Five-time major champ Brooks Koepka to play Detroit's Rocket Classic
Article excerpt
Brooks Koepka has added the Rocket Classic to his schedule as he positions himself to play PGA Tour playoff events.
Detroit, Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, one of the biggest names in the sport who defected to LIV Golf in 2022 before returning to the PGA Tour earlier this year, will play in the Rocket Classic later this month.
A tournament official confirmed Koepka's commitment Monday.
It will be Koepka's first time playing the Rocket Classic, which will be played for the eighth and final time July 30-Aug. 2 at Detroit Golf Club. Koepka adds to a field that already includes world No. 4 Cameron Young, world No. 8 and two-time U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, and world No. 14 and two-time major champion Xander Schauffele.
Koepka became the first player to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf and then return to the PGA Tour when he was let out of his LIV Golf contract early in January. With his return to the PGA Tour came several significant financial penalties, including ineligibility for 2026 FedEx Cup bonus payouts.
But Koepka still is eligible to compete in playoff events and for those tournament purses if he qualifies. He's currently 84th in the playoff points race, and he'd make the first playoff event if he finishes the regular season in the top 70.
The Rocket Classic is the second-to-last regular-season tournament before the start of the PGA Tour playoffs, so it's possible the Rocket could get some more notable names who still find themselves on the bubble later this month.
Koepka, 36, has played in 14 PGA Tour tournaments since returning, and made nine cuts. He has five top-15 finishes, including a tie for 12th at the Masters and a tie for 13th at The Players Championship. Koepka has won nine times on the PGA Tour, including the U.S. Open in 2017 and 2018 and the PGA Championship in 2018, 2019 and 2023. In 2023, he became the first active LIV Golf player to win a major championship.
In other Detroit field news, Aaron Rai, who on the PGA Championship in May, no longer is committed to playing in the Rocket Classic. He had been committed before winning his first major but now is reevaluating his schedule, a tournament official confirmed.
The field for the 2026 Rocket Classic, which also includes defending champion Aldrich Potgieter and other past champions Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau and Cameron Davis, will be mostly finalized around 5 p.m. July 24.
Who's playing in the 2026 Rocket Classic?
Rocket Classic commitments, as of July 13:
Akshay Bhatia
Keegan Bradley
Sam Burns
Ricky Castillo
Wyndham Clark
Brad Dalke
Cameron Davis
Nico Echavarria
Tony Finau
Rickie Fowler
Russell Henley
Nicolai Hojgaard
Rasmus Hojgaard
Joe Hooks
Sungjae Im
William Jennings
Si Woo Kim
Hideki Matsuyama
Aldrich Potgieter
Xander Schauffele
Brandt Snedeker
Cameron Young
When is the 2026 Rocket Classic?
▶ When: July 30-Aug. 2
▶ Where: Detroit Golf Club
▶ 2025 champion: Aldrich Potgieter
▶ Tickets: Starting at $68; children 15 and younger get in free with a ticketed adult. Details at RocketClassic.com.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Five-time major champ Brooks Koepka to play Detroit's Rocket Classic