- Rising stars Viktor Hovland and Harold Varner III also commit to the May 25-31 event, which will bring the PGA TOUR’s best back to Detroit Golf Club for a second straight year.
- New fan opportunities provide access to practice rounds, Junior Golf Clinic and AREA 313 Celebrity Challenge on Monday and Tuesday for just $15. Tickets available at RocketMortgageClassic.com.
DETROIT (February 19, 2020) – As the PGA TOUR prepares its return to Detroit for a second straight year, the player field for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic continues to get stronger. The tournament announced today that defending champion Nate Lashley, World No. 16 Bryson DeChambeau and nine-time PGA TOUR winner Brandt Snedeker have committed to play in the May 25-31 tournament at Detroit Golf Club.
Young stars Viktor Hovland and Harold Varner III have also committed, joining a list of players scheduled to compete in the Rocket Mortgage Classic that includes World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, World No. 26 Rickie Fowler and two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson.
Rocket Mortgage Classic events begin May 25, and the tournament rounds run May 28-31 at the historic Detroit Golf Club. A Memorial Day start will help kick off summer in style for golf fans and those who simply love the excitement of a major event. Tickets can be purchased exclusively online at RocketMortgageClassic.com.
“Our field continues to grow by the day, as more and more of the world’s top players sign on to compete in the Rocket Mortgage Classic,” said Jason Langwell, the Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “Word continues to spread that Detroit’s major is a must-play event on the PGA TOUR. The fans in Detroit are the real winners, as they’ll be able to see some of the game’s most established players, as well as a crop of talented rising stars who will soon become household names.”
Lashley has made the most of the momentum from his first career PGA TOUR win at last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. He finished T26 at the John Deere Classic and T20 at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, both in July. His 2019-20 season already includes two top-10 finishes and four top-25 finishes in 11 starts.
DeChambeau is a five-time winner on the PGA TOUR since turning pro in 2017 and has risen to No. 16 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He played on the United States Ryder Cup team in 2018 and on the U.S. Presidents Cup squad in 2019. His 2019-20 season already includes two top-10 finishes in five tournaments.
Snedeker has won nine times on the PGA TOUR over the last 13 years, including the 2012 TOUR Championship. Ranked 45th in the world, his 2019-20 season has already seen him secure three top-25 finishes in seven tournaments, and last season he registered six top-10s, including a T5 at the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Hovland first made a name for himself on the national golf scene with his 2018 U.S. Amateur victory, and he parlayed the accompanying invitation to the 2019 Masters into a T32 finish at Augusta National as the low amateur. The Norway native had a spectacular run during his debut professional season in 2018-19. Starting with the U.S. Open and including a T13 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he had a six-tournament stretch in which he finished top-20 five times.
Varner III turned pro in 2012 and secured his first career victory at the 2016 Australian PGA Championship. Last year, he secured three top-10 finishes and nine top-25s, and he’ll make his second appearance in as many years at the Rocket Mortgage Classic this May.
New this year, the Rocket Mortgage Classic will open its doors to ticketed fans on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. For an advance purchase price of just $15, fans can purchase a grounds pass that allows them to watch two days of practice rounds and enjoy special events on both Monday and Tuesday, May 25 and 26. Monday will feature a Kids Clinic on the driving range, and Tuesday will bring the return of the popular AREA 313 Celebrity Challenge. The challenge pairs PGA TOUR pros, athletes from other sports and celebrities in a fun, three-hole golf competition for charity on holes 14, 15 and 16 at Detroit Golf Club, also known as AREA 313.
“This world-class event is being elevated to a whole new level by a field of top-tier players committing to golf in Detroit after hearing about the success of our inaugural year,” said Jay Farner, Quicken Loans CEO. “Players have been raving about the tournament from the minute the last putt dropped, and that buzz has spread – leading to a group of some of the most talented golfers in the world coming to the Detroit Golf Club. This year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic will go down as one of the must-see stops on the TOUR this season.”
Tickets for Wednesday’s pro-am rounds are just $15, and grounds ticket prices during tournament play are $50 for Thursday, $55 for Friday and $60 each for Saturday and Sunday. Weekly grounds passes are available for $180, granting access to each day of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Fans interested in the convenience of attending the tournament on any day of their choice, without needing to decide in advance, can purchase “Good Any One Day” grounds tickets for $70.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic will once again offer FREE grounds admission for youth 15-and-under with a ticketed adult (which allows up to four youth per ticketed adult). Complimentary grounds tickets are also available to all active duty and retired military members (limit two tickets per order) and must be reserved in advance. Veterans can receive grounds passes at a special price. Youth tickets do not need to be reserved in advance and can be picked up at the box office.
In addition to the world’s top golfers coming to Detroit, and an extra day of golf on Monday, fans will have access to larger and more public viewing decks and grandstands throughout the golf course, as well as expanded public WiFi. Other upgrades include a larger Tito’s Vodka Deck on hole No. 9 and a bigger LendingTree Lounge in a new location with views of four holes (11,12,13 and 14). AREA 313 returns as the place to be at the Rocket Mortgage Classic for the second year.
The 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic raised more than $1.2 million for nonprofit organizations – including more than $1.1 million for those based in Detroit, the hometown of Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans, the tournament’s title sponsor.
###
About the Rocket Mortgage Classic
The Rocket Mortgage Classic made history in 2019 as the first PGA TOUR event ever held in the city of Detroit, and Nate Lashley added to the historic feel of the week by winning for the first time on the PGA TOUR and becoming the tournament’s inaugural champion. Embodying the spirit of Detroit, the week-long event featured great entertainment, cuisine and social activities on and off the course. The Rocket Mortgage Classic was the most awarded event during the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season, being recognized for “Best Special Event” (the AREA 313 Celebrity Challenge) and “Best Tournament Sales” as well as being honored with the first “Fair Way Award” for its diversity and inclusion initiatives. The Rocket Giving Fund is the primary charitable beneficiary of the tournament and will support many local charities. More information is available at RocketMortgageClassic.com and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@RocketClassic).
About Quicken Loans / Rocket Mortgage
Detroit-based Quicken Loans is the nation’s largest home mortgage lender. The company closed nearly half a trillion dollars of mortgage volume across all 50 states from 2013 through 2018. In late 2015 Quicken Loans introduced Rocket Mortgage, the first fully digital mortgage experience. Today, 98% of all home loans originated by Quicken Loans utilize Rocket Mortgage Technology.
Quicken Loans moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010. Today, Quicken Loans and its Family of Companies employ more than 17,000 full-time team members in Detroit’s urban core. The company generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Phoenix. Quicken Loans also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit, as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction for primary mortgage origination by J.D. Power for the past ten consecutive years, 2010 – 2019, and also ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers the past six consecutive years, 2014 – 2019.
Quicken Loans was once again named to FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list in 2019 and has been included in the magazine’s top 1/3rd of companies named to the list for the past 16 consecutive years. In addition, Essence Magazine named Quicken Loans “#1 Place to Work in the Country for African Americans.”
For more information and company news visit QuickenLoans.com/press-room.
