Rocket Classic 2026: Dave Tindall's each-way picks from 45/1 to 80/1

Introduction to the Rocket Classic

I have to admit that I rather glaze over when reading that a golf course has been modified since the last edition, with facts about reshaped bunkers and 30 yards on hole x diligently listed.

Hats off to those who've put in all the work and effort but, in terms of a betting preview and predicting who might play well, such changes often make little difference. Previous course form should not suddenly be ripped up.

That's the deal this week although scoring will surely be different due to the very basic fact of Detroit Golf Club having its par reduced from 72 to 70.

The renovation took place to restore the course to how Donald Ross originally built it so, in that respect, checking out form from the great designer's other tracks is still a very worthy pursuit.

SG: Approach will again be key while power from the tee can often be important here.

Rain in the build-up could help the longer hitters and it's noticeable that last year's winner was Aldrich Potgieter - the regular No.1 on the PGA Tour's Driving Distance charts.

Johnny Keefer each-way @ 80/181.00

It's certainly possible to argue that those playing the course for the first time are helped by the redesign. After all, they have nothing to compare it to.

But the main reason for backing Johnny Keefer is that he's a fast learner with bundles of power and talent.

The 25-year-old ranks 11th for Driving Distance in his rookie season on the PGA Tour and he'll have been heartened by seeing Jackson Koivun strike a blow for the newbies at last week's 3M Open.

Keefer actually missed the cut there but it's easy to dismiss that. Travelling back from the UK, he looked half-asleep in an opening 76 but went 10 shots lower on day two. Alas, that wasn't enough.

But the 66 was another good sign and suggests he's ready to thrive again now back in his usual time zone.

Keefer had a memorable trip to the UK, shooting 64-67 on the weekend to finish third up against a world-class field in the Scottish Open.

He was also in the top 25 at the halfway mark of his Open debut at Royal Birkdale before slipping back on the weekend.

There's also a pattern to be found in Keefer's results: watch out for him after a missed cut or poor finish.

Going back over the last 12 months, these were his finishes before posting a top 10: MC-1-15-MC-MC-79-MC.

The most extreme example is when he won the Korn Ferry's NV5 Invitational a week after crashing out at halfway in the Price Cutter Charity Championship.

The latest was a third in Scotland after a missed cut in the John Deere.

As for other Donald Ross form, he played two DR courses on the Korn Ferry last year and finished runner-up in the Knoxville Open and 12th at the UNC Health Championship.

Adding to the correlation angle is his third in the Houston Open at Memorial Park - another par 70 with similar characteristics where big hitters thrive. Tony Finau has won at both.

With two third places this season, let's play him at 80s in the 5 Place market as it's a drop to 60s for 10 each-way slots.

Bet 2: Jackson Suber each-way @ 45/146.00

I tipped Jackson Suber at last week's 3M Open, hoping he would shake off any jet-lag after his exploits in the Open Championship.

Clearly there was an after-effect as he ran out of gas and missed the cut after a Friday 75.

But the weekend off should have freshened him up to challenge again after an excellent recent run of form.

As noted last week, Suber made a big impression at Royal Birkdale, leading after round one and sitting second at halfway despite links golf being completely alien to him.

He did eventually fade on Sunday but entered that closing round in sixth so it was a genuinely impressive Open debut.

Let's also remind ourselves of his form before jetting off to the UK.

The 26-year-old finished fourth at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, fourth at the Canadian Open and sixth in the John Deere Classic.

Now he returns to a venue where he finished sixth on debut last year and gained strokes in all the main categories.

Speaking that week about the course, Suber said: "Yeah, it's great. My home course, Palma Ceia in Tampa, Florida, is Donald Ross originally.

"So it's got a similar feel with tight tree-lined holes kind of run parallel to each other and [the] greens [have] got some movement in them. Definitely feel at home."

The American ranks 19th for SG: Approach this season and shows up strongly in the categories which rate long irons. He'll be hitting a fair few this week on the 7,328-yard par 70.

He's also first in the Going for the Green stat while on the greens here last year he ranked eighth for SG: Putting.

Suber is the same price in the 10 Place market as he was last week so let's give him another whirl.

Bet 3: Ben Kohles each-way @ 60/161.00

Ben Kohles disappointed his backers in last week's 3M Open when finishing ninth after holding the halfway lead and sitting second with a round to go.

But his presence on the leaderboard all week was another reminder that he's been playing some superb golf over the last few months after previously being dismissed as a great ball-striker who couldn't putt.

Kohles captured the Korn Ferry's BMW Charity Pro-Am at the start of June and since then he's gone: 29-23-19-3-15-9.

Adding some detail, the 23rd was at the US Open while the third came at the John Deere Classic.

What's really significant is that he's gained strokes with the putter in each of the last three events.

Asked last week what he'd figured out with the flatstick, Kohles said: "I mean, really just getting the confidence there. I started working with Tim Yelverton, my putting coach, in the fall last year, so it's been not quite a year.

"I feel like we've been making some really good progress. Yeah, right before I won on the Korn Ferry I switched putters to just an old one that I've used before. Ever since then it's been feeling really solid in my hands and yeah, just rolling with it."

He's played this event three times before, posting a top 20 in the middle of those in 2024.

Kohles' elite ball-striking and improved putting look a good recipe for success so 60/161.00 for 10 Places appeals.

Now read Steve Rawlings' in-depth prevew of the Rocket Classic

*You can follow me on Twitter @DaveTindallgolf