Rocket Mortgage Classic report: Bryson DeChambeau wins sixth PGA Tour title after holding nerve in Michigan

Leaderboard

- 23 DeChambeau

-20 Wolff

-18 Kisner

-16 Willett, Hadwin, Hatton, Armour

-15 McNealy, Straka, W Simpson, Merritt

Final day report

Bryson DeChambeau held his nerve to clinch a three-shot victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic after a final round of 65.

The American produced an explosive front nine before he stayed calm despite some tricky positions to finish strongly and take the plaudits on 23 under par for his sixth PGA Tour success.

Countryman Matthew Wolff held a healthy three-shot advantage after the third round, but a poor start proved difficult to halt in Michigan.

It did not take long for Wolff’s overnight lead to disappear after he made a bogey at the first, while DeChambeau started with two birdies in his first three holes.

After an excellent front nine, 26-year-old DeChambeau – who estimates he put on around 20 pounds during the coronavirus shutdown in a bid to improve his power – moved two clear of the chasing pack to signal his intent.

His four birdies and five pars were in contrast to Wolff, who had a catalogue of bogeys during his opening holes.

Eventually the third-round leader settled and started to show the form that took him to the top of the leaderboard, but his late charge to finish on one under was not enough.

DeChambeau birdied his final hole to finish with a superb seven under round and take the title.

Danny Willett posted a final round of 66 to finish on 16 under, which was enough to earn him a share of fourth position alongside fellow Englishman Tyrrell Hatton.

The 32-year-old was only just inside the top 30 after round three, but a birdie on the last saw the former Masters champion conclude a good week of golf on a high.

Amateur Maverick McNealy also enjoyed an impressive six under par final round to secure a top-10 finish on 15 under.

Round three report

Matthew Wolff is closing in on a second PGA Tour title after taking a three-shot advantage into the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The world No 108 - without a worldwide top-10 since his breakthrough victory at the 3M Open last July - mixed an eagle and nine birdies with three bogeys to post a round-of-the-day 64 at Detroit Golf Club.

Wolff's second successive 64 gives him a commanding advantage over Ryan Armour and Bryson DeChambeau, with Ireland's Seamus Power in the group of four players sharing fourth spot on 14 under.

Heading into the weekend a shot off the pace, Wolff rolled in a five-foot birdie at the first but missed an effort from the same distance to save par at the next, before firing his approach at the third to tap-in range and picking up a shot from 10 feet at the next.

Wolff drained a 35-footer at the fifth and splashed out of the greenside bunker at the seventh to set up a kick-in birdie, only to follow a close-range gain at the eighth with back-to-back bogeys around the turn.

The 21-year-old responded by converting from eight feet at the 12th and draining a 15-foot eagle at the 14th to move ahead, with further birdies at the 15th and 17th extending Wolff's advantage.

Armour had set the early pace after following three birdies in the first four holes with a two-putt birdie at the seventh and by making a 15-footer at the ninth, seeing him reach the turn in 31.

The world No 194 added another birdie from 10 feet at the 15th but racked up a double-bogey seven at the 17th after three-putting from 25 feet, but responded by nailing a winding 20-footer at the last to get to 16 under.

DeChambeau is also three off the pace after four birdies in the last six holes saw him card a five-under 67, with overnight co-leader Chris Kirk a further two strokes back alongside Power, Mark Hubbard and Troy Merritt.

FedExCup leader Webb Simpson slipped six off the pace after a final-hole bogey saw him close a one-under 71, with Viktor Hovland and Matt Wallace among the others also on 13 under.

Round two report

Webb Simpson picked up shots on five of the first nine holes in a round of 64 for a share of the lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Simpson followed up a 68 on the opening day with an eight-under round ahead of the weekend, while fellow leader Chris Kirk’s only blemish was a bogey on the 18th.

Ireland’s Seamus Power put together a round of 66 in Detroit to sit a shot off the pace in a six-way tie for third, alongside Bryson DeChambeau who was agonisingly close to a hole-in-one at the ninth.

Also joint third is Matthew Wolff, who strung together six-straight birdies on his way to a 64, while Scotland’s Russell Knox, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Jason Day were among those missing the cut at five under, alongside defending champion Nate Lashley.

Round one report

England’s Matt Wallace was on song with a six-under 66 to sit one stroke off the pace after the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club, where Bryson DeChambeau made an ominous start by carding the same score.

Wallace, ranked 49th in the world, recorded eight birdies and two bogeys to complete a strong round that put him in a group of seven players sharing fourth place. DeChambeau had looked set to go one better, only to clumsily drop a shot at the last.

The leaderboard was topped by an all-American trio of Scott Stallings, Kevin Kisner and Doc Redman, a 22-year-old from North Carolina who went from even par after 10 holes to finish with a 65 thanks to seven birdies in his last eight holes.

Redman was second in the tournament last year on his way to earning full playing status on the PGA Tour, and now holds a share of the overnight lead for the first time in his career at this level.

Ben Coley's pre-tournament 300/1 tip Richy Werenski is two shots back at five-under, while Lanto Griffin and Harold Varner are two-under after round one.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Tom Lewis carded four-under 68s to share 25th spot, three strokes off the lead.

Wallace was incensed when forced to play his second round alone at last week’s Travelers Championship after playing partners Denny McCarthy and Bud Cauley withdrew due to the coronavirus. The Englishman shot a 72 and missed the cut.

On Thursday in Detroit he set out to make amends and began brilliantly with three birdies in his first five holes.

Wallace, who finished third in last year’s PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, sank 10-foot birdie putts on the first and fifth holes, but dropped a shot at the sixth after finding a fairway bunker.

He recovered immediately with a birdie four at the seventh before his highlight of the day – a superb 40-foot putt for a birdie two at the ninth.

Wallace drained another long putt, from 22 feet, to go to five under at the 11th, and after missing from 13 feet to bogey the 12th, regained two shots with birdie fours at the 14th and 17th.

Redman’s day started in unspectacular fashion, with a single birdie alongside eight pars on the front nine, and things became even more mundane when be bogeyed the par four 10th.

But Redman came alive on the back-nine and made birdies on each of his last four holes, including a superb finish with a 15-foot putt at the 18th.

“I’ve come off two good finishes and a really good finish last year at this event, which has never really happened to me,” said Redman.

“So, I’ve never had this kind of expectation externally or even internally.”

World number 10 Bryson DeChambeau was among the group sharing fourth with Wallace, his round taking off thanks to a 33-foot putt for an eagle three at the 14th, after a monstrous drive.

Rickie Fowler sits at five under; Luke Donald was four shots off the lead after a 69, while fellow Englishmen Danny Willett and Ben Taylor had rounds of 71 and 72.