Playoff Needed to Settle the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic

Cam Davis survives extra holes with Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann to capture the Rocket Mortgage Mortgage Classic from the Detroit Golf Club

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Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, MI — July 4, 2021

The fireworks started early on the 4th of July as a playoff was needed to settle the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club.

Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann were tied for the 54-hole lead Saturday evening at 14 under par. Both shot a 4 under round of 68 on Sunday to finish at -18.

Cam Davis who was a single stroke back to start the final round had a remarkable finish to his round on Sunday. After a front-nine even-par score of 36, Davis birdied 12, 13, and 14 to put him in contention. A bogey on the par-4 16th seemed to put an end to his ride up the leaderboard. Then the fireworks began.

Davis’s hole out for eagle from the bunker on 17 moved him to within a stroke of the lead. A birdie on 18 placed him in a tie with Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann to force a playoff for the title.

Five Extra Holes

Replaying the par-4 18th in sudden death cost Niemann his shot at the win when he made his first bogey of the tournament as he overshot the green with his approach. One down, two left to settle things. Four more holes and Davis missed a birdie put on the par-3, 15th. It was looking like the ending would be a repeat of last week’s marathon playoff in the Traveler’s Championship.

However, Merrit’s tee shot had landed in the rough, just short of the green. He failed to get up and down to force another hole. Davis had turned an improbable late charge into a victory.

Cam Davis wins the Rocket Mortgage Classic / Photo Courtesy of CBS Sports

Willie Mack III, playing in his first-ever final round on the PGA Tour after he made the cut, turned his sponsor’s exemption entry to the tournament into a nice $15K payday. He finished in a tie for 71st. Here’s hoping the Flint native gets more opportunities to hone his game at the top level of professional golf.

Highlights

Complete Leaderboard

Position Golfer To Par Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Total
1 Cameron Davis -18 68* 68 67 67 270
T2 Troy Merritt -18 67* 68 67 68 270
T2 Joaquin Niemann -18 65* 69 68 68 270
T4 Alex Noren -17 70* 70 67 64 271
T4 Hank Lebioda -17 67* 70 66 68 271
T6 Bubba Watson -16 68* 73 67 64 272
T6 Brandon Hagy -16 65 71* 68 68 272
T8 Mark Anderson -15 70 70* 67 66 273
T8 Sungjae Im -15 69* 68 69 67 273
T8 Seamus Power -15 66* 71 69 67 273
T8 Kevin Kisner -15 67* 69 69 68 273
T12 Chris Kirk -14 67 68* 70 69 274
T12 Jason Kokrak -14 69 69* 67 69 274
T14 Jason Day -13 67 73* 69 66 275
T14 Cameron Tringale -13 71 70* 68 66 275
T14 Fabian Gomez -13 67* 71 70 67 275
T14 Keegan Bradley -13 71 68* 68 68 275
T14 Mackenzie Hughes -13 71* 69 67 68 275
T14 Kevin Tway -13 71 68* 67 69 275
T14 Pat Perez -13 67* 69 69 70 275
T21 Maverick McNealy -12 68* 69 72 67 276
T21 Joel Dahmen -12 70 70* 69 67 276
T21 Roger Sloan -12 65* 75 68 68 276
T21 Curtis Thompson -12 69* 72 67 68 276
T25 Patton Kizzire -11 68* 72 73 64 277
T25 Beau Hossler -11 68* 69 72 68 277
T25 Max Homa -11 70* 65 74 68 277
T25 Lanto Griffin -11 68 70* 69 70 277
T25 Scott Stallings -11 68* 73 66 70 277
T25 Tom Lewis -11 65 69* 71 72 277
T25 Richy Werenski -11 68 68* 69 72 277
T32 Patrick Reed -10 69 72* 70 67 278
T32 Bo Hoag -10 70 68* 71 69 278
T32 Doug Ghim -10 70 68* 71 69 278
T32 Sean O’Hair -10 70* 66 71 71 278
T32 J.J. Spaun -10 66 73* 68 71 278
T32 Rickie Fowler -10 70* 69 68 71 278
T38 Robert Streb -9 67* 71 74 67 279
T38 Brandt Snedeker -9 70* 71 71 67 279
T38 Henrik Norlander -9 68 72* 70 69 279
T41 Lucas Glover -8 68* 72 73 67 280
T41 Cameron Percy -8 71 70* 71 68 280
T41 Patrick Rodgers -8 70* 70 72 68 280
T41 Nelson Ledesma -8 72* 68 71 69 280
T41 Michael Gellerman -8 70* 68 72 70 280
T41 Adam Schenk -8 72 66* 72 70 280
T41 Michael Gligic -8 67 73* 70 70 280
T41 Garrick Higgo -8 68* 71 70 71 280
T41 Russell Knox -8 71* 65 72 72 280
T41 Aaron Baddeley -8 69 70* 69 72 280
T41 Kyle Stanley -8 70 69* 69 72 280
T52 Scott Brown -7 70 71* 74 66 281
T52 Anirban Lahiri -7 71 69* 73 68 281
T52 Chesson Hadley -7 69* 70 72 70 281
T52 Tyler Duncan -7 70 67* 73 71 281
T52 Matt Jones -7 70 69* 71 71 281
T52 Nick Taylor -7 72 68* 70 71 281
T58 Jonas Blixt -6 68 71* 72 71 282
T58 Kramer Hickok -6 69 69* 72 72 282
T58 Matthew Wolff -6 67* 70 73 72 282
T58 Josh Teater -6 70* 71 69 72 282
T58 Vincent Whaley -6 71 68* 70 73 282
T58 Matthew NeSmith -6 71* 69 69 73 282
T58 Davis Thompson -6 63* 73 72 74 282
T58 Si Woo Kim -6 67 72* 69 74 282
T58 Chris Baker -6 70* 70 68 74 282
T67 Camilo Villegas -5 70 70* 72 71 283
T67 Ryan Brehm -5 71* 67 73 72 283
T67 Danny Willett -5 68* 70 71 74 283
T67 Sebastian Munoz -5 69* 69 69 76 283
T71 Jimmy Walker -4 69 72* 73 70 284
T71 Willie Mack III -4 68* 73 72 71 284
T71 Bo Van Pelt -4 68* 73 71 72 284
T74 Sung Kang -3 69 72* 74 70 285
T74 Phil Mickelson -3 69* 72 72 72 285
76 Byeong Hun An -2 71 70* 69 76 286
77 Will Zalatoris E 70 68* 74 76 288

*Indicates started round on the back 9