Malnati Shines as Rocket Classic Ends | Detroit News

Peter Malnati is flying high after day one of the Rocket Classic, smashing a career-best nine-under 61 — tying a tournament record and taking a two-shot lead into the second round. He defied his caddie’s advice on the first hole, went for the driver, and set the tone for a flawless, bogey-free round capped by a jaw-dropping 55-footer on 11. With the Detroit Golf Club’s $16M renovation failing to stop the scoring explosion — a trend since 2019 — Malnati’s dominance is part of a wild leaderboard: Rickie Fowler and Ryan Gerard are two back at 63, Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Fishburn are one behind, and Michael Brennan surged with eight straight birdies for a 65. But this is the final Rocket Classic — the PGA Tour’s new model has scrapped it — leaving players like Fowler with a bittersweet farewell to a tournament that’s been a stage for record-shattering rounds. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f8f55fd459962df1