Rocket Mortgage Classic 2022

DETROIT (July 18, 2022) – Holding true to its philosophy of affording playing opportunities to accomplished young golfers with future PGA TOUR aspirations, the Rocket Mortgage Classic announced today that it has awarded sponsor exemptions to recent collegiate stars Michael Thorbjornsen, Chris Gotterup and Cole Hammer.

The trio will join the 156-player field when the fourth-annual Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit’s only PGA TOUR event, returns July 26-31 to Detroit Golf Club. Tickets are available at RocketMortgageClassic.com.

The Rocket Mortgage Classic will also grant a fourth exemption to the champion of THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Golf Invitational presented by Rocket Mortgage – a 36-hole tournament designed to expand professional golf opportunities for Black golfers that returns to Detroit Golf Club for its second year July 23-24.

“Future stars start here, and that’s certainly true for these accomplished young golfers,” said Jason Langwell, Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “Since our first tournament in 2019, we have subscribed to the philosophy that our event can be a springboard to long-term success on the PGA TOUR for some of the top amateurs and newly minted professionals in the game. That has proven to be a winning model for many of our previous exemptions, and we are thrilled to welcome Michael, Chris and Cole to Detroit for their first Rocket Mortgage Classic. We are also glad to introduce our newcomers to our Changing the Course initiative to end the digital divide in Detroit and to have their support on this mission.”

Many of the players awarded exemptions into the Rocket Mortgage Classic in its first three years have gone on to earn their PGA TOUR cards and establish themselves as top-100 players in the world, including Viktor Hovland (World No. 9), Will Zalatoris (13), Sahith Theegala (62), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (56) and Erik van Rooyen (86).

Thorbjornsen, 20, is fifth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and recently attained NCAA All-American status following his sophomore season at Stanford University. The 2021 Western Amateur and Massachusetts Amateur champion won the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur title and played in U.S. Open in 2019 and 2022 U.S. Open. Last month, he placed fourth in the PGA TOUR’s Travelers Championship, securing the highest finish by an amateur in that event’s history.

Gotterup, 22, turned pro in early June after concluding his collegiate career at the University of Oklahoma as the Haskins Award and Jack Nicklaus Award winner – both honors recognizing the nation’s best collegiate golfer – and the NCAA’s top-ranked golfer. The New Jersey native placed T43 in his first U.S. Open last month and recorded two collegiate wins in the past year, at the 2021 East Lake Cup and 2022 Puerto Rico Classic. The second victory qualified him for his first PGA TOUR start at the Puerto Rico Open this March, when he finished T7 as an amateur. Earlier this month, he finished T4 at the John Deere Classic, shooting four rounds in the 60s.

Hammer, 22, turned pro a month ago, after helping lead the University of Texas to the NCAA Division I national championship on June 1. A Houston native who played in his first U.S. Open at the age of 15 in 2015, was awarded the Mark H. McCormack medal as the world’s top amateur golfer in 2019. He served on the United States’ victorious Walker Cup teams in 2019 and 2021 and played in three PGA TOUR events and four major championships (2015, 2020 and 2021 U.S. Opens and 2021 Open Championship) as an amateur.

Fans are encouraged to buy their Rocket Mortgage Classic tickets in advance of tournament week for the best prices. Grounds passes start at $70 for the first round (Thursday, July 28), $80 for the second round (Friday, July 29) and $90 per day for the final two rounds (Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31).

Shared hospitality options include the LendingTree Lounge, starting at $100 per day, and the Michelob Ultra Athletic Club, beginning at $250 per day. Both venues offer upgraded viewing experiences featuring tented and outdoor seating, upgraded food and beverage for purchase and private restrooms. The LendingTree Lounge overlooks the 16th green and wraps around the 17th tee, with views of the 16th fairway, 17th tee, 13th green and 14th tee. The Michelob Ultra Athletic Club brings fans into the heart of the most exciting part of the course – AREA 313 – with up-close views of the entire par-3 15th hole as well as the 14th green and 16th tee, and offers fans a festive, world-class tournament experience to entertain friends, family and business associates.

Kids 15 and under receive a complimentary grounds ticket when accompanied by a ticketed adult (up to four children per adult) Thursday-Sunday. Thanks to Detroit Community Days presented by DTE Energy, all fans will receive complimentary admission and parking on Tuesday, July 26 for the AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble presented by the Total Health Care Foundation and the Youth Golf Clinic presented by The Children’s Foundation, as well as on Wednesday, July 27 for the Delta Dental Pro-Am at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The Rocket Giving Fund – the nonprofit that manages the Rocket Mortgage Classic – in partnership with title sponsor Rocket Mortgage, raised more than $1.35 million through the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic to support local nonprofits. From that amount, more than $800,000 was invested with community partners supporting the tournament’s Changing the Course initiative to bridge Detroit’s digital divide.

Since 2019, the event has invested more than $5.25 million into nonprofit organizations, including $3.2 million through the Changing the Course initiative first launched in 2020.

The Connect 313 Fund – a collaborative partnership formed to bridge the digital divide in Detroit and founded by the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Rocket Mortgage, City of Detroit, Microsoft and United Way for Southeastern Michigan – last month announced the creation of 17 new neighborhood technology hubs across Detroit. At least one tech hub will be located in each of Detroit’s seven council districts, ensuring citywide access to these trusted community spaces that provide internet connectivity, technology and digital literacy programming.

city and its residents through its multi-year Changing the Course campaign, established in 2020 to end the digital divide in Detroit and ensure digital accessibility for all city residents. The Rocket Mortgage Classic was the most awarded event during the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season, being recognized for “Best Special Event” (then known as 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. More information is available at RocketMortgageClassic.com and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@RocketClassic).