Detroit, MI
2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic field is set; here’s who’ll be at Detroit Golf Club
Watch: Crowd goes wild as Rickie Fowler makes winning putt at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Crowd at Detroit Golf Club reacts as Rickie Fowler sinks birdie putt on No. 18 to win three-man playoff at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, July 2, 2023.
Jenna Malinowski, Detroit Free Press
The field for the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic is almost set, with 151 spots accounted for as of Friday night. There’s a bit of everything for Detroit golf fans: 10 of the top 50 in the World Golf Rankings, seven major winners, three previous Rocket Mortgage Classic winners and a pair of precocious youngsters.
The tournament, returning to Detroit Golf Club for the sixth time, will be held from June 25-30, with the first round teeing off on Thursday. Among the top ranked golfers coming to town are Cameron Young (No. 23 in the world ranks), Tom Kim (No. 26), Chris Kirk (No. 30) and, of course, Rickie Fowler, who is ranked No. 49 and the defending Rocket Mortgage Classic champ after last year’s epic three-way playoff victory.
Other previous winners returning to Detroit include Cam Davis, who took the trophy in 2021, and Nate Lashley, who won it as the third alternate in 2019, leading wire-to-wire.
CARLOS MONARREZ: Will Tiger Woods watch son Charlie play in the U.S. Junior Am at Oakland Hills? He better
The Rocket Mortgage Classic will also feature several major winners, in Stewart Cink (2009 British Open), Jason Dufner (2013 PGA Championship), Zach Johnson (2007 Masters, 2015 British Open), Francesco Molinari (2018 British Open), Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open), Jimmy Walker (2016 PGA Championship) and Gary Woodland (2019 U.S Open).
On the other end of the experience spectrum, Detroit Golf Club will welcome 15-year-old Miles Russell on a sponsor’s exemption for his PGA Tour debut. The high school freshman from Jacksonville Florida finished 20th at the LECOM Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour in April. Also making his PGA Tour debut will be Neal Shipley, who has already finished as low amateur at the Masters and the U.S. Open this year. The 2023 U.S. Amateur runner-up turned pro this week.
The final five spots will be up for grabs on Sunday and Monday, with one spot available through the John Shippen National Golf Invitational, a 36-hole tournament at Detroit Golf Club on Saturday and Sunday, and the final four settled through Monday’s qualifiers.
MICHIGAN-MADE: Flint golfer Willie Mack III hopes for ‘special week’ after qualifying for U.S. Open
The 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic field
(as of Friday night)
Albertson, Anders
Alexander, Tyson
Baddeley, Aaron
Barjon, Paul
Barnes, Erik
Berger, Daniel
Bhatia, Akshay
Blair, Zac
Bramlett, Joseph
Brehm, Ryan
Bridgeman, Jacob
Bryan, Wesley
Buckley, Hayden
Campillo, Jorge
Campos, Rafael
Cauley, Bud
Champ, Cameron
Cink, Stewart
Clanton, Luke +
Cole, Eric
Coody, Parker
Coody, Pierceson
Crowe, Trace
Dahmen, Joel
Davis, Cam
Dougherty, Kevin
Dufner, Jason +
Dumont de Chassart, Adrien
Duncan, Tyler
Dunlap, Nick
Echavarria, Nico
Endycott, Harrison
Fishburn, Patrick
Fowler, Rickie
Fox, Ryan
Furr, Wilson
Garnett, Brice
Ghim, Doug
Gotterup, Chris
Greyserman, Max
Griffin, Ben
Griffin, Lanto
Gutschewski, Scott
Hadley, Chesson
Hale, Jr., Blaine
Hall, Harry
Hardy, Nick
Higgo, Garrick
Highsmith, Joe
Hisatsune, Ryo
Hodges, Lee
Hoey, Rico
Hoffman, Charley
Højgaard, Nicolai
Hossler, Beau
Hubbard, Mark
Jaeger, Stephan
James, Ben +
Johnson, Zach
Kim, Chan
Kim, Michael
Kim, S.H.
