Detroit, MI

Who’s going win the Rocket Classic? The News’ golf ‘experts’ take their best swings

Published

6 months ago

June 25, 2025

Who’s going win the Rocket Classic? The News’ golf ‘experts’ take their best swings

Detroit ― Picking winners at professional golf tournaments is no breezy task. There are 156 players in the Rocket Classic field this week at Detroit Golf Club, and theoretically, anyone can get hot and win.

We’ve seen surprises over the years, like inaugural winner Nate Lashley and two-time winner Cam Davis, whose only two PGA Tour tournament victories (2021 and 2024) have come right here at Palmer Park.

We’ve seen the favorites win, like Bryson DeChambeau in 2020 and Tony Finau in 2022.

And we’ve seen the fan favorite win, with Rickie Fowler’s thriller in 2023.

In other words, good luck with those picks.

Our resident golf “experts” are taking their best swings, and trying not to shank ’em.

Tony Paul

▶ Favorite: It’s been a frustrating season for former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, with his temp reaching a boiling point at the U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he destroyed a locker. But he’s got a decent history in Detroit, with a tie for eighth in 2022 and a tie for 17th in 2019, and he’s coming off one of his better showings of the season (and his best since March), finishing tied for 17th at the Travelers Championship. (Vegas: +3000)

▶ One to watch: Tom Kim used the Rocket as his springboard onto the PGA Tour in 2022, with a Sunday 63 vaulting the then-20-year-old to a seventh-place finish. He won the very next week, his first win on the PGA Tour. Kim is an electric player who’s not afraid to fire at the pins, leading to lots of low-scoring potential. If his iron game is on at Detroit Golf Club, he could turn around what’s been his toughest season on the Tour. (Vegas: +6600)

▶ Dark horse: Cameron Champ lost his PGA Tour card for 2025, so he’s had to claw for opportunities. The Rocket will be just his seventh appearance on the PGA Tour this season, but in two of the last three, the CJ Cup and the Canadian Open, he’s fared well, with a tie for 15th and a tie for ninth, respectively. It’s easy to forget, too, that he’s a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, who has a T12 and T20 in four showings at the Rocket. (Vegas: +12500)

▶ My pick: For this, we’ll go with another Cameron (one of three in the field this week, including two-time champ Cam Davis) ― Cameron Young, who, against all odds, hasn’t yet won the PGA Tour. He’s got four top-10s this season, including three in his last six starts, and he’s been in contention in previous years at the Rocket, a shorter course by Tour pro standards that he can manhandle so long as he keeps the driver somewhat on the grid. (Vegas: +2500)

John Niyo

▶ Favorite: Keegan Bradley keeps making life more difficult for the U.S. Ryder Cup captain. But the captain has no one else to blame, because the way Bradley is playing he just might have to name himself to the roster. Bradley is coming off a win at the Travelers Championship after a pair of top-10s in three starts before that. And since he seems to love Donald Ross courses, don’t be surprised if this turns into more than just a scouting trip. (Vegas: +1800)

▶ One to watch: Taylor Moore doesn’t know what it feels like not to finish in the top 10 in Detroit. That’s all he has done here in his first three years on tour, with last year’s T10 being his worst showing. Moore battled an injury earlier this spring and missed the cut in his last start three weeks ago, but his form coming in hasn’t mattered in the past. (Vegas: +8600)

▶ Dark horse: The Rocket Classic becomes a putting contest. And that certainly plays to one of the strengths in Harry Hall’s game, as the Englishman once again ranks among the Tour leaders in putting and birdie average. He also has posted top-25 finishes in his last five starts, including final-round 65 Sunday at the Travelers. (Vegas: +3500)

▶ My pick: Ben Griffin already has won twice this year, and his last five starts have all ended in top-15 finishes, including this past week at TPC River Highlands. Behind those aviator sunglasses he wears, there’s a golfer who seems as driven as anybody right now on the PGA Tour. He plays a lot, he can go low, and even though this will be his Detroit debut, Griffin figures to be in contention again this weekend. (Vegas: +2000)

