Rocket Mortgage Classic: Steve Palmer's betting preview, lowdown & TV details

TV: Sky Sports Golf, 1pm Thursday

Detroit is a sports-mad city that is thrilled to stage a US Tour event for the first time and Dustin Johnson has arrived to headline the field for the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The 2009 Buick Open was the last US Tour shootout in Michigan and large galleries are guaranteed for golf-starved locals at Detroit GC this week. Johnson, the world number two and a 20-time US Tour champion, could take a shine to the course and the atmosphere but he has produced lacklustre efforts in Canada and at Pebble Beach since his US PGA runner-up spot and 6-1 on uncharted terrain is no bargain.

Gary Woodland makes his first appearance since winning the US Open, while Sunday's runaway Travelers Championship victor Chez Reavie is unusually prominent in the betting as 25-1 fifth-favourite.

Palmer's top tip
Hideki Matsuyama 14-1

The last time Hideki Matsuyama won a US Tour event was the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, a five-shot romp in Akron, Ohio, and the Japanese star looks ready to end his mini-drought a three-hour drive up the road from the scene of that WGC glory.

Matsuyama's Presidents Cup debut and his maiden US Tour title – the 2014 Memorial – also came across the Michigan border in Ohio. He is comfortable in that part of the world and seems to thrive in front of large, enthusiastic crowds, evidenced by his two Phoenix Open triumphs. Noisy Detroit will hold no fears for hotshot Hideki and his game has bubbled nicely into shape for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Third place at Torrey Pines in January has been followed by 15th in Phoenix, ninth at Riviera, 19th in Mexico, eighth at Sawgrass, 16th in the US PGA, sixth at Muirfield Village and 21st last time out in the US Open. And Detroit Golf Club should show Matsuyama at his best.

The narrow, tree-lined fairways demand strong driving, a Matsuyama attribute, while the small, raised, undulating greens punish anything other than superb approach-play. He is fourth on the US Tour strokes-gained-on-approach stats. The tiny dancefloors take pressure off his weakness – putting – and around the greens he has been encouragingly sharp. The former world number two lies 20th on the scrambling stats.

Next best
Billy Horschel 33-1

DGC is a classic Donald Ross design and players who have performed well on other layouts crafted by the legendary architect are worth considering. Billy Horschel is particularly attractive, having won the 2014 Tour Championship at East Lake, finished second there in 2018, and third in the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink.

Horschel's tee-to-green class makes him a prime candidate to handle DGC better than most, and his four most recent outings – 23rd in the US PGA, 19th at Colonial, ninth in the Memorial and 32nd in the US Open – provide further encouragement.

Other selections
Ryan Moore 33-1
Aaron Wise 50-1
Kevin Streelman 45-1

Ross designs typically demand accurate iron-play, which is probably one reason why Ryan Moore often flourishes on them. Moore won his maiden US Tour title – the 2009 Wyndham Championship – on a Ross track. He was runner-up the following year in the AT&T National on another Ross design, and he has East Lake form of 9-3-2, losing a playoff to Rory McIlroy in his last visit.

Moore has shown glimpses of his best in recent weeks – he was third in the Texas Open, first-round leader at Muirfield Village, and 15th in the Travelers on Sunday, topping the driving accuracy stats in the process and hitting every fairway in round four.

Aaron Wise, starting to find the putting form which helped him to become 2018 US Tour Rookie of the Year, has produced short bursts of sensational golf in the opening three Majors of the season, with form figures of 17-41-35, and this class act will probably soon be ready to start contending for silverware again.

And Kevin Streelman is difficult to leave out of the staking plan too. Streelman's long-game golf has been nothing short of world-class over the last three months and a switch to a new venue which nobody knows well means greens-in-regulation machines like him can prosper.

Streelman, sixth in the Texas Open at the start of April, then sixth in the Heritage, has finished fourth in the Memorial and 15th in the Travelers in his last two outings. He was 12th in the 2013 US PGA at Oak Hill, a Ross masterpiece, and the two-time US Tour champ was born in Winfield, Illinois, just a five-hour drive from Detroit.

Others to note
Joaquin Niemann
The Chilean youngster, one of the most promising ball-strikers on the circuit, finally found some putting form on Sunday and finished fifth in the Travelers. A bold effort can be expected in Detroit.

Sungjae Im
The 21-year-old Korean, a strong all-rounder, will, like Niemann, appreciate the level playing field of a venue which is new to everyone. A week on the leaderboard can be anticipated.

Brandt Snedeker
The former Tour Championship and Wyndham Championship victor has a great record on Donald Ross designs and finished fourth in the Canadian Open at the start of this month.

Brian Harman
The little left-hander finally found some form with his irons on Sunday, a closing round of 66 enough for eighth place in the Travelers. He is dangerous if carrying that approach-play to Detroit.

Viktor Hovland
The Norwegian powerhouse is bursting with potential and is not handicapped by lack of experience this week.

Rickie Fowler
The regular Majors bridesmaid did not even get an invitation to the wedding this time, dropping from second place to 43rd over the final three days of the US Open. He must be getting disheartened.

Staking plan
H Matsuyama
3pts each-way 14-1 bet365, Ladbrokes
B Horschel
2pts each-way 33-1 bet365, Ladbrokes
R Moore
1.5pts each-way 33-1 Sky Bet
A Wise
1pt each-way 50-1 Betfred, Betway
K Streelman
1pt each-way 45-1 Ladbrokes

The lowdown

Course North Course, Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan
Prize money $7.3m ($1.314m the winner)
Length 7,334 yards
Par 72
Field 156
When to bet By midday Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 1pm

Time difference Detroit is five hours behind the UK and Ireland

Last week - Travelers Championship 1 C Reavie (66-1), T2 Z Sucher (500-1), K Bradley (80-1), 4 V Taylor (225-1), T5 P Casey (20-1), J Niemann (100-1), K Tway (110-1)

Course overview This new event takes place on terrain previously uncharted by the US Tour. The North Course is one of two Donald Ross designs at Detroit Golf Club. It opened in 1916 and had a major overhaul in the build-up to the Rocket Mortgage Classic to make it tough enough for the US Tour's finest. The last time the US Tour was in Michigan was for the 2009 Buick Open at Warwick Country Club. As well as DGC, famous designer Ross has crafted many other US Tour venues, including East Lake, home of the Tour Championship, Plainfield Country Club, which hosted the 2011 Barclays and the 2015 Northern Trust, Oak Hill Country Club, which staged the 2003 and 2013 US PGA, Oakland Hills, which hosted the 2008 US PGA, Sedgefield CC, home of the Wyndham Championship, Aronimink, which staged the 2010 and 2011 AT&T National and the 2018 BMW Championship, and Pinehurst, which hosted the 1999, 2005 and 2014 US Opens. The narrow, tree-lined fairways are heavily bunkered at DGC, while the greens are small, raised and undulating. There are a couple of water hazards – on the seventh and 14th. There are four par-fives – the second, fifth, 14th and 17th holes

Weather forecast Sunny, hot and humid, with light breezes

Type of player suited to the challenge This classic Donald Ross design demands accuracy from tee to green, especially on approach to small, undulating greens. Strong ball-striking appears essential. Form on other Ross courses is a bonus

Key attribute Accuracy

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