Detroit — The Rocket Classic is taking the game from the greens to the streets.
Ahead of the final playing of Detroit’s PGA Tour tournament this summer, the Rocket Classic will showcase a par-3 shootout — Par 3 in the D, they’re calling it — in downtown Detroit. The exhibition will feature rooftop tee shots from some of the top players in the field, tournament officials announced Monday.
The shootout will be Tuesday, July 28, and feature players hitting tee shots from atop Bedrock’s five-story Traver | UBS building at 1217 Woodward Ave. Players will hit their tee shots through the Hudson’s Detroit corridor, and onto a custom-built green at ground level. The par 3 will play between 100 and 110 yards, and it will feature an elevation drop of at least 50 feet.
Players set to participate include Xander Schauffele, 2023 Rocket Classic champion Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young, Keegan Bradley, Russell Henley and 2022 Rocket Classic champion Tony Finau. (All the latest commitments HERE.)
“It should be a lot of fun,” said Mark Hollis, the Rocket Classic’s tournament director who is no stranger to putting sporting events in creative locations — when he was the athletic director at Michigan State, he brought hockey to Spartan Stadium, and basketball to Ford Field and an aircraft carrier. “It really hits on what Dan (Gilbert) dreamed of when the (Rocket Classic) came here, connecting Detroit Golf Club with downtown Detroit.
“It’s another way we’re bringing golf directly into the city and creating memorable experiences for fans.”
Players will get three tee shots each, and, yes, they will be using regulation golf balls — not foam balls.
What if someone breaks a window?
“Wouldn’t that be great?” Hollis said, with a laugh. “It’ll go viral.”
The players’ tee shots will travel across Nick Gilbert Way, which is a fitting tribute, given Dan and Jennifer Gilbert’s son, who died in 2023 at the age of 26, was such a big fan of the Rocket Classic.
The rooftop tee box and the green, which will be 40 feet by 40 feet, are being built in partnership with local contracting firm Rhino Recreational Construction.
Players will compete for charity (like they did in the old AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble), with details on that front to be announced in the coming weeks. There will viewing options for fans. The Par 3 in the D will be held the same night as the Rocket Classic’s pro-am pairings party in downtown Detroit.
The eighth and final Rocket Classic is set for July 30 through Aug. 2.
When is the 2026 Rocket Classic?
When: July 30-Aug. 2
Where: Detroit Golf Club
2025 champion: Aldrich Potgieter
Tickets: Starting at $31.30; details at RocketClassic.com
tpaul@detroitnews.com
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: PGA Tour stars in Rocket Classic to take swings from Detroit rooftop
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tony Paul, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