Kim, Tom
Kirk, Chris
Kisner, Kevin
Kizzire, Patton
Knapp, Jake
Knowles, Philip
Kohles, Ben
Koivun, Jackson +
Kuchar, Matt
Laird, Martin
Lashley, Nate
Lee, K.H.
Lee, Min Woo
Lindheim, Nicholas
Lipsky, David
List, Luke
Lower, Justin
MacIntyre, Robert
Malnati, Peter
Martin, Kyle #
McCormick, Ryan
McNealy, Maverick
Meissner, Mac
Merritt, Troy
Mitchell, Keith
Molinari, Francesco
Montgomery, Taylor
Moore, Ryan
Moore, Taylor
NeSmith, Matt
Noren, Alex
Norlander, Henrik
Norrman, Vincent
Novak, Andrew
Olesen, Thorbjørn
Pan, C.T.
Pendrith, Taylor
Pereda, Raul
Phillips, Chandler
Rai, Aaron
Ramey, Chad
Reavie, Chez
Riley, Davis
Rodgers, Patrick
Russell, Miles +
Ryder, Sam
Schenk, Adam
Schmid, Matti
Shelton, Robby
Shipley, Neal +
Sigg, Greyson
Silverman, Ben
Simpson, Webb
Skinns, David
Sloan, Roger
Smalley, Alex
Snedeker, Brandt
Spaun, J.J.
Springer, Hayden
Stevens, Sam
Streelman, Kevin
Suh, Justin
Svensson, Adam
Tarren, Callum
Taylor, Ben
Teater, Josh
Thompson, Davis
Thorbjornsen, Michael
Todd, Brendon
Tosti, Alejandro
Trainer, Martin
Tway, Kevin
Valimaki, Sami
van Rooyen, Erik
Vegas, Jhonattan
Villegas, Camilo
Walker, Jimmy +
Wallace, Matt
Whaley, Vince
Whitney, Tom
Wilkinson, Tim
Woodland, Gary
Wu, Brandon
Wu, Dylan
Young, Cameron
Young, Carson
Yu, Kevin
Yuan, Carl
Zalatoris, Will
+ denotes Sponsor Exemption
# denotes Section Champion
Detroit, MI
Detroit Lions add UDFA rookie WR during OTAs
On Thursday, the Detroit Lions announced they signed undrafted rookie wide receiver Kyre Duplessis to their active roster. This news follows Coach Dan Campbell’s announcement that rookie receiver Kendrick Law tore his ACL during OTAs (organized team activities) in the second week of non-contact practices.
Duplessis spent the first four seasons of his college career at Coastal Carolina, playing in 39 games but amassing just 23 receptions for 348 receiving yards and a single touchdown. However, in 2025, Duplessis transferred to Delaware and broke out, registering 60 receptions for 824 yards and five touchdowns, while also adding 19 yards on three rushing attempts. Additionally, Duplessis chipped in on special teams, returning three punts for 73 yards (24.3 yards per return), including a touchdown, as well as two kick returns for 33 yards (16.5 yards on average).
While Duplessis played nearly 90% of his snaps on the outside at Delaware, at 5-foot-10, 193 pounds, with 4.6 speed, he projects inside in the NFL. While his game film is limited and difficult to find, in his final collegiate season, Duplessis was utilized as a YAC (yards-after-the-catch) option, and the offense found creative ways to get the ball into his hands: quick slants, sideline shots, and snaps out of the backfield. He may struggle to separate at the NFL level, but he has positive instincts, contact balance, and body control with the ball in his hands. Special teams could be his best path to the field.
Duplessis joins a wide receiver room that features solidified starters in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Isaac TeSlaa firmly, while also containing solid depth options in Greg Dortch, Dominic Lovett, Tom Kennedy, Jackson Meeks, Malik Cunningham, and Cedrick Wilson.
Detroit, MI
Fired Detroit TV anchor Taryn Asher files sex discrimination lawsuit against old station, claims new GM protected men
A fired Detroit TV news anchor blasted her former station, and their parent company, for letting her male colleagues’ bad behavior slide and then axing her when she complained about the unfair treatment, a new lawsuit claims.
Taryn Asher filed the federal sexual discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday against Fox Television Stations and her former workplace, WJBK TV, known as Fox 2 Detroit, in connection with her sudden termination in November.
The station went downhill after Fox 2 hired Paul McGonagle as their general manager — sparking a slew of female firings, while men, including Asher’s co-anchor Roop Raj, were offered more perks, the 26-page complaint obtained by The Post alleged.
“If Asher had not been female, she would not have been treated in the same discriminatory manner,” the filing, first reported by Deadline Detroit, said.
Raj was treated “more favorably” and offered “more guest interview segment opportunities on the evening news,” as well as scheduling adjustments, Asher claimed.
In one example, Asher alleged the station refused to let her adjust her schedule to host a show called “Let it Rip,” though Raj was given the leeway to host his show, “The Pulse.”
The suit also alleged that WJBK allowed him to “circumvent and undermine” Asher’s work responsibilities.
She later emailed McGonagle about the situation, writing, “I’m concerned about the lack of balance and equity, particularly compared to my co-anchor who holds the same responsibilities but has a more accommodating schedule.”
McGonagle met with Asher to tell her she would not be adjusting the schedule, and her new program would be put on hold, according to court papers.
An Emmy award-winning veteran broadcast journalist, Asher claimed that Raj had also been assigned all of the guest interviews they were supposed to split for Election Day, court documents said.
After complaining to management to no avail, Asher decided to speak with the co-anchor about her concerns that he was receiving “preferable treatment.”
The next day, Raj contacted human resources and “offensively labeled Asher as ‘jealous,’ and grossly mischaracterized Asher’s complaints of sex-based discrimination as Asher ‘[having] an issue with men vs. women,” court papers claim.
Shortly after, Asher was placed on leave “pending an investigation into alleged complaints of ‘egregious behavior’” with her Fox colleagues — and fired after a two-week probe for “outbursts” in the newsroom, the lawsuit said.
Asher denied having any such “outbursts” that warranted her to be fired, according to court papers.
Several male employees at the station had also exhibited “unprofessional behavior and misconduct” with lesser consequences, the filing alleged.
Among the examples, Raj was allegedly “merely suspended” for two weeks after being arrested for driving under the influence in 2012, and McGonagle was also allegedly promoted after a DUI arrest at a different Fox station.
Asher is seeking unspecified damages from Fox Television Stations and WJBK TV.
The action followed the longtime Detroit anchor’s complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that was subjected to “less favorable treatment” than male employees.
Neither Fox, McGonagle, nor Raj responded to The Post’s request for comment.
Detroit, MI
Detroit Tigers sweep Tampa Bay Rays in win as Dillon Dingler stays hot
Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal throws vs Jahmai Jones in simulated game
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal faces Jahmai Jones in a simulated game Monday, June 1, 2026, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Almost every Detroit Tigers hitter looks improved through three games in June, but Dillon Dinger continues to go above and beyond. He put the Tigers on his back for a sweep of one of MLB’s best teams.
The Tigers scored in each of the first four innings en route to a 7-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, June 3, in the finale of the three-game series at Tropicana Field, sweeping the series for a three-game winning streak.
It’s the first sweep for the Tigers since April 14-16.
Dingler hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning.
Facing the Rays, Dingler hit .462 (6-for-13) with three home runs and nine RBIs across 14 plate appearances. The 27-year-old drove in four runs apiece in Monday’s opener and Wednesday’s finale.
He is hitting .241 with 14 homers and an .830 OPS in 56 games.
The Tigers improved to 25-38, while the Rays, who entered Wednesday with the best record in the American League, dropped to 36-23. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Tigers are 10½ games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.
