The PGA Tour is undergoing a youth movement, and this isn’t anything new for those who have been paying attention. Last week it was Jackson Koivun, a 21 year-old, winning his first tournament in just his third event. This week it was Michael Thorbjornsen claiming victory at the Rocket Classic, at the age of 24 years-old.
This was Thorbjornsen’s first victory, and marked the second straight week where the tour saw players under the age of 25 win their first tournament. Thorbjornsen was able to outlast a field that consisted of Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, and Cameron Young to win. It was his bogey-free 63 Sunday which sealed the deal for his win at the Detroit Golf Club.
For some who think of the Rocket Classic as a lesser than tournament on the schedule, it proved to be an exciting weekend of golf which came down to the wire. It was Thorbjornsen who claimed a two-shot victory over Schauffele, who has yet to claim victory in 2026.
It was a tremendous tournament, one which many thought was considered a lesser than tournament on the schedule, and a great way to highlight some of the young talent on the PGA Tour.
Let’s take a look at who was projected to be contending, based on pre-tournament odds.
2026 Rocket Classic Odds
- Cameron Young (+1025)
- Xander Schauffele (+1650)
- Si Woo Kim (+1800)
- Chris Gotterup (+1800)
- Wyndham Clark (+1850)
When it came to picks for this event, I like to start with my favorite and long shot picks for the tournament. The favorite pick is the winner pick I like the most. For the long shot winner, that is a golfer who has over +2000 odds to win. It is a long shot pick for a reason, and finding those can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Here were my favorite and long shot picks for the 2026 Rocket Classic:
Favorite: Cameron Young (+1025) - MISS
Heading into Saturday the pick of Young as the outright winner absolutely seemed plausible; however, Young’s putter turned ice cold over the weekend and it prevented him from cashing the outright victory. Instead, his T8 finish had him close, but not close enough.
Long Shot: Jake Knapp (+3600) - MISS
Last week at the 3M Open Jake Knapp played well with a T13 finish. It seemed logical to think he would continue that trend at the Rocket Classic. Knapp missed the cut, which showed his roller coaster season continues post-injury.
Top 5 Bets For The Rocket Classic 2026
- Cameron Young (+215) - MISS
Young didn’t win outright, and came just one putt away from helping us cash the Top 5 pick. His T8 finish was a solid week of work, but wasn’t good enough to help us cash the +215 bet.
- Chris Gotterup (+355) - MISS
The Detroit Golf Club seemed like a course Chris Gotterup, a New Jersey native, would perform well on. However, Gotterup’s struggles were evident on the first two days, and he missed the cut. Gotterup not even making the weekend was certainly a shock to golf fans.
Top 10 Picks For The Rocket Classic 2026
- Jackson Koivun (+215) - MISS
After Koivun’s big win last week at the 3M Open, I had a feeling the 21 year-old was going to stay hot. Koivun finished T31, and just couldn’t make the necessary shots like he did a week prior. Koivun doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon, but he didn’t cash the Top 10 pick.
- Wyndham Clark (+188) - MISS
Similar to Chris Gotterup, I was stunned to see Wyndham Clark, one of the hottest golfers this summer on tour, not even make it to the weekend. Clark’s putting was what helped him win the U.S. Open, as well as the CJ Cup, and it seems as if his putter isn’t saving him as much as of late. Clark will make the FedEx Cup Playoffs, but from there it is anyone’s guess as to how he will perform.
Top 20 Value Picks For The Rocket Classic 2026
- Hideki Matsuyama (+140) - HIT
Last week it was Hideki who helped us cash a Top 10 pick, and we pulled back and took him as a Top 20 play this week. Matsuyama proved he would have been good for a Top 5 pick if we were bold enough to take him, finishing T5. Nonetheless, Matsuyama is trending upwards in a big way, and helps us cash the +140 play.
- Rickie Fowler (+160) - HIT
Fowler has won this tournament in the past, and when you combine that with the way he had been playing the last time we saw him, my “gut pick” of the week wasn’t that crazy. Fowler finished T8 and helps us sweep the Top 20 picks with the +160 play.
Best Prop Bets, Parlays And Bonus Plays For The 2026 Rocket Classic
For bonus plays, these are picks which I don’t necessarily hang my hat on, but still provide value for some who want more exotic plays outside of the aforementioned picks. Sometimes bonus plays are parlays, double chances, triple chances, and even some fun plays for that particular event.
Here are the bonus plays for the 2026 Rocket Classic:
Top 30: Brooks Koepka (+138) - Withdrew, No Play
Margin of Victory: 2 Shots (+345) - HIT
Tournament Review:
Outright Plays: 2/8
Bonus Plays: 1/1