For the fourth straight year, Detroit Golf Club has drawn global attention thanks to the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
The PGA Tour event launched in 2019 and now, after navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic for the last two years, appears to be back in full swing. The work behind putting the tournament together hasn’t been easy — especially as the golf world remains in flux.
During the RMC’s opening round of play Thursday, former President Donald Trump voiced his support for Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf during its pro-am tournament at Trump’s golf club in New Jersey.
Trump avoided addressing issues regarding Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, specifically its connections to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson have all departed the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf alongside Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 RMC champion and former Rocket Mortgage ambassador. Still, as LIV Golf grows, the Detroit Golf Club is razor-focused on making the RMC the best it can be.
Rocket Mortgage Classic: Scores | PGA Tour Live on ESPN+
“Needless to say, it’s interesting,” club president Jason Drumheller said. “You look at LIV Tour, and a lot of the guys who have been with the PGA Tour have went there, and a lot people have opinions on it. I always think, ‘People do things for different reasons.’ The partnership we’ve had with the PGA Tour, the partnership we’ve had with Rocket Mortgage, it’s been great and successful. … Obviously, when you see players (leaving), especially players that would come here, you think, ‘I hope the field still remains (strong) and continues to get better.’
“And, for us, it has.”
Among its 156-player field, the RMC features six of the top-30 players in the world, including No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, No. 13 Will Zalatoris, No. 16 Tony Finau, No. 19 Cameron Young, No. 20 Max Homa and No. 27 Kevin Kisner. Kisner is the only player from that group to miss the cut.
Because of the uncertainties surrounding LIV Golf, Drumheller is curious about how “everything is going to play out” with it and the PGA. Regardless, he’s more concerned with working with the tournament’s title sponsor to help Detroit prosper.
Drumheller, 40, is the youngest president in the club’s history, which began in 1899. He started working with the club in 2010 and has held numerous titles within the organization since. Drumheller said the DGC’s board is more like a “team,” and believes the people behind the scenes are the reason the club was able to host a fan-less 2020 event and get through 2021 with limited restrictions.
“I’m proud to see the growth of the club,” Drumheller said. “From where we were to where we are now, I think we’re one of the best clubs in the district.”
Drumheller said the DGC began setting up for this year’s tournament on May 16. Its 71 days of preparation to get PGA ready is the quickest turnaround on tour, Drumheller said.
Drumheller described the building process as a “sort of a whirlwind,” but when the week of the tournament finally arrives, it’s well worth it. He even walked through the course with some of its tournament participants Wednesday when he caddied for his wife, WDIV-TV anchor Rhonda Walker, while she played in the pro-am.
Walker paired with pros Brendan Steele and Chad Ramey, and according to Drumheller, she played “really good,” even though she “brought too much rain gear” and had “some not so great reads” at times.
Regardless, Drumheller called the couple’s day at the pro-am a “special day.” Furthermore, he says the entire week at the RMC has been special, too. A main goal for the 2022 event is to increase its charity contributions, which is up to over $5 million across its first three years.
“It’s tough to have a bad day at the DGC,” Drumheller said. “It brings our membership a lot of pride to host, and it’s not lost on us the impact of its charitable component. … Being located in Detroit, we want to make sure that we can positively impact our city. I think the economic impact to the small businesses in our area (is) significant. Our membership wants help out and give back to the city that we all love.”
Chandler Engelbrecht is a reporting intern at The Detroit Free Press and can be reached at CEngelbrecht@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @ctengelbrecht.