The PGA Tour has already wrapped up its signature events for the 2025 season, which means we're now heading to the Motor City, Detroit Golf Club to be more specific, for the 2025 Rocket Classic. Obviously, this isn't the biggest-name event and the field, headlined by Keegan Bradley, Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa, backs that up with a weak level of strength. However, that hasn't stopped this event from producing some bigger-name champions.
Cam Davis is the defending champion at the Rocket Classic and a two-time winner at that. You won't find him among our picks today, however, as we're looking for ball-strikers who can also get hot with the putter. Four of the six winners at this event have gone well past 20 under, so the ability to score is going to be there. There is also an advantage for distance off the tee and, if that's lacking at all, elite approach play is needed. A combo isn't a bad thing either!
Where does that leave us? Well, we're looking at one of the favorites to win, but also two longer shots to have a chance to hoist the (admittedly funny) trophy at Detroit Golf Club. These are our 2025 Rocket Classic picks for winners, sleepers and more.
Golf betting record in 2025: 21-98-0, +16.445 Units (-6.0 Units at Travelers) | One and Done Total for 2025: $13,178,935 (Bud Cauley at Travelers, $154,500)
Note: All lines are courtesy of BetMGM. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. All bets are 1 unit unless otherwise noted. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
2025 Rocket Classic picks: Outrights, Top 10 and One and Done selections
For our outrights this week, which you can find in much more detail over on SI Golf every week, we have one of the favorites along with two guys at 70-1 or longer odds. We'll adjust the units accordingly, but here's what we have to win this week.
- Ben Griffin +2200 (FanDuel), 1 Unit
- Emiliano Grillo +7000 (FanDuel), 0.3 Units
- Rico Hoey +9000 (FanDuel), 0.2 Units
Time to unpack more of the card, starting with our Top 10 pick and this week's One and Done selection.
Top 10 pick for the Rocket Classic: Keith Mitchell +375
Keith Mitchell has established himself as the PGA Tour's king of the first-round leaders this season, but the golf overall has remained impressive as well. The ball-striking needed to score low enough at Detroit GC is right in Mitchell's wheelhouse as he ranks 14th in SG: Approach and 10th in SG: Off-the-Tee over the last 24 rounds, all while also being a positive putter. I still worry about his Sundays but, for a Top 10 with ties included, I can't look past the way Mitchell is playing and how it fits the model for success in the Rocket Classic.
One and Done Selection for the Rocket Classic: Ben Griffin
I seriously considered a big-time dart on Rico Hoey this week, but I'm going a bit safer with Ben Griffin. He's reeled off five consecutive Top 14 finishes and has been a beautiful ball-striker. While he has two finishes outside the Top 30 here, the improvement with the driver, in particular, should buoy him tremendously and give us an extremely high floor this week in One and Done.
Rocket Classic sleepers: Picks for Top 20 and more best bets
Rico Hoey to finish Top 20 at the Rocket Classic +320
If I get fooled again this week by Rico Hoey, I probably won't learn my lesson, but it'll hurt. Hoey finished tied for sixth at the Rocket Classic last year despite losing strokes off the tee. That's definitely not been the case now, however, as he continues to be a maven with the driver. His approach play can be spotty but his driving ability also helps mitigate some of that. Perhaps most importantly, though, he's actually putted well on bent/poa greens, shockingly ranking eighth in the field in SG: Putting on the surface over the last 36 rounds. He has a lot of volatility but the upside is too great to not get plenty of investment on his side this week.
Luke Clanton, Emiliano Grillo, Harry Hall and Aldrich Potgieter to finish Top 40 parlay +1041 (0.5 Units, DraftKings)
We're getting aggressive with a Top 40 parlay this week, frankly, to just have some fun with this. I love Grillo's approach play right now and he's played well at similar courses to DGC. With Clanton, the talent and fit for his high-octane game are there. Harry Hall has improved the ball-striking and remains one of the elite putters on the PGA Tour. Then there's Aldrich Potgieter, who's back on a course with little penalty off the tee and no real test around the greens. He's thrived in those environments, so getting this at north of 10-1 odds is quite attractive.