Detroit — Here’s a snapshot look at Round 2 of the final Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club on Friday.
Round 1 recap
It was another ideal morning for scoring at Detroit Golf Club, and this time it was world No. 3 Cameron Young who took full advantage, firing a course record-tying, 9-under 61 to vault 68 spots up the leaderboard and into a tie for first with Patrick Cantlay (66) and Patrick Fishburn (66) at 10 under at the halfway point of the Rocket Classic. Just one shot back was fan favorite and 2023 Rocket Classic champion Rickie Fowler, who shot a 2-under 68, and Matt Wallace (64). Lingering are stars Xander Schauffele (66) at 8 under and Jordan Spieth (66) at 6 under. Buckle up!
Shot of the day
I mean, if there’s an ace, it’s always going to be an ace — and PGA Tour veteran Matt Kuchar delivered the latest on the par-3 fifth hole late in the day. He used 9 iron from 165 yards, and it bounced short of the hole and rolled right in. It was Kuchar’s seventh career ace on the PGA Tour, and the 10th in Rocket Classic history, first since 2024 and fourth on No. 5. But what made it even better was when Kuchar let a kid, Detroiter Casimer Daniewski, 7, walk inside the ropes and retrieve the ball out of the cup. Kuchar signed the ball and gave it to Casimer, who “was in shock,” his dad said. The News caught up with Casimer and mom and dad, and you can read all about the souvenir of a lifetime HERE.
Hole of the day
The par-5 14th looks a whole lot different, with no pond, a tighter fairway, and troublesome bunkers and fescue if you’re not accurate with your tee shot and your approach. And it played a bit tougher Friday than it did Thursday, when it was the easiest hole on the course. On Friday, it was still easy-ish (4.747 stroke average), but it did yield eight double-bogeys and a triple, including a double for the University of Alabama’s William Jennings, who missed the cut by one, finishing 2 under. Two-time Rocket champion Cam Davis also made double and also missed the cut at 3 over.
Stat of the day
4 — Times Cameron Young has held the lead or had a share of the lead after 36 holes in a PGA Tour tournament, and he’s 2-for-3 in converting those into victory. Young has won the last two times, at the 2025 Wyndham Championship and the 2026 Cadillac Championship.
Quotable
“A lot of those guys are the 30-handicappers that never played in a competitive event in their life.” — Brad Dalke, YouTube golf star, in talking with The News about dealing with the negative comments on social media this week, when he made his first PGA Tour start as a professional and finished dead last at 16 over.
Overheard
“Through nine, I was thinking about 55.” — Cameron Young, who opened with a 7-under 28 on the strength of six straight birdies. Why not? He already has a 59 to his credit (Travelers Championship, 2024).
Locals watch
Patrick Wilkes-Krier: The Ann Arbor native and longtime local teaching pro, playing in his first PGA Tour tournament since he qualified for the U.S. Open in 2016, finished the Rocket at 7 over and missed the cut after a second-round 73. He was 1 under through three holes in trying to claw his way back from an opening 74, but momentum stalled with a bogey two holes later. Wilkes-Krier qualified for the Rocket by winning the 2025 Michigan PGA Championship.
Joe Hooks: The Detroiter and Wayne State alum, who received a sponsor’s exemption into the tournament and was playing for a second straight year after winning the 2025 John Shippen Invitational, also missed the cut, at 8 over. He shot a second-round 72 on the course he grew up playing as a kid. He was 1 under on his front nine, but a double-bogey at the par-4 16th spoiled the finish.
AREA 313 update
The AREA 313 Challenge is back, triggering a $313,000 charitable donation from Rocket Companies should any player go 3-1-3 on Nos. 14-16 (eagle-ace-birdie) at any point in the tournament. The challenge has yet to be won in, this, the seventh year of the tournament. So far, three players who made the cut have made eagle at 14 and birdie at 16: Rickie Fowler, Rico Hoey and J.J. Spaun (he got both Friday). They’re just missing the hole-in-one. What’s so hard about that?
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Rocket recap: Highlights from Day 2 of the Rocket Classic at DGC
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
