Rocket Classic 2025: Final Day Recap

The 2025 Rocket Classic concluded in dramatic fashion on June 29 at Detroit Golf Club, with 20-year-old South African Aldrich Potgieter claiming his maiden PGA Tour victory after a marathon five-hole playoff.

Winner and Playoff Drama

Aldrich Potgieter, the youngest player on the PGA Tour, emerged victorious after a grueling five-hole playoff against Max Greyserman and Chris Kirk. The trio finished regulation play tied at 22-under-par 266. Potgieter sealed his victory with a clutch 17-foot, 10-inch birdie putt on the par-3 15th hole.

The playoff began on the 18th hole where all three players made par. On the second playoff hole (the par-3 15th), Kirk bowed out after missing a short 3-foot, 9-inch par putt. Potgieter and Greyserman continued to battle through holes 16 and 14, with both making pars on 16 and birdies on the par-5 14th. Finally, returning to the 15th hole for the fifth playoff hole, Potgieter drained his birdie putt to secure the win.

In celebration, Potgieter hugged his father and threw the winning ball into the crowd, later noting that his grandmother (who collects his memorabilia) “is not going to be pretty happy” about that decision.

Final Leaderboard

1. Aldrich Potgieter: -22 (playoff winner)
2. Max Greyserman: -22
3. Chris Kirk: -22
4. Michael Thorbjornsen: -21 (T4)
5. Jake Knapp: -21 (T4) (shot a course-record 61 on Friday)
6. Collin Morikawa: -19 (T8)

Tournament Highlights

Potgieter, who entered the final round with a two-shot lead after shooting a then-course record 62 in Thursday’s opening round, faced early struggles on Sunday. He played the first five holes at one-over par, including taking an unplayable lie on No. 2 for a bogey. His fortunes turned with birdies on holes 7 and 8, and he added more birdies on 13, 14, and 17 to finish with a final-round 69.

The lead changed hands multiple times throughout the day. At one point, Michael Thorbjornsen claimed the outright lead at 20-under after a birdie on the par-5 seventh hole. Greyserman and Kirk both shot final-round 67s to catch Potgieter and force the playoff.

Weather and Course Conditions

The players had to contend with changing wind conditions that affected play differently on the front and back nine. Potgieter noted, “The front nine and the back nine definitely played different with the wind switch we had yesterday and today.” These changing conditions contributed to the shifting leaderboard throughout the day.

Significance of the Victory

This win marks several milestones for Potgieter:

• His first PGA Tour victory in just his 20th start
• He becomes the seventh-youngest player ever to win a PGA Tour event
• He joins Tom Kim, Joaquin Niemann, Rory McIlroy, and Seve Ballesteros as the fifth international player under age 21 to win on Tour

The victory earns Potgieter $1.728 million, exemption on the PGA Tour through 2027, and automatic entries into the 2026 Masters, Players Championship, PGA Championship, and The Sentry in Hawaii.

This was the third playoff in the Rocket Classic’s seven-year history, though it fell short of the tournament’s record 11-hole playoff from the 1949 Motor City Open.

Photos: Glenn Gervais – In Play! magazine