2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic Power Rankings

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2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic Power Rankings
Patrick Cantlay, Will Zalatoris and Tony Finau are the top-ranked players in the field this week for the 2022 edition of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. (Photos via Getty Images; Art by Pro Golf Weekly)

Now two events removed from Cameron Smith capturing the Claret Jug at famed St. Andrews, the PGA Tour heads to their only Michigan-based event, the Rocket Mortgage Classic, at Detroit Golf Club.

Last year’s event was memorable, as two of the players who made the three-man playoff dueled for five extra holes before Australia’s Cam Davis claimed his first career Tour title.

It may feel like a bit of a lull from The Open until the FedExCup Playoffs, but there is some star power in this week’s field, and a surprising number of players who have been at the top of their game. It also contains a lot of players in the “soooo close to their first Tour win” category.

With just a few weeks left of jostling in the FedExCup standings before the playoffs begin, anyone would be foolish to overlook this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in the story of the 2022 season.

Here are the players we like the most this week at Detroit Golf Club:

15. Callum Tarren

2022 3M Open Callum Tarren
Callum Tarren on the 10th green during the third round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities on July 23, 2022 in Blaine, Minn. (Photo by Stacy Revere via Getty Images)

He ranks barely outside the top 300 in the OWGR and doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page (yet), but the 31-year-old Brit has found his game clicking recently, as a T7 at last week’s 3M Open, which including a second-round 63, was his second top-10 and third result of T22 or better in his last four starts. He also played very well in three of four rounds at last month’s U.S. Open. His career turnaround as of late has been dramatic.

Odds Rank: T33
Odds To Win: 80-1
World Rank: 303rd
Last Six: 7, 22, MC, 6, MC, 31


14. Brendan Steele

Brendan Steele Safeway
Brendan Steele tees off on the first hole during the final round of the Safeway Open at Silverado’s North Course on Oct. 8, 2017 in Napa, CA. Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images

On the cusp of 40, Steele missed five cuts in a row over January and February but has more than found the better version of his game again, making eight cuts in a row before missing the weekend at last week’s 3M Open. Prior to TPC Twin Cities, he had three top-10s in his previous five starts and has been consistently excellent off the tees. He has been better than expected in bigger events, with results of T13 or better at THE PLAYERS, the PGA Championship, and The Memorial Tournament.

Odds Rank: T25
Odds To Win: 66-1
World Rank: 113th
Last Six: MC, 25, 10, 9, MC, 31


13. Maverick McNealy

Maverick McNealy 2022 Valero Texas Open
Maverick McNealy walks off the 2nd tee during the final round of the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio on April 3, 2022 in San Antonio, TX. (Photo by Carmen Mandato via Getty Images)

The Stanford University product has been up-and-down in 2022 but looks like he’s about ready to contend again for his first career Tour title, playing a three-event stretch in T8-T16-T9 before a forgettable outing in Minnesota a week ago. McNealy has consistently played on the weekend, missing just four cuts in 24 starts, and he has too much talent to not win soon. This has been a plus event for him, as he chased a T8 in 2020 with a T21 in 2021.

Odds Rank: T11
Odds To Win: 40-1
World Rank: 73rd
Last Six: 49, 9, 16, 8, MC, MC


12. Adam Hadwin

Adam Hadwin 2022 Valspar Championship
Adam Hadwin gives a thumbs up as he walks to the 14th hole during the third round of the Valspar Championship on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort on Mar 19, 2022 in Palm Harbor, Fla. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice via Getty Images)

The Canadian finished fourth at Detroit Golf Club two years ago and was one of just a small handful of players shoot in the 60s all four rounds. Touting one of the game’s better short games, Hadwin has made 17 of 23 cuts on the season, including five top-10s. He even contended through Sunday at last month’s U.S. Open. He finished strongly at TPC Twin Cities last week, shooting a final-round 67 to give himself some momentum for this week.

Odds Rank: T11
Odds To Win: 40-1
World Rank: 85th
Last Six: 38, MC, 7, 35, 18, 71


11. Webb Simpson

2022 The 150th Open Webb Simpson
Webb Simpson tees off on the 16th hole during Day 2 of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 15, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington via Getty Images)

It seems crazy that the seven-time Tour champion now ranks outside the top 70 in the OWGR, but while his results have been lacking, he is still performing well statistically, and that kind of thing tends to not stay anomalous for long. With three missed cuts in his last four starts, Webb currently sits at 125th in the FedExCup standings, so he should have a little extra motivation this week. He was T8 here three years ago after opening 68-64 to propel to the top of the early leaderboard.

