Detroit — Rocket Classic tournament director Mark Hollis is making no apologies for giving a sponsor’s exemption to YouTube golf star Brad Dalke, who finished in last place in the tournament at Detroit Golf Club.
“No regrets,” Hollis said. “I have no regrets at all.”
Last week, Dalke, 28, made his first PGA Tour start as a pro — and his first start since a run to the U.S. Amateur finals at nearby Oakland Hills Country Club in 2016 got him into the 2017 Masters and U.S. Open — and the former University of Oklahoma standout had a week to remember, if not some golf to forget.
Dalke shot an opening 11-over 81 on Thursday that included a triple-bogey and double-bogey on his opening nine holes. He shot a 5-over 75 on Friday to finish 16 over, four shorts worse than the next-highest scores, posted by Alejandro Tosti and Austin Smotherman. He missed the cut by 19 shots.
The performance drew arrows from Dalke in his world, on social media, but also plenty of support from his fellow YouTube golf stars, as well as several pro golfers.
“I think it’s going to be a great learning experience,” Dalke told The News on Friday. “Big thank you to Mark Hollis for giving me this opportunity. It was a great week.
“Obviously, the golf didn’t go anywhere near what I thought it would or hoped for.
“But it was still a great experience.”
Before playing in the Rocket Classic, Dalke played in his first DP World Tour tournament last month in Germany, where he had a good showing. He was tied for second at one point early in the tournament, and finished tied for 30th.
Dalke will get the opportunity to tee it up again on the PGA Tour tournament in November in the inaugural Good Good Championship in Texas at Omni Barton Creek Fazio Canyons Golf Course. That was going to be his first PGA Tour tournament, before Hollis, the first-year tournament director at the Rocket Classic, offered him a spot in the field at Detroit Golf Club. Hollis has been open about trying to bring buzz back to the tournament for its final year.
Crowds were up noticeably for the final Rocket Classic, and there were plenty of factors, including the best field in the tournament’s history, mostly great weather, intrigue over a newly renovated golf course, and the tournament’s place on the schedule (away from the July 4 holiday). Hollis said Dalke helped play a role, too, especially with young fans.
“He has regrets, the way he played. He was very apologetic,” Hollis said of Dalke, who while in Detroit also participated in two sponsor pro-ams and didn’t turn down any known media requests. “One of the reasons you bring influencers is it attracts people to come. A lot of people came. There was a lot of social media coverage because of him.
“I have no regrets at all.”
Hollis also gave a sponsor’s exemption to Australia’s Ryan Ruffels, who teams with Jason Day on “The Lads” YouTube golf page. Ruffels is much more seasoned in competitive golf and was making his second PGA Tour start this season. Ruffels shot even-par in Detroit to miss the cut by three.
Each PGA Tour tournament affords the title sponsor four exemptions into the field to use on anybody it wants. Often, tournament directors give them to young, up-and-coming players who don’t yet have full Tour status, or veteran and familiar names who don’t have full Tour status anymore. Sometimes, they’re used on local players who need a break.
Previous Rocket Classic sponsor’s exemptions went to players like Aldrich Potgieter, who two years later won the Rocket Classic, and Jackson Koivun, who last month won the 3M Open in Minnesota.
“If this event was continuing, we would have had a different strategy,” said Hollis, who did receive recommendations from current PGA Tour stars who vouched for Dalke, who has more than 400,000 subscribers on YouTube, and Ruffels.
“I would have gone after some of the young guns.”
The Rocket’s two other exemptions went to Detroiter Joe Hooks, who played in the Rocket in 2025 as well after winning the John Shippen Invitation, and the University of Alabama’s William Jennings, who got his spot for winning the Folds of Honor Collegiate at American Dunes in west Michigan in fall 2025. Both also missed the cut. Jennings missed the cut by a single stroke.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Rocket brass have ‘no regrets’ for giving spot to YouTuber Brad Dalke
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
