Rickie Fowler carded a 9-under 63 in the opening round of the Rocket Classic on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at Detroit Golf Club.
The tournament marks the PGA Tour's final stop in the city after an eight-year run.
The $10 million event, which debuted in 2019 as the first PGA Tour tournament held entirely within Detroit city limits, will not return to Michigan.
Title sponsor Rocket declined its option for 2027, according to Sports Business Journal.
The PGA Tour announced that insurance company Sompo will take over the calendar slot in 2027 at Silverado Resort in Napa, California.
Fowler Reflects on Detroit Farewell
Fowler, who won his sixth PGA Tour title at this event in 2023, expressed mixed feelings about the tournament's departure.
Speaking on the Brad Galli show before his round, he said, "It's a bummer that this is the last year, especially being partnered with Rocket for so long and being a part of the journey of getting a tournament to Detroit.
So, kind of all come to a potential end; like this is kind of a bummer, but yeah, you never know what the future holds."
Fowler became a brand ambassador in 2015 to help bring professional golf back to the area after the Buick Open ended in 2009.
He praised the local fan support throughout the event's tenure.
"The fan support's always been here, but I feel like there's been more and more fans every year.
And even this year, it's gotten bigger and better from last year. So it's been a fun ride," Fowler said.
After his opening round, Fowler told reporters, "Yeah, no, it's definitely been a bummer to kind of come into this knowing it was the last one."
He added, "It's been fun for me to have a partnership with Rocket and see this event make its way here because that was always a dream of theirs to have an event back in Detroit, and to see it continue to grow over the years, felt like it just kept getting bigger and better."
The 37-year-old golfer noted his 2023 victory at the venue as a career highlight.
"Having the association with Rocket, I think the win in '23 helped solidify that," he said.
PGA Tour Changes and Notable Absences
Fowler also commented on the PGA Tour's planned structural changes for 2028, including the Championship Series and Challenger Series.
"Yeah, it's tough to really know until obviously everything's out," he said. He acknowledged that officials are working to streamline player schedules and qualifying criteria.
"I know everyone at the Tour on the board level and higher up than where I'm involved, they're putting a lot of time and effort and focus on trying to get it as close to right as possible," Fowler said.
"I think it simplifies things and you know kind of going in depending on where you're at what your schedule is, not having any of this, 'am I in this event, do I need to go play down or go over here'?"
He concluded, "So is it going to be better? I'm not sure.
I think it helps, like I said, simplify things and give a little clearer idea for the player, for the fans.
So I do think it has the potential to be better than where we currently are."
The 145-player field includes Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, and defending champion Aldrich Potgieter.
Phil Mickelson is absent from the entry list released on July 24.
Mickelson, who played the event once in 2021, previously expressed frustration over a local report about a past gambling dispute.
He has played in only one professional event in 2026, tying for 48th at a LIV Golf event in South Africa in March.
A spokesperson for Mickelson said he continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will return to professional golf.
The 2026 Rocket Classic runs through Sunday, August 2, marking the final PGA Tour event scheduled at Detroit Golf Club.