Odds Rank: T11
Odds To Win: 40-1
World Rank: 72nd
Last Six: MC, MC, 13, MC, 27, 20


10. Keegan Bradley

2022 The 150th Open Keegan Bradley
Keegan Bradley plays a shot on the 2nd hole during a practice round prior to The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 13, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images)

Do not look too much into Bradley’s awful last two starts on Tour, which were both overseas links golf events. It probably did not help his confidence much, but before leaving the U.S., he had made 14 of his previous 15 cuts, with top-five finishes at THE PLAYERS Championship, the Zurich Classic, and the Wells Fargo Championship, the last of which he was T2. Bradley currently ranks 14th on Tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green and has even been a plus with his putter this year, a club that has long been his Achilles heel. He finished T14 at last year’s event, closing with three consecutive 68s.

Odds Rank: T11
Odds To Win: 40-1
World Rank: 46th
Last Six: MC, MC, 19, 7, 37, 48


9. Cam Davis

Cam Davis Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis reacts after putting on the 15th hole in the second sudden death playoff hole with Troy Merritt during the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on July 04, 2021 at the Detroit GC in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Gregory Shamus via Getty Images)

The defending champion outlasted Troy Merritt in a five-hole playoff, showing incredible nerves in notching his first career victory. The Aussie had a difficult start to the season, but has found a groove as of late, making his last seven cuts and recording four top-10s in his last nine starts. He was T16 at the 3M last week, with his 20 birdies tying for fourth in the field.

Odds Rank: 6th
Odds To Win: 28-1
World Rank: 71st
Last Six: 16, 6, 8, 56, 53, 7


8. Denny McCarthy

2022 U.S. Open Denny McCarthy
Denny McCarthy tees off on the 8th hole during the final round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 19, 2022 in Brookline, Mass. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird via Getty Images)

An absolute magician with a putter in his hands, McCarthy looks very close to notching his first Tour win, arriving in Detroit with top-7s in three of his last four starts. It would be unfair to expect his long game to catch his marvelous short game, but he has improved as of late off the tees as well. McCarthy shot four rounds in the 60s when he finished T21 three years ago. Many would be surprised to learn that he has the 14th best scoring average on Tour.

Odds Rank: T11
Odds To Win: 40-1
World Rank: 87th
Last Six: 6, MC, 7, 5, 27, 48


7. Kevin Kisner

2022 The 150th Open Kevin Kisner
Kevin Kisner on the 4th hole during Day 4 of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 17, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington via Getty Images)

Short and accurate off the tees and spectacular on the greens, it has been a typical season for the world No. 27 Kisner, who has five top 10s on the 2022 season. He recently emerged from a slump of five consecutive missed cuts with a T6 at last month’s Travelers Championship and a T21 at The Open Championship, where he went 70-65-70 after a tough start. The four-time Tour winner has shown a great level of comfort at Detroit Golf Club, following up a T3 in 2020 with a T8 a year ago.

Odds Rank: T7
Odds To Win: 33-1
World Rank: 27th
Last Six: 21, 6, MC, MC, MC, MC


6. Adam Scott

2022 The 150th Open Adam Scott
Adam Scott on the 2nd hole during Day 4 of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 17, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Oisin Keniry for the R&A via Getty Images)

The 42-year-old 14-time champion looks like a bit of an odd addition to the field, given he has not played this event before and tends to be pretty choosy with what tournaments to play at this point in his career, but he is set to compete, and he plans to contend. Scott has missed just two cuts in 15 starts this season and is coming off two consecutive top-15s: a T14 at the U.S. Open and a T15 at The Open Championship. This will be just the second non-major he has played in the past 2.5 months, and we suspect he will be extraordinarily relaxed. A good result would do wonders for his chances of making a deep run in the FedExCup playoffs. He currently ranks 77th.

Odds Rank: T7
Odds To Win: 33-1
World Rank: 27th
Last Six: 21, 6, MC, MC, MC, MC


5. Max Homa

Max Homa wins 2022 Wells Fargo Championship
Max Homa lines up a putt during the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm on May 8, 2022 in Potomac, MD. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu via Getty Images)

At No. 20 in the world rankings, Homa is the last of five top-20 players in attendance at Detroit Golf Club this week. It has been an unforgettable season for the well-liked 31-year-old, who has two wins on the season and ranks 11th in the FedExCup standings. We are still looking for Homa’s first time in major contention, but this week’s event in no way resembles a major, so there is little reason to not expect him to be a factor through the weekend. He ranks well in the positive in all six strokes gained categories, as is in the top 20 in four of them. An advantage Homa has over the other big-name players is that he has actually played this event twice, even though he did not finish particularly great either time (T47. T25).

Odds Rank: 5th
Odds To Win: 20-1
World Rank: 20th
Last Six: MC, 16, 47, 5, 23, 13


4. Tony Finau

Tony Finau Wins 2022 3M Open TPC Twin Cities
Tony Finau plays his shot on the 12th hole during the final round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities on July 24, 2022 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

It cannot really be argued that Finau got considerable help last week from Scott Piercy at the 3M Open, as an absolute Piercy back-nine implosion gave an extremely unlikely opening. However, the way Finau took advantage of his opportunity was valiant, as a 4-under 67 gave him a three-stroke victory, his third win on Tour. That makes two wins over the past year for Finau, who has now unequivocally shed the reputation he had developed as someone who could not close. Can he make it back-to-back weeks? With this field, it is certainly possible, especially if his tee-to-green game is anywhere in the realm of spectacular that it was at TPC Twin Cities, where he gained more than six strokes to the field tee-to-green on both Thursday and Saturday.

Odds Rank: T2
Odds To Win: 14-1
World Rank: 16th
Last Six: 1, 28, 13, MC, 2, 4


3. Cameron Young

2022 The 150th Open Cameron Young
Cameron Young on the 5th green during Day 4 of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 17, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote for the R&A via Getty Images)

The last time we saw the 25-year-old rookie sensation Young, he carded an incredible eagle-2 at the par 4 18th hole at St. Andrews to finish solo-second at The Open Championship, an event he led after the first round. That makes four silver medals on the season for Young, who also has two third-place finishes. A win in Detroit, which would be his first career victory, would cement his season as one of the best rookie campaigns in recent memory. Ranking second on Tour in strokes gained: off-the-tee, there are few players who look like a bigger threat this week.

Odds Rank: 4th
Odds To Win: 16-1
World Rank: 19th
Last Six: 2, MC, MC, 60, 3, 2


2. Patrick Cantlay

2022 The 150th Open Patrick Cantlay-1
Patrick Cantlay prepares to play his shot on the 2nd hole during Day 4 of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 17, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Oisin Keniry for the R&A via Getty Images)

The highest-ranked player in this week’s field is the world No. 4 Cantlay who is arriving at Detroit in sizzling form. His T8 two weeks ago at The Open Championship was his seventh top-15 in his last eight starts, with five of those being top-10s. The reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year will be disappointed that he has to wait until next April for his next chance at a first career major tournament, but he has put himself in excellent position to defend his FedExCup title (currently ranked sixth), and at fourth on Tour in birdie average he is among those best suited to conquer this course.

Odds Rank: 1st
Odds To Win: 10-1
World Rank: 4th
Last Six: 8, 4, 13, 14, 3, MC


1. Will Zalatoris

2022 The 150th Open Will Zalatoris
Will Zalatoris plays his shot on the 4th hole during Day 3 of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 16, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Warren Little via Getty Images)

The inevitable first Tour victory for the big-game hunter Zalatoris spanned past the major championship season, but it has been an incredible sophomore campaign for the 25-year-old, who has three runner-ups among eight top-10s, with two of those runner-ups coming in majors. Having his first win on Tour in a smaller event like this would feel anticlimactic, but since this isn’t a movie, there is no reason to discount the possibility. At world No. 13, Zalatoris is the second highest-ranked player in the field and he should be confident and motivated to end his early career 0-for.

Odds Rank: T2
Odds To Win: 14-1
World Rank: 13th
Last Six: 28, MC, 2, 5, MC, 2


Next Five: Chesson Hadley, Chris Kirk, Kevin Streelman, Joohyung Kim, Rickie Fowler


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