Rocket Mortgage Classic
Detroit Golf Club
Detroit, MI
Playing this season on conditional status and out of the final twosome on Sunday, alternate and World No. 353 Nate Lashley steadied a 2-under-par 36-34=70 in the final round of the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic for a 72-hole tally of 25-under 263, good for a six-shot, wire-to-wire victory over runner-up and open-qualifier Doc Redman (67), and his first PGA TOUR title in 33 events.
Rory Sabbatini (68) and Wes Roach (68) shared 3rd place, seven adrift, while playing competitor J.T. Poston fell nine spots to T11 after a 1-over 73.
The 36-year-old, who began the day with a six-shot lead, was the last of four alternates to get into the field, gaining a spot around noon on Wednesday.
The results for the other three alternates:
Will Claxton: missed cut by seven
Talor Gooch: T17 (paired with Lashley the first two rounds)
Dominic Bozzelli: T59
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Lashley’s entry was so late in fact, that he was never picked up by the bookmakers (or Draft Kings), so there’s no pre-tourney odds to list here.
This writer has been tracking outright odds since 2013 and this is the first time that this has happened.
Final Leaderboard (pre-tourney odds outright):
1- (-25, 263) Nate Lashley (N/A)
2- (-19, 269) Doc Redman (250/1)
3- (-18, 270) Rory Sabbatini (50/1)
3- (-18, 270) Wes Roach (300/1)
Lashley’s Position by Round:
R1: 1 (by 1)
R2: 1 (by 1)
R3: 1 (by 6)
How Lashley Won the Tournament:
Ranked 1st (or T1) in: Total Birdies; Birdie or Better Percentage; All-Around
Ranked 2nd (or T2) in: Birdie to Bogey Ratio; Putts per GIR; Total Putts; SG: Putting
Note: See “Strokes Gained Leaders Stats” at the bottom, along with his full stats.
Least Important Stat(s): Driving Distance (ranked T53); Par-3 Scoring (T28)
The Rocket Mortgage was the 36th tourney of the season, 34th not counting team and the match-play events, and the Arizona alum (2005) is just the second wire-to-wire winner, joining Brooks Koepka at the PGA Championship.
He’s the second straight Scottsdale, Arizona, resident to win, joining Chez Reavie, who also led by six after 54 holes at last week’s Travelers before going on to win by four.
Lashley is the first alternate to win since Vaughn Taylor (as a 250/1) at the 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 149 regular-season events ago, who came from six back (T8) with 7-under 65 to win by one over 54-hole leader Phil Mickelson.
The Nebraska native attempted to open qualify on Monday – at The Orchards Golf Club – where non-member Redman was medalist with 10-under 62. He carded a bogey-free 68, but that was two swings short of a playoff for the final two spots.
Lashley began the season on a Minor Medical Extension due to knee surgery in June, 2018, that limited his rookie campaign to 17 starts. He failed to meet those terms (by 21.953 FedExCup points) after a MC at the opposite-field Corales back in March, but did post four top 25s among his eight available starts, which was enough to secure conditional status.
Included in those four top 25s was a previous-best T8 at the opposite-field Puerto Rico Open in February (as a 36-hole co-leader), Lashley’s only other top-10 finish on TOUR.
Redman, 21, is a Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada member and the 2017 U.S. Amateur champion. The former Clemson Tiger’s runner-up is his first top 10 in eight events (five pro), and enough to earn Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the season. His prior best came in his last start on the main stage, a T18 at the 2019 Wells Fargo on a sponsor invite.
As part of The Open Qualifying Series, both Lashley and Redman earn spots into The Open Championship in three weeks at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, where they’ll both make their tourney debuts.
Redman checked in off a 5-for-5 run on the developmental circuits, highlighted by a solo 2nd three starts ago in Canada.
Lashley arrived off a T28 at the U.S. Open two weeks ago in his major debut (67-74-70-72).
With the win, he earns a host of goodies, including a two-year exemption and an invite to the 2020 Masters.
Q&A:
Q: Nate, from the alternate list to this table as a champion on the PGA TOUR, if we can get your thoughts.
A: Yeah. I mean. I wasn’t even sure I was going to get into the tournament. Ended up being in here right now, it’s a dream. I’m just really grateful that I got into the tournament. Happy to be here in Detroit and love the place and look forward to coming back.
Q: And this opens up so many opportunities for you now.
A: Yeah. You know, job security for one; getting into the majors, the Masters, it’s a dream come true.
Lashley’s TOUR Career:
Seasons: 2
Starts: 33
Cuts Made: 19 (57.5%)
Top 25s: 7 (21.2%)
Top 10s: 2 (6.0%)
Top 3s: 1 (3.0%)
Wins: 1 (3.0%)
Lashley’s Season:
Starts: 15
Cuts Made: 11
Top 25s: 5
Top 10s: 2
Top 3s: 1
Wins: 1
Season Form (last 10 starts): 1-28-MC-69-29-45-MC-MC-MC-8
Lashley on Sunday:
After kicking off with 63-67-63, the 63’s career lows, Lashley began with a six-shot lead over Poston, seven clear of Cameron Tringale and eight clear of Patrick Reed.
