Michael Thorbjornsen won his first PGA Tour title by two shots at the final Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club in Michigan on Sunday. The 24-year-old American sank a 26-foot birdie putt on his final hole to finish with a seven-under 63 and reach 18 under overall.
Thorbjornsen started the fourth round three shots behind leader Davis Riley before surging into the lead on the back nine. He moved ahead at the 14th hole with his third birdie during a six-hole stretch and closed his bogey-free round with a curling putt on the 72nd hole.
"Perfect pace, perfect read," Thorbjornsen said. "It was such a battle, playing with some great players. Everyone was in the mix after nine holes."
Final round moves at Detroit Golf Club
Riley suffered a rough start with four bogeys, opening opportunities for the field. Thorbjornsen took advantage by accurately aiming for pins to set up short birdie putts, alongside a 35-foot chip-in for birdie at the 12th hole.
Conditions at the course began with rain before turning windy when the clouds cleared, leaving many competitors unable to post a bogey-free score. Thorbjornsen becomes the eighth first-time winner on the PGA Tour this season and the second straight, following Jackson Koivun's victory last week at the 3M Open.
Xander Schauffele briefly led during the final round and finished second, two shots back. Riley ended another stroke behind in third place, while Rasmus Hojgaard was alone in fourth, four shots back. Hideki Matsuyama, Matt Wallace and Kristoffer Ventura tied for fifth, another stroke behind.
Career background and tournament changes
Thorbjornsen was born in Cleveland, grew up in Massachusetts and attended Stanford. He previously won the 2018 US Junior Amateur over Akshay Bhatia, who has three PGA Tour wins.
The event marked the eighth and final Rocket Classic, drawing its strongest field and biggest crowds. Rocket Mortgage decided not to exercise its option to host another tournament next year as the PGA Tour moves to a new model for 2028, effectively creating two tours.
Live coverage of the PGA Tour continues with the Wyndham Championship starting Thursday, August 6 on Sky Sports. Early coverage begins at 11:45am ahead of full coverage from 8pm on Sky Sports Golf.