Angelique S. Chengelis

▶ Favorite: Collin Morikawa is winless so far this season, but has a couple of runner-up finishes and is due for a breakthrough. What better place than Detroit, where he tied for second in 2023, losing in a playoff to Rickie Fowler. He’s a six-time PGA Tour winner, including wins at the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship. His two runner-up finishes this season were earlier in the year, the second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. Morikawa tied for 10th at The Players Championship and tied for 14th at the Masters. (Vegas: +1200)

▶ One to watch: Keegan Bradley is the captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, but he also arrives in Detroit with plenty of momentum, coming off a win at the Travelers last Sunday. Bradley has entered 15 events this season and has five top-10 finishes. He finished tied for 21st in Detroit in 2023 and had his top finish here in 2021, tied for 14th. (Vegas: +1800)

▶ Dark horse: Luke Clanton, 21, the former No. 1-ranked amateur in the world who played collegiately at Florida State, has tremendous upside. He made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur at the Rocket Classic in 2024 and finished tied for 10th He has made 11 of 15 cuts and has two runner-up finishes in his brief time on Tour. (Vegas: +3300)

▶ My pick: Patrick Cantlay might not be the most popular golfer out there, and he missed the cuts at the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship but, he’s coming off a strong finish at the Travelers Championship, where he tied for 12th. Cantlay tied for second in Detroit in 2022. (Vegas: +1400)

Craig Yuhas

▶ Favorite: Collin Morikawa just missed winning two years ago, losing in a playoff to Rickie Fowler and Adam Hadwin. He has had a good year with nine top-25 finishes out of 13 events, including two runner-up finishes. He has a good chance to get victory No. 1 on the season this week in Detroit. (Vegas: +1200)

▶ One to watch: Akshay Bhatia nearly won last year, but he struggled late to finish second. There likely will be some motivation to make up for a missed opportunity. (Vegas: +4500)

▶ Dark horse: Hadwin, the longtime PGA Tour pro from Canada, has come close here (he lost in that playoff to Fowler in 2023), but has come up just shy of winning the Rocket. He flies under the radar at most events, but has game enough to win on the PGA Tour. (Vegas: +15000)

▶ My pick: In the last year, Max Greyserman has turned his game up a notch. He has four runner-up finishes and has made a ton of cuts. I like guys at this event that are on the “verge” of breaking through. This could be the week he breaks down the door. (Vegas: +3500)

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Lions running backs open up about life on and off the field

Published

6 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Lions running backs open up about life on and off the field

Detroit Lions fans get to sit back and watch running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery put on stellar performances to help lead the team’s offense. What fans don’t often see are the bonds and dynamics that hold the backfield group together. CBS News Detroit’s Rachel Hopmayer hung out with the group at Bronx Bar to shoot the breeze and play some pool.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Fire Department brings Christmas joy to family who lost everything in house fire

Published

18 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Fire Department brings Christmas joy to family who lost everything in house fire

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Christmas came early for a Detroit family of 10 after the Detroit Fire Department surprised them with a truck full of gifts, nearly a year after they lost their home and all belongings in a devastating fire.

On Jan. 6, Raychelle Womack and her family were living in their home on Santa Rosa Drive near Fullerton Street when it caught fire. All their possessions were destroyed in the blaze.

Watch Demetrios Sanders’ video report below:

Family’s Christmas saved after fire

“You try buying everything for a new baby and then you lose it all, on top of the other seven kids that you’ve got — that’s everything,” Womack said.

As the family continued recovering from the fire, questions remained about what Christmas could look like this year.

“Whatever we could make happen, that’s what we’re going to make happen,” Womack said.

WXYZ

That worry disappeared when the Detroit Fire Department and community partners visited the family’s new east side home with a truck full of Christmas gifts.

“To lose everything and then slowly but surely gain everything, it means a lot,” Womack said.

This marks the fourth year the Detroit Fire Department has brought Christmas cheer to families in need during the holidays.

“We know people lose everything in these fires, so if we can do anything to make their lives better, to make their lives easier, especially around the holiday season, we’re willing to do it,” said Chuck Simms, executive fire commissioner with the Detroit Fire Department.

Simms said the effort is driven by donations and brings joy not only to the families impacted but also to the first responders who participate.

“It’s just a great thing and nice thing for us to do,” Simms said.

