Rocket Mortgage Classic 2021: Your form guide for Michigan

The PGA Tour makes a 650-mile dash from Connecticut to Michigan for this week's Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.

The North Course at Detroit Golf Club dates back more than 100 years, and will be hosting the tournament for a third time.

Opened in 1916, the course is situated approximately seven miles north of Downtown Detroit and has undergone a number of upgrades in recent years.

The course was chosen to host the 1941 Ryder Cup, but the outbreak of World War II scuppered that.

A traditional parkland venue with tree-lined fairways, the North Course has putting surfaces that are smaller than the Tour average. They are also reasonably undulating.

Latest odds for this week's Rocket Mortgage Classic

Water is an issue on just one hole - the 14th - while the course is one of the flattest in professional golf.

In each of the two previous instalments, scoring has been low, with golfers needing to reach five under par just to survive the 36-hole cut.

On the tee

World No 6 Bryson DeChambeau returns to defend the title, and is one of only four top-20 ranked golfers in the field.

The others are Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson and Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.

In each of the past two Rocket Mortgage events, the putting stats have proved to be highly significant.

And with this in mind, Patrick Reed must surely fancy his chances. The 30-year-old from Texas is inside the top-10 for six putting categories on this season's PGA Tour.

Teeing-up for only the second time in five weeks, Will Zalatoris has probably recharged his batteries and ready to continue his quest for a maiden PGA Tour victory.

Despite this being his first full season on the PGA Tour, the 24-year-old - who was born in California but resides in Texas - is already ranked inside the world's top 30.

He's turned plenty of heads already yet doesn't even qualify for a FedEx Cup ranking, as he is not an official PGA Tour member.

He was second in The Masters back in April and will soon be getting his first taste of British Isles links golf.

Latest odds for July's Open Championship at Royal St George's

Another young professional who has quickly settled into life on golf's premier tour is Joaquin Niemann.

The 22-year-old Chilean is already a winner in the United States and has twice finished second this year.

He is currently ranked No 30 in the world thanks to some steady performances on the PGA Tour, including all three American majors of 2021.

Finally, just under the radar is Kevin Kisner who returned to form at the weekend with a top-six finish in the Travellers Championship at River Highlands.

The 37-year-old and former world No 14 stood on the podium here 12 months ago and is another golfer who usually gets the job done with the putter.

Twitter: Andy Swales@GolfStatsAlive

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves