The parallels between the Rocket Mortgage Classic’s growth and defending champion Cam Davis’ progression as a player are strong.
Despite the newly created LIV Golf’s winnowing of the PGA Tour crowd, 2022’s RMC field could still be Detroit’s best yet. Event officials have made a pivotal date change and added multiple new fan amenities, drawing on lessons from the first three years. They also believe interest the LIV tour cultivated has helped sell tickets.
Meanwhile, Davis visited the Detroit Golf Club last Monday as reigning RMC champ. The Australian learned a lot while climbing the leader board during the first three years of the tourney. He missed the cut in the RMC’s first two years, then weathered a five-hole playoff to finally win in Year 3 — his first career PGA Tour victory.
“Every year I was trying to try to come back — because I love this golf course —thinking, ‘Can I just do a little bit better?’ ” Davis recently told the Free Press. “And obviously, last time I did as well as you can do. The tournament had grown each time I’d played out here as well. I’d say it’s a pretty accurate statement. It’s growing as well as I am.”
Davis is a huge fan of golf course architect Donald Ross, which adds motivation for returning to Detroit annually. The DGC is one of fewer than 20 clubs in North America with two 18-hole Ross courses. Davis really loves the greens, which he described as equally “terrific” and “difficult.”
“It’s synonymous with a lot of the best golf courses around this country, and I feel like guys jump at the opportunity to play golf courses like this,” Davis said. “And it’s just cool to see a lot of big names coming out and giving it a crack, because it is a good test.”
Davis’ favorite stretch of the RMC course is known as “Area 313” — holes Nos. 15-17 — the site of his playoff with Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann last year. The way fans rallied around him there was further evidence of the RMC’s increasing legitimacy.
“In my experience here, they were really respectful but really enjoying the sport in general,” Davis said. “It was the Fourth of July, obviously it’s the American holiday, but me battling against an American (Merritt) coming down the stretch, it wasn’t like I felt like everyone was judgmental about where I was from, or supporting one person over the other. They were just here enjoying good golf, and we’re both playing really well and getting…
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