With a Christmas tree now surrounded by gifts, Womack’s children are definitely looking forward to Christmas.

“It was nice and we appreciate it,” one child said.

For Womack, only one challenge remains.

“Now it’s making sure everything (gifts) stays closed until Christmas,” Womack said.

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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Detroit, MI

Near 500 saves, Kenley Jansen joins Detroit Tigers without closer role

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Near 500 saves, Kenley Jansen joins Detroit Tigers without closer role

Kenley Jansen is destined for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The 38-year-old right-handed reliever is fourth on the all-time saves list, first on the active saves leaderboard, 24 saves away from the 500 milestone and just signed a one-year contract that guarantees $11 million.

But he hasn’t received the closer role from the Detroit Tigers for the 2026 season.

“Will we label Kenley the closer?” Tigers president baseball operations Scott Harris said Wednesday, Dec. 17, deferring to manager A.J. Hinch. “I don’t know. That’s going to be for A.J. to figure out. I’m just going to try to give him as many options as possible.”

Entering 2026, Jansen – a four-time All-Star in his 16-year MLB career – trails only three relievers on the saves list, all three of which are Hall of Famers: Lee Smith (478), Trevor Hoffman (601) and Mariano Rivera (652).

Before signing Jansen, the Tigers connected him with Hinch for an important phone call. For context, Hinch hasn’t named a full-time closer since left-hander Gregory Soto in 2021-22, instead favoring a bullpen that operates without defined roles.

Early signs suggest Jansen has already embraced the Tigers’ approach.

“From that conversation, we learned Kenley is all about winning,” Harris said of Jansen, who won the 2020 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. “He’s willing to pitch in any spot. He just wants to be in a winning environment. And he was really attracted to Detroit as a destination, which is a huge step forward for this organization.”

Celebrate 125 epic seasons with the Tigers!

With three more saves, Jansen will move into sole possession of third place.

He has secured at least four saves in each of his 16 seasons, along with 25 or more saves in each of the past 13 full seasons, not counting the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

“We liked a lot of things,” Harris said. “First of all, he’s one of the best to ever do it. I’ve admired him from afar – and up close for a few years. He brings a ton of success in the highest-leverage moments of games in the regular season and postseason.”

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

In 2025, Jansen registered a 2.59 ERA with 19 walks and 57 strikeouts across 59 innings in 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels, racking up 29 saves in 30 opportunities.

His 8.1% walk rate ranked in the 46th percentile, while his 24.4% strikeout rate ranked in the 63rd percentile.

Many indicators foreshadow regression coming soon – most notably the lowest strikeout rate of his career, driven by his third-worst in-zone whiff rate and worst out-of-zone whiff rate over the past four seasons – but the Tigers believe in their future Hall of Fame reliever.

“The cutter still really plays,” Harris said. “He also has a two-seamer that misses bats, as well as a curveball. We think he’s going to miss plenty of bats for us. We think there are some things that we can do with sequencing and refining some of the shapes of his mix.”

The Tigers have pursued Jansen several times.

There was interest during the 2024-25 offseason, when he ultimately signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Angels, then at the 2025 trade deadline, when the Angels opted not to move him, and once again in the 2025-26 offseason, when the Tigers finally signed him to a one-year, $9 million contract, which includes a $12 million club option for 2027 (with a $2 million buyout).

“I’ve admired him from afar and up close,” Harris said.

With Jansen, the Tigers now feel confident using four relievers in save situations. The other three: right-hander Kyle Finnegan, right-hander Will Vest and left-hander Tyler Holton.

Of those four relievers, three of them produced more than 20 saves during the 2025 season, led by Jansen’s 29 and followed by Finnegan’s 24 and Vest’s 23.

“I think it was really important for us to add to the bullpen and be able to protect the leads that we know we’re going to get,” said Harris, who re-signed Finnegan on a two-year, $19 million contract earlier this month. “Whether we can find other opportunities to make our bullpen better, I’m not quite sure yet, but I like the bullpen as it is right now.”

For Jansen, his sights are set on reaching 500 saves.

It’s likely to happen in 2026.

But Jansen isn’t the Tigers’ closer.

Not yet.

“It’s going to be A.J.’s call on that,” Harris said.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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