Detroit — Rickie Fowler no longer is contractually obligated to play the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
But Fowler is coming back, announcing his commitment to the PGA Tour’s 2024 stop at Detroit Golf Club, where he won last year in a playoff to break a six-plus-year victory drought.
Tickets for the sixth playing of the Rocket Mortgage Classic went on sale Monday, at RocketMortgageClassic.com. The tournament will be played June 27-30.
Fowler has played in all five of the previous Rockets, as a longtime brand ambassador for the Detroit mortgage giant. Fowler and Rocket Mortgage have paused their business relationship, with the option of renewing it at some point.
Last year, Fowler made birdie on the final hole of regulation Sunday, then made birdie again on the par-4 18th to beat Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in a playoff. The win was Fowler’s sixth on the PGA Tour, but first since the 2016 Phoenix Open. His resurgence, including the Detroit win, was featured in the season 2 of Netflix’s “Full Swing.”
“It will be amazing to have Rickie join us again after his showstopping performance he put on during Sunday’s final round last year,” Jason Langwell, executive director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, said in a statement. “We are expecting another terrific field, and the momentum will only continue to grow as we look forward to our sixth tournament right here in the heart of Detroit.
“It’s hard to believe we’re just 50 days from opening our gates to fans.”
Fowler, 35, is 38th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
He’s one of three top-40 players who announced their commitments Monday to playing in the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic, along with No. 23 Tom Kim and No. 30 Will Zalatoris. Kim, 21, is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, and had top-10 finishes in the 2023 U.S. Open and British Open. He played his first Rocket in 2022, and finished seventh. Zalatoris, 27, has three top-10 finishes this season, including a tie for ninth at the Masters, after missing much of last season because of a back injury. He withdrew from this past week’s CJ Cup (formerly the Byron Nelson) with a back injury. Zalatoris has one PGA Tour win, and finished tied for 20th at the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Rocket Mortgage Classic officials will be rolling out the rest of the 156-man field over the next seven weeks.
“The Rocket Mortgage Classic is more than just a golf tournament, it’s a celebration of community, innovation and the spirit of competition,” Varun Krishna, CEO of Rocket Mortgage, said in a statement. “The event is a testament to our passion for making every experience with Rocket Mortgage unforgettable and our commitment to making a positive impact for Detroiters through our ‘Changing the Course’ initiative.
“We’ve made tremendous strides over the last five years and are thrilled to continue impacting the outcome in our city.”
Since launching in 2019, the Rocket Mortgage Classic has raised more than $8 million for charities, most of them local, including more than $4.3 million for the “Changing the Course” initiative, which aims to end Detroit’s digital divide by 2025.
Daily grounds tickets for each of the four competition days (Thursday through Sunday) start at $65, and kids 15 and under get in free with a ticketed adult (up to four kids per ticketed adult). Military members also will receive complimentary admission.
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@tonypaul1984
