Rocket Mortgage Classic first-round preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the Rocket Mortgage Classic

Sky Sports Golf, 5pm Thursday

Best bets

Taylor Pendrith to win 5.54pm threeball
2pts 6-5 Coral, Ladbrokes

Kevin Kisner to win 6.16pm threeball
1pt 3-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Rickie Fowler first-round leader
1pt each-way 80-1 bet365

Rocket Mortgage Classic first-round preview

Last week's Travelers Championship was a birdie-fest and something similar is expected again as the PGA Tour stops off at Detroit Golf Club for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

A hot putter will be required. Four  of the five winning scores at this venue have been -23 or better and one player who fits the remit is Canadian Taylor Pendrith, who is fifth in putting average and 13th in birdie or better conversion percentage. He was joint-second here in 2021 on debut and his form has remained strong since winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May.

Grouped alongside Christopher Gotterup and Jake Knapp for the opening 36 holes, Pendrith can provide punters with an early return by winning his first-round threeball. 

Gotterup's form has nosedived since he won the Myrtle Beach Classic in May, missing three cuts in a row before a T61 at the Travelers, while Knapp also suffered three missed cuts before last week's T48.

Kevin Kisner is a tempting price at 3-1 to outscore Cameron Champ and Gary Woodland on Thursday. Kisner enjoys this course and has finished third and eighth from four visits, while Champ hasn't made a cut since March and Woodland is yet to record even a top-20 result this year.

Rickie Fowler's top-20 last week provided a timely boost ahead of his title defence and he finished strongly at the Travelers, carding a round of 65.

The American started that event off hot, signing for a 64, and he could make another fast start in Detroit.

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