2025 ROCKET CLASSIC – SECOND ROUND JUNE 27 2025 RECAP
The second round of the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club delivered exceptional scoring and dramatic shifts on the leaderboard, setting up an exciting weekend of golf ahead.
Leaderboard After Round 2
| Pos. | