PGA Tour Brunch | Rocket Classic
Second Round Coverage of the 2026 Rocket Mortgage Classic
DETROIT - Peter Malnati (1st/-9) opened with a 7-under 28 on the front nine and added two birdies on the back (Nos. 11, 13) en route a 9-under (61). He had a legit putt for (60) but missed and tapped in to close out his day. It marked his lowest 18-hole score in 908career rounds on TOUR (previous: 62, 2020 Shriners Children’s Open/R2, 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii/R1).
Malnati set the tournament course record, surpassing Jake Knapp’s (62) from the second round of the 2025 Rocket Classic. Malnati carded the lowest first-round score by any player on TOUR this season, although nine players recorded first-round 62s this season, with only one player converting the early lead into victory (Justin Rose/Farmers Insurance Open).
Malnati earned his third career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR in his 321st start; solo leader at 2020 Butterfield Bermuda Championship (finished T21), co-leader at 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii (finished T14).
Tournament Notes:
The 2023 Rocket Classic winner Rickie Fowler (T2/-7) recorded his lowest score in 25 career rounds at Detroit Golf Club. He’s one of six players to compete in all eight playings of the Rocket Classic; marks his fourth round of 63 or better this season and the 14th of his PGA TOUR career (1,331 career rounds). This year, it was done on a re-designed course.
Ryan Gerard (T2/-7) ties his PGA TOUR career low with a bogey-free 63, highlighted by a back-nine 29 with five birdies on his final six holes; entered the week coming off a T9 finish in his last start at The Open Championship; No. 18 in the FedExCup standings owns five top-10s in 21 starts this season, including three runner-up finishes (2nd/the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, 2nd/Sony Open in Hawaii, T2/The American Express).
Patrick Fishburn (T4/-6) cards his low round of the season with a 64, his best 18-hole score on TOUR since a career-low (62) at the 2025 RSM Classic (R2); sits T4, tied for his best 18-hole position on TOUR in his 74th career start; led the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green (2.407).
Patrick Cantlay (T4/-6) is making his third appearance in the Rocket Classic where he owns one runner-up finish (2022). The eight-time PGA TOUR winner seeks his first title since the 2022 BMW Championship.
Rocket Classic | Leaderboard After 18 Holes
1 Peter Malnati 61 (-9)
T2 Rickie Fowler 63 (-7)
T2 Ryan Gerard 63 (-7)
T4 Patrick Fishburn 64 (-6)
T4 Patrick Cantlay 64 (-6)
Leaderboard After 18 Holes: (link)
Rocket Mortgage Classic | Tournament Facts
COURSE: Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan
YARDS/PAR: 7,328 yards/Par 70
ARCHITECT: Donald Ross
PRIZE Money - Purse: $10,00,000/$1,800,000
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Aldrich Potgieter
PAST RESULTS: (link)
OVERVIEW: (link)
FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @RocketClassic
Rocket Mortgage Classic | Basics
The Tee Times today are from 7:00am to 2:11pm (EDT).
Weather: Today’s forecast is for mostly sunny skies and a zero percent chance of rain. Winds at 4-to-6 mph.
Tournament Web Site: (link)
FedEx Cup Standings: (link)
PGA Tour Brunch will post at 8:00am (ET) on Saturday.
Rocket Mortgage Classic | How to Watch
Friday, July 31, 2026 - (All Times Eastern)
7:00am - 6:00pm - ESPN+ Streaming
12 Noon - 6:00pm - PGA Tour Radio (Online and Sirius XM Radio)
3:00pm - 6:00pm - Golf Channel and Peacock Streaming
How to Watch (link)
Rocket Mortgage Classic | Field, Updates and Tee Times
The Field: (link)
Updates:
Saturday, July 25
Keith Mitchell WD / Matt Kuchar IN
Sunday, July 26
Maverick McNealy WD / Lanto Griffin IN
Blades Brown WD from alternate list
Monday, July 27
Ben Kohles IN (via top-10 finish) / Lanto Griffin OUT
Field expands from 145 to 147 to round out groupings:
Lanto Griffin IN
Justin Lower IN
Dan Brown WD / Zac Blair IN
Tee Times: (link)
Rocket Mortgage Classic | What They’re Saying
Malnati Putted for 60 at Rocket Mortgage Classic (CBS Sports)
Malnato Fires a 61 at Rocket Classic (ESPN)
Announcer Free Feed on ESPN+ (PGATourCom)
How to Watch on Friday (PGATourCom)
On This Day in Golf History
July 31, 1988 - Two weeks after winning The Open Championship for the third time, Seve Ballesteros won his 37th European PGA Tour title at the Scandinavian Enterprise Open, defeating runner-up Gerry Taylor by five strokes. - Courtesy of Randy Walker, Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt
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