Here's everything you need to know about 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic PrizePicks plays and Thursday first-round picks for this week's PGA Tour event in Detroit, Michigan.
With the Travelers Championship in the rear-view mirror, we now look forward to this week's 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic. The North Course at Detroit Golf Club hosts once again, which it has done annually since 2019.
Detroit Golf Club is a par-72, 7,370-yard track designed by Donald Ross. It's a moderately sized course that's easy to score on, with the winning players typically relying on strong iron play to stick close approach shots for simple birdie opportunities.
Last season, five of the top-six finishers here ranked in the top 13 among the field in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, the only statistic or metric in which such a trend occurred.
Find my 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic PrizePicks plays for Thursday below.
2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic PrizePicks
Davis Thompson Less Than 68.5 Strokes
I just discussed the importance of iron play in the introduction, and that will benefit Davis Thompson greatly this week because he ranks 33rd on Tour this season in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green.
Thompson is coming off a brilliant performance at the U.S. Open, which was contested on Pinehurst No. 2, another Donald Ross design. He finished in a tie for ninth, and I was really impressed by Thompson's all-around game.
The 25-year-old gained true strokes in every category across the board, while also gaining distance and accuracy off the tee against the field. Thompson has now made the weekend in eight of his past 10 tournaments, finishing inside the top 27 in seven of those eight events.
I believe that this great form will continue at Detroit Golf Club. He was the first-round leader here in 2021 with a 63, and I think he can replicate that performance this week.
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Alex Noren Less Than 68 Strokes
I wrote about Alex Noren in my First-Round Leader article this week, and if I like him to lead after the first round, then I obviously also like him to shoot 68 or lower in the process.
Noren has somehow never won on Tour, but that doesn't mean he isn't one of its better players. He's made the weekend in 18 of his past 20 tournaments, including 13 top-25 finishes over that stretch.
Not only is Noren in tremendous form, but he has also finished inside the top nine in each of his past two appearances here. Speaking of which, the Swede shot 68 or lower in each of his four rounds at this venue last season.
Aaron Rai Less Than 68 Strokes
Like the previous two golfers, Aaron Rai enters this tournament in great form with six consecutive weekend appearances. He boasts four top-25 finishes over that stretch as he continues to close in on his first Tour victory.
I could see this win finally coming to fruition at Detroit Golf Club, a venue at which Rai finished ninth in 2023. He entered the final round last season just three shots off the lead entering Sunday in a tie for fourth, and perhaps things would have shaken up differently if it wasn't his first time playing competitively at this course.
That is why he melted down on Sunday, but Rai still fired a 68 or lower in each of those first three rounds, and I only envision an improved performance this season. Among the field, he ranks second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green this year.
For a more in-depth analysis of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, check out the Links + Locks Best Bets podcast.
