The Rocket Classic is delivering a record-breaking spectacle in 2025, and it may be the last of its kind. South African rookie Aldrich Potgieter lit up the leaderboard at Detroit Golf Club, notching his first PGA Tour win with a composed performance amid a fierce chase. Fans watched in awe as course records fell: Potgieter and Kevin Roy each posted 62s on Thursday, only for Jake Knapp to fire an 11-under 61 the next day. With five straight birdies on the front nine in Saturday’s round, Potgieter separated himself from a tight pack of contenders, finishing 19-under after 54 holes. From there, he’s making way for a career-defining win in a tournament stacked with talent, including Collin Morikawa, Chris Kirk, and Max Greyserman.

But while the leaderboard stole headlines, it was the state of the course and the event’s future that drove bigger conversations by the weekend’s end. Golf insider Tony Paul of The Detroit News dropped the first hint, Saturday on X: “Nothing is official yet, but signs point to the @RocketClassic moving back to July in 2026 — in part to allow the course to mature after a $16.1M restoration project that starts in earnest this week. That could be a boon for the field.” A few hours later, Paul confirmed it: “Can confirm: July 30–Aug. 2 in 2026.”

The shift, from the tournament’s usual late-June spot to the heat of summer, isn’t just about scheduling. It’s strategic. Detroit Golf Club’s North Course will undergo a $16.1 million restoration led by architect Tyler Rae, aimed at restoring Donald Ross’s original design with enhanced drainage, reshaped bunkers, and healthier greens. Work begins immediately after this year’s event.

The extra month will give the turf time to settle, potentially creating a firmer, faster course that players prefer—and helping boost the tournament’s status, which has sometimes struggled to attract top-tier names sandwiched between the U.S. Open and Travelers Championship. The news came just 16 days after the PGA Tour’s appointment of its new CEO, Brian Rolapp, who made Detroit one of his first stops.

Brian Rolapp’s cryptic answer and what it might really mean

Before the 2025 Rocket Classic teed off, the question on everyone’s mind was: Can the Rocket Classic keep attracting top talent in the years to come? The newly appointed PGA Tour CEO finally weighed in, cautiously. Ahead of the $9.6 million Rocket Classic, Rolapp met with local media and offered this: “I technically haven’t even started this job yet. I start later this summer. So I don’t have an update [for] you, but I will say is everything I’ve experienced in just a couple days here, it’s been great. It’s been positive.”

That vague response was followed by high praise for the city: “Every time I come to Detroit, the growth and the change and revitalization of the city is palpable, which is great to see. So I don’t know where we stand, but, so far, my experience here has been great.” Rolapp, a longtime NFL executive, knows Detroit well, having worked closely with the city during the 2024 NFL Draft. He added: “The momentum behind the city is fantastic. It is a great sports city. It’s a great sports state.” Still, his noncommittal tone raised questions. The Rocket Classic’s contract runs through 2026, with a 2027 option still undecided. That decision falls to Dan Gilbert’s Rocket Companies, which has invested over $200 million into the PGA Tour over the past decade, including more than $15 million a year as the tournament’s title sponsor.

Recent reporting by The Detroit News suggests Rocket is reassessing its future involvement, citing growing concern that regular events like the Rocket Classic are being overshadowed by the Tour’s eight “signature events,” which command bigger purses and stronger fields. If Rocket steps away, it’s unclear whether another Detroit-based company would pick up the mantle.

The 2025 Rocket Classic might be remembered not just for Potgieter’s breakthrough win, but as a pivotal moment—the last pre-renovation tournament, the first under Rolapp’s gaze, and possibly the beginning of a high-stakes decision window for Rocket’s role in Detroit’s PGA future.