More importantly, the Tigers experienced a run-scoring breakthrough at Tropicana Field.
The offense scored 81 runs (with 18 home runs) through 28 games in May, only to score 25 runs (with 10 home runs) in the first three games in June.
On the mound
Right-hander Troy Melton struggled early on.
But he dominated throughout the middle and late innings.
The 25-year-old didn’t throw a first-pitch strike to the first eight batters he faced, and the Rays took advantage of his command issues by scoring one run apiece in a 19-pitch first inning and a 17-pitch second inning.
The result of those runs: The Rays tied the game, 1-1, on Yandy Díaz’s RBI single in the first and tied the game again, 2-2, on Cedric Mullins’ solo home run in the second.
Melton suddenly threw a first-pitch strike for the first time to Victor Mesa Jr., immediately following Mullins’s homer and Nick Fortes’ single.
He faced the minimum 21 batters after Fortes’ single, needing 14 pitches in the third inning, 10 in the fourth, eight in the fifth, six in the sixth and eight in the seventh and 12 in the eighth.
His only blemish during that stretch came on a leadoff walk to Jonathan Aranda in the third inning, losing a nine-pitch battle. He bounced back by erasing Aranda on the bases with a double play, then he struck out Richie Palacios.
Melton owns a 1.74 ERA in three starts since returning May 24 from the injured list after suffering right elbow inflammation in spring training.
At the plate
The story continues to be the offense.
It’s a small sample size, but the Tigers keep hitting in June.
The Tigers grabbed the lead in the first inning for the fourth game in a row, courtesy of Gleyber Torres’ leadoff double and Dingler’s RBI single.
Torres attacked a first-pitch cutter from right-hander Nick Martinez in his second game since returning from the injured list, recovering from a left oblique strain.
Martinez allowed six runs on nine hits and one walk with one strikeout across four innings, throwing 58 pitches. He hadn’t allowed more than two runs in his first 11 starts, entering Wednesday with a 1.62 ERA.
He now has a 2.29 ERA after his 12th start.
After taking a 1-0 lead, the Tigers made it 2-1 in the second on Jake Rogers’ home run and 3-2 in the third on Spencer Torkelson’s sacrifice fly.
The big swing occurred in the fourth inning.
Singles from Matt Vierling and Torres put two runners on for Dingler with two outs, and, with two strikes, he pulled Martinez’s middle-away cutter for a three-run home run.
It put the Tigers ahead, 6-2.
A sacrifice fly from Kerry Carpenter extended the Tigers’ lead to 7-2 in the ninth inning.
Next up: Comerica Park
The six-game road trip is in the books.
The Tigers have an off day Thursday – with another off day approaching on Monday – as they return home to Comerica Park for a three-game series against the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners, beginning Friday (6:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet).
The probable pitchers for the series: left-hander Framber Valdez on Friday, right-hander Keider Montero on Saturday and right-hander Jack Flaherty on Sunday.
For the Mariners, All-Star right-hander Bryan Woo is scheduled to start Friday’s opener.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
-
Alabama5 minutes agoAlabama has one of college football’s toughest schedule stretches in 2026
-
Alaska8 minutes agoFormer Alaska corrections officer sentenced to 150 years in prison for killing wife and teen daughter
-
Arizona13 minutes agoDozens charged under Preston’s Law in Arizona
-
Arkansas20 minutes agoStockton rappers plead guilty to possessing machine gun, marijuana in Arkansas traffic stop
-
California23 minutes agoCalifornia’s AB 412 Still Demands Developers Do The Impossible
-
Colorado28 minutes agoColorado governor vetoes bill that would have allowed lawsuits against federal immigration officers, signs another to regulate detention centers
-
Connecticut35 minutes agoOwner seeks return of historic Abraham Lincoln documents lost in New London
-
Delaware38 minutes agoDelaware high school lacrosse star returns for playoffs after potentially deadly jaw condition