Rocket Classic 2025 Preview, Picks & Analysis

Luke Clanton heads to the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club as one of the brightest young prospects in the game.

Born in Florida on November 5, 2003, the 21-year-old reached the top of the world amateur rankings last year and is being widely tipped to have a sensational professional career.

While at American Heritage High School, Clanton won the Florida High School State Championship three times, in 2019, 2021 and 2022. He also won several other prestigious tournaments, including the Azalea Invitational and the North and South Amateur at Pinehurst.

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In autumn 2022, Clanton enrolled at Florida State University and wasted no time in making his mark. In his sophomore year, he rose to number one in the amateur rankings after winning three amateur titles - the Seminole Intercollegiate, the Valspar Collegiate, and the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial - and performing well in several professional tournaments.

In June 2024, he competed in the US Open at Pinehurst, having come through final qualifying at The Bear's Club in Florida, finishing T-41. The following month, he became the first amateur since 1958 to finish in the top-10 in back-to-back PGA Tour events, finishing in a tie for 10th at the Rocket Classic and joint runner-up in the John Deere Classic. He had two more top-ten finishes on the PGA Tour later in the year, with a fifth place at the Wyndham Championship and another runner-up finish at the RSM Classic, which put him inside the top-100 of the world rankings while still an amateur. At the end of the year, he was awarded the Mark H McCormack Medal as the world's top amateur golfer.

In February 2025, Clanton made the cut at the Cognizant Classic to secure the final points he needed to earn PGA Tour membership via the PGA Tour University Accelerated programme. He did not turn professional immediately but he has now joined the paid ranks.

Twelve months ago Australian Cameron Davis won as English golfer Aaron Rai's challenge faltered in the final round.

Rai, looking for his first win on the PGA Tour, had a share of the lead with American Akshay Bhatia heading into the last day. But the 29-year-old shot 72, including three bogeys in a six-hole stretch, as he finished a shot behind Davis.

Davis was warming up for a potential playoff with Bhatia after he finished with an 18-under 270 at Detroit Golf Club's North course. However, Bhatia, in the last grouping with Rai, missed a four-foot putt on the final hole to hand Davis a second PGA Tour title. It was Smith’s second victory - he also won the same tournament in 2021 and quite clearly has a liking for this course.

He has not had a great year to date with a series of missed cuts, including five in a row. But he is a fine ball striker and will be chomping at the bit at the thought of returning to Detroit.

We are reaching a point in the season where some players need to put their foot to the floor to stake Ryder Cup claims, while others will be anxiously looking at the rankings and hoping they can do enough to keep their playing privileges.

Patrick Cantlay should be a shoo-in for Keegan Bradley’s team but, to be frank, he has looked out of sorts throughout most of 2025. He is an eight-time winner but the most recent of those came almost three years ago. He has managed three top-five finishes but missed the cut at the US PGA Championship and US Open.

At the other end of the scale is Joel Dahmen. A cult figure after the first series of Full Swing, Dahmen quite clearly has the game but seems to struggle to apply himself properly. With the top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings holding on to their cards at the end of the season, Dahman currently finds himself in 88th place in the standings, but that is based almost entirely on his runner-up finish at the Corales Puntacana Championship. He has since missed five successive cuts and will be starting to looking over his shoulder.

Max Homa is another who is desperate for some form. This time last year he was comfortably within the top 20 in the world rankings - after a horrific run he is now barely within the top 100. Six missed cuts sum up how it is going for the American.

Tournament Winners:

It was first held in 2019 and was won by Nate Lashley. It was won in 2020 by Bryson DeChambeau, in 2021 and 2024 by Cameron Davis, in 2022 by Tony Finau and in 2023 by Rickie Fowler.

The Course:

Detroit Golf Club is a par 72 that measures 7,370 yards and was designed by the legendary Donald Ross. It is a tree-lined course with generous fairways. Distinctive features include the bent tree between the 7th and 8th hole. Native Americans bent it as a sapling to serve as a marker for the original Indian Trail between Detroit and Pontiac.

Form Guide:

Ben Griffin is enjoying the season of his life, with two wins, a runner-up finish and two tied fourth places. It is quite a body of work. He also finished in the top 10 at both the US PGA and US Open.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is $9.5m, with $1.6m going to the winner along with 500 FedEx Cup points.

How to Watch:

Thursday, June 26, Sky Sports Golf, Friday, June 27, Sky Sports Golf, 8pm; Saturday, June 28, Sky Sports Golf, Sunday, June 29, Sky Sports Golf, 6pm.

To Win:

Cameron Davis. Horses for courses

Each Way:

Ben Griffin. In fabulous form

Each Way:

Patrick Cantlay. An enigma

Five to Follow:

Cameron Davis. Two-time winner here

Ben Griffin. Looking like a Ryder Cup shoo-in

Patrick Cantlay. Really needs a win

Joel Dahmen. Needs to get his act together

Collin Morikawa. Has played some glorious golf in 2025