is about what we can do for the city of Detroit and as long as we can make the economics work, we want to do that.'
The tournament raised nearly $10 million in charitable giving in its first six years. It's a mainstay on the Detroit sports calendar that's well-attended and supported by fans and celebrities.
But there's still a lot to work out. Emerson hasn't yet met Rollap and there are questions about merging with LIV Golf, which itself has a new CEO. If nothing else, maybe Detroit golf fans can at least take solace in knowing the guy who signs the checks liked what he saw on Wednesday.