He hit 10 (of 14) fairways and 14 greens in regulation, outpacing two bogeys at holes 6 and 9 (3-putt from 39’10”), with four circles at 1, 3, 13 and 17, two from between 10 and 14 feet.
OUT: even-par 36 (2 birdies, 2 bogeys); Lashley leads by 6 over Brian Stuard, Redman, and Reed.
IN: 2-under 34 (2 birdies, 0 bogeys); Lashley WINS by 6 (over Redman).
He posted -0.191 SG: Off-the-Tee, -0.514 SG: Approach, -0.717 SG: Around, -1.422 SG: Tee-to-Green, and 1.337 SG: Putting with 29 total putts, wrapping the week with 28 birdies against just three bogeys.
By the Numbers:
2004: Lashley’s parents and girlfriend died in a 2004 plane crash while traveling back from watching him play a college event at the University of Arizona. He found out on Saturday that his sister was coming to Detroit for the final round.
63: Lashley’s 63 in R1 and R3 were career lows and competitive course records. Poston also shot a career-low 63 in R2.
23-under: Lashley’s 23-under total thru three rounds was the lowest score to par thru 54 holes of the season, previously 22-under by Phil Mickelson at the Desert Classic, who ended up T2.
192: Lashley’s 193 aggregate thru 54 holes was tied second-lowest on the season with two others. The lowest is 192 by Matt Kuchar, who led by two at the Sony and won by four.
25-under: Lashley’s 25-under is the third-lowest score to par of the season behind 26-under by CIMB winner Marc Leishman, and Desert Classic winner Adam Long.
2/9: Lashley’s revised outright betting entering R4.
9 years, 10 months: This was the first TOUR event held within the city limits of Detroit and the first in Michigan since the 2009 Buick Open – which ended on Aug. 2nd – over 9 years, 10 months ago. The Buick was contested at Warwick Hills G&CC in Grand Blanc and won by Tiger Woods, his third victory (in nine tries) and his sixth straight top-3 finish in the event.
7: There are now just seven events (five weeks) remaining in the regular season, including one major (The Open), one WGC (FedEx St. Jude), and two opposite-field events.
28: Cameron Champ’s outward 8-under 28 (1 eagle-3, 6 birdies) in R2 was the third 28 of 2018-19 (Carlos Ortiz, front/R2/Desert Classic; Reavie, back/R3/Travelers), matching the lowest nine-hole score of the season. It moved him from T11 after R1 to solo 2nd and into the final twosome on Saturday, and promptly chucked up a 75 versus playing competitor Lashley’s 63.
5-under: The 36-hole cut of 5-under was the lowest of the season, previously 4-under at the Mayakoba.
MC: Last week’s Travelers winner Reavie MC by four. He was T4 after R1 (65-78).
MC: World No. 2 Dustin Johnson, a pre-tourney 11/2 fave outright and the only player here representing the OWGR Top 10, MC by three (71-71). It was his first MC of the season in 14 starts and first since The Open last July, ending a streak of 20 consecutive made cuts.
35: Through 35 non-team events this season, the pre-tourney fave/co-fave has won one time: Rory McIlroy (12/1) at THE PLAYERS.
68: First-time member (not a rookie) Joaquin Niemann wrapped with bogey-free 68 for a career-tying-best T5, his second straight T5 after last week’s Travelers, where he closed with bogey-free 66.
T5: Six players finished T5, eight back: Niemann, Brandt Snedeker, Ted Potter, Jr., Stuard, Tringale, Reed.
54: Snedeker, one of 14 players to make the cut (T58) on the number, played his final 54 holes in bogey-free 15-under. He now owns four top 10s on the season in 21 starts, all four doubling as top 5s.
20: Sepp Straka just missed out on his first career top 10 (in 19 starts) but took top-rookie honors (of 20) with a career-best T11 (68-67-70-67).
15: Matt Kuchar (idle) remained atop the FedExCup standings for the 15th week this season, including the last 14 weeks in a row.
T3: Roach’s T3 was just his second top 10 in 60 events, first since the 2014 Puerto Rico Open.
Field Scoring Average:
This was the inaugural Rocket Mortgage with Detroit Golf Club playing host.
Par 72 (36-36)
7,340 yards
R1: 69.71
R2: 70.62
R3: 70.11
R4: 69.92
Total: 70.11
Lashley: 63-67-63-70
SG: Total: 17.350
Strength of Field:
With a Strength of Field rating of 276, Lashley banks 46.00 world-ranking points:
OWGR: From 353 to 101 (up 252); career high
Note: Lashley’s previous career high was 177 after the 2017 Wells Fargo.
