2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic First-Round Leader Bets & Picks: Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed Highlight Top Options
Michael Reaves/Getty Images. Pictured: Patrick Reed, left, and Bryson DeChambeau.
The PGA TOUR heads to the Motor City this week for the third edition of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Detroit Country Club, which is thought to be the first 36-hole facility designed by Donald Ross, will host again.
Here's a look at the players who can make a run in Thursday's opening round.
Bryson DeChambeau (+2000)
This one kind of goes without saying. Big Bison overpowered the golf course last year and made every putt at which he looked. It was an epic battle last year between the long hitter and Matt Wolff, another very long hitter.
Last year, DeChambeau gained more than 15 shots total on the field and dominated in the other categories across the board. He is coming off of some nice momentum after the The Travelers, where he finished tied for 19th place.
Patrick Reed (+2800)
It's weird to think Reed hasn't been the topic of conversation lately. He's been quiet since his win at The Farmers in January, despite a handful of top-20 finishes.
Reed enters the week second in Strokes Gained: Total. His SG: Putting and SG: Around the Greens are also very solid. His game is in a great spot as he readies for the The Open Championship.
Keegan Bradley (+5000)
Despite missing his last two cuts, Bradley has been on an absolute heater of late. I mentioned Bradley's first-round scoring run recently and this is a good week for him to get back to it.
Bradley's ball-striking stats are pretty solid right now. He comes into this week second in the field in SG: Tee to Green, SG: Ball Striking and SG: Approach. He's has never been a stud putter in his career, but it seems to be coming around.
Doc Redman (+6600)
Redman nearly won the inaugural playing of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2019. He had another solid showing in 2020, finishing in a tie for 21st. After missing the cut at the Wells Fargo, Redman has two top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at the Palmetto Championship.
Redman's gain is looking solid right now. In his last two starts, he has opened with round of 65 and 69. He's ready to peak at the right time in the season, especially as he heads into an event where he had a second-place finish in only his eighth event on the tour at the time.
Brice Garnett (+8000)
Garnett heads to Detroit Country Club coming off of a T-5 finish at The Travelers. He had a very consistent week, never wavering from the top of the leaderboard. And although having just one start at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Garnett is notched a Top-20 finish in two years ago.
Despite struggling a bit with his ball striking, he putted lights out and still gained an average of nine shots on the field last week. DeChambeau proved to us last year that a good putter can win this tournament. That's good news for Garnett, who jumped from 40th to 10th this week in SG: Putting on Tour.
Nate Lashley (+10000)
Believe it or not, Lashley actually leads the field in Strokes Gained: Total in Detroit. He won the inaugural event in 2019, but then missed the cut last year.
Despite his poor performance in 2020, Lashley is worth a major longs-hot FRL bet considering how he absolutely destroyed the course back at the 2019 event.
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