Nate Lashley wasn’t supposed to be here.
He wasn’t supposed to be among the 156-player field in the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
He missed out via the Monday qualifier, and needed at least three withdrawals to get an invite.
But once he did, Lashley took hold of his own destiny and made a name for himself on the PGA Tour and in Detroit, which was hosting the city’s first PGA tournament.
Lashley, ranked No. 353 in the world, was the best player from Thursday-Sunday to capture his first PGA Tour victory, shooting 2-under 70 in the final round to finish 25-under 263 for the tournament, six shots ahead of the field. Lashley will earn $1,314,000 of the $7.3 million purse for the tournament and gets a spot in the British Open, to be played July 18-21 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
Monday qualifier Doc Redman finished second at 19-under 269 after shooting 67 in the final round, and Jackson native and Oakland University alum Brian Stuard finished at 17-under 271, tied for fifth. Stuard shot 4-under 68 on Sunday. Redman also earned a spot in the British Open and will be given a special temporary membership on Tour for the remainder of the season — he needed a solo-second or two-way tie for second.
Rory Sabbatini and Wes Roach both shot 68 to finish tied for third at 18-under 270.
2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed was the biggest name with any chance, sitting eight back entering the day in fourth. Reed couldn’t get on a run, shooting 2-under 70 with six birdies and four bogeys, finishing 17 under.
Lashley, who started the week as third alternate and was the last man in the field, led wire-to-wire by shooting 9-under 63 on Thursday, 5-under 67 on Friday, 63 on Saturday to build a seemingly insurmountable six-shot advantage over the field.
He surprised early, leading by a single stroke after the first and second days, as the players made easy work of DGC. The 5-under-par cut line was the lowest mark on Tour since the 2016 RSM Classic.
The 36-year-old from Scottsbluff, Nebraska was rock solid Sunday, with birdies on No. 1 and No. 3. His lead never dwindled below five.