FedExCup: From 132 to 40 (up 92)
Leader/co-leaders by Round:
R1: Nate Lashley (finished: Won): Improves to 1-for-1 as 18-hole leader/co-leader
R2: Nate Lashley (Won): Improves to 1-for-2 as 36-hole leader/co-leader
R3: Nate Lashley (Won): Improves to 1-for-1 as 54-hole leader/co-leader
Note: Lashley is the fourth straight 54-hole leader/co-leader to win this season and eighth in the last nine.
Low Rounds:
R1: 63: Nate Lashley
R2: 63: J.T. Poston
R3: 63: Nate Lashley
R4: 64: Viktor Hovland, Billy Horschel
Note: Lashley, Poston and Hovland record career lows.
Bogey-free Rounds:
R1: (22): Nate Lashley (63); Ryan Armour (64); Nick Watney (64); Talor Gooch (65); Stewart Cink (65); Kevin Streelman (66); Harris English (66); Scott Stallings (66); Martin Piller (66); Tom Hoge (67); Joey Garber (67); Carlos Ortiz (67); Ted Potter, Jr. (68); Russell Henley (68_MC); Jimmy Walker (68); Patrick Reed (68); Max Homa (68); Cameron Tringale (68); Josh Teater (68); Anirban Lahiri (69); Brice Garnett (69); Vaughn Taylor (70)
R2: (9): Brian Gay (66); Doc Redman (67); Hideki Matsuyama (67); Brice Garnett (67); Rickie Fowler (68); Denny McCarthy (68); Wes Homan (68); Roberto Castro (69); Brandt Snedeker (69)
R3: (9): Nate Lashley (63); Brandt Snedeker (65); Sungjae Im (66); Wes Roach (67); Aaron Wise (67); Rory Sabbatini (68); Hideki Matsuyama (68); Ted Potter, Jr. (68); Byeong Hun An (69)
R4: (4): Viktor Hovland (64); Brandt Snedeker (67); Joaquin Niemann (68); Joey Garber (69)
Multiple Bogey-free Rounds: Snedeker (x3); Lashley, Matsuyama, Potter, Jr., Garnett, Garber (x2)
Draw:
A total of 71 players from a field of 156 made the 36-hole cut of 5-under 139:
37 (of 78) EARLY/late
34 (of 76) LATE/early; 2 WDs
Top 10s:
10
EARLY/late (4):
Nate Lashley (Won); Joaquin Niemann (T5); Brian Stuard (T5); Ted Potter, Jr. (T5)
LATE/early (6):
Doc Redman (2nd); Rory Sabbatini (T3); Wes Roach (T3); Brandt Snedeker (T5); Patrick Reed (T5); Cameron Tringale (T5)
24
24 (of 36) tourneys so far this season with a traditional draw:
Winners:
EARLY/late: 10 (Lashley)
LATE/early: 14
37
Season Winners, including team-Zurich:
14 winners were in their 20s
17 were in their 30s (Lashley age: 36)
6 were in their 40s
Season Leaders in Top-10 Finishes:
11: Rory McIlroy
9: Jon Rahm
8: Gary Woodland, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Cantlay
6: Paul Casey, Jason Day, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Sungjae Im, Marc Leishman, Scott Piercy
5: Rory Sabbatini, Chez Reavie, Xander Schauffele, Ryan Palmer, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas
Consecutive Top 10s on TOUR:
3: Adam Scott (7-2-8)
2: Joaquin Niemann (5-5)
2: Henrik Stenson (9-8)
2: Rory McIlroy (9-1)
Consecutive Top-10 Streak Ended:
2: Chez Reavie (MC-1-3)
Lashley’s Weekly Stats (ranking of 71 players):
Birdies: 28 (1st)
Bogeys: 3 (T3)
Birdie or Better: 38.89% (1st)
Birdie to Bogey Ratio: 9.33 (2nd)
Par-3 Scoring: 2.94 (T28)
Par-4 Scoring: 3.65 (1st)
Par-5 Scoring: 4.38 (T5)
Driving Distance (all drives): 291.0 yards (T53)
Driving Accuracy: 41/56 (T11) at 73.21%
GIR: 59/72 (T4) at 81.94%
Proximity: 29’1” (20th)
Putts per GIR: 1.576 (2nd)
Total Putts: 106 (2nd)
Putts by Round: 23-29-25-29
Scrambling: 11/13 (3rd) at 84.62%
All-Around: 1st
Leaders in Strokes Gained Stats:
SG: Off-the-Tee:
1. Seth Reeves (3.765)
2. Jason Kokrak (3.351)
3. Wyndham Clark (3.175)
4. Sungjae Im (3.051)
5. Joey Garber (3.012)
29. Nate Lashley (0.662)
SG: Approach-the-Green:
1. Danny Lee (6.268)
2. Josh Teater (6.400)
3. Patrick Reed (6.274)
4. Jason Kokrak (6.075
5. Kyle Stanley (6.014)
6. Nate Lashley (5.553)
Note: The TOUR’s media site began recalculating when the writer reached this point, so the below stats and rankings are currently unavailable.
SG: Around-the-Green
SG: Putting
SG: Tee-to-Green
