DETROIT — I’ve covered numerous Masters, U.S. Opens and PGA Championships. I’ve covered the Ryder Cup at home and abroad. For years, I covered the Buick Open as well as LPGA and senior tournaments here in Michigan.
And friends, I’m here to tell you something I believe with all my heart. In its third year of existence, the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club felt like a major.
It certainly wasn’t because of the difficulty of the course, the scores or the quality of the field. Mostly it felt like a major because of two players and the much-needed buzz they brought to the tournament.
You know exactly who I’m talking about: Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.
Mickelson achieved the kind of legendary status we normally reserve for the likes of Paul Bunyan and Bigfoot, mythical heroes whose tales are so tall you almost can’t believe them.
But he made us believe. He made us care. Through his feud with the Detroit News over an article about his gambling, Mickelson made Detroit Golf Club vibrate with tension all week.
Former Michigan State golfer Ryan Brehm played four groups behind Mickelson the first two days and could sense the excitement ahead of him.
“We knew what they were doing the whole time,” Brehm said, “and it was kind of fun to be a part of that sea of people.”
Mickelson kept us enthralled with his tweets and comments. He hates the paper. He loves the fans. He’s not coming back. But maybe he is. The saga had more twists and turns than a Taylor Swift breakup song.
And it was all good for business. The excitement was palpable among the fans, and even in the media center, where sportswriters usually reserve their strongest emotions for the unveiling of dessert offerings.
Brehm had a great take on the Week of Phil.
“I think all of us as players and Michiganders, we’d love to see Phil back,” he said. “I think it was unfortunate what happened, the way it happened, but maybe some good will come of it. I think there are more ticket sales this week and today to try to get some support to bring Phil back.
“I think Phil handled it brilliantly, like he does. He’s a great ambassador for the game, and I know the people of Detroit love him.”
There’s absolutely no doubt about that. And I think that love even extends to DeChambeau, the defending champion who couldn’t make the cut, and then refused to make any comments and bolted after he shot 72-71 and finished 1-under par.
DeChambeau didn't give us any thrills on the course, but he made up for it with the high drama provided by the sudden split with his caddie the day before the first round. For the national golf media and golf fans who don’t live in Michigan, this is the story that will endure more than Mickelson’s.
And it should. DeChambeau is golf’s present, and possibly its future.
The frenzied news that came out of the tournament captured the sports world’s attention in a way that usually only majors do. Detroit Golf Club will never be a tough test of golf on the PGA Tour. And the Rocket Mortgage Classic will never be considered an elite event that players prioritize on their schedules.
But for this week at least, it captured our hearts and minds as well as any of the world’s finest tournaments.
Welcome back
The tournament welcomed back fans after they weren’t allowed to attend because of COVID-19 safety protocols last year. I tried to keep from comparing the desolation and silence I felt at last year’s tournament with this year’s event.
But I’m confident the atmosphere at Detroit Golf Club is even better than it was at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club for the Buick Open. And if you ever visited the raucous 17th hole at Warwick, you know that’s saying something.
The tournament planners and staff should be proud of what they put together, especially since much of the planning had to be done long before we knew what the state’s safety protocols would be.
Bummer for Bubba
Well, I tried.
In my column for Sunday, I urged Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Patrick Reed to do something spectacular and give the tournament a big-name winner.
Fowler and Reed let me down. But clearly Bubba is a loyal Free Press reader and listened to my pleas. He put together an exquisite 8-under-par 64. But that left him at 16 under, two shots short of the playoff.
Not only is Watson a colorful fan favorite, but he has been a supporter of the tournament since its inception.
“So coming here and helping every year,” he said, “donating money every year to the city has been a dream and been fun for me to do my small part of just helping, just trying to help the city.”
Better luck next year, Bubba.
Congrats, Cam
Australia’s Cam Davis earned his first career PGA Tour victory when he prevailed in a three-man playoff that went five holes. The 26-year-old won with a par 3 on the 15th hole after Troy Merritt’s tee shot missed the green and Merritt couldn’t sink a 6-footer for par.
It just felt like it was Davis’ day, especially after he chipped in for eagle on the par-5 17th. That helped him finish at 18-under 270 and tie Merritt and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann. Davis could have ended it on the first playoff hole, but he pulled an 8-footer for birdie than never threatened the hole.
After Niemann was eliminated on the first hole, Davis and Merritt duked it out, shot-for-shot in a great playoff for another four holes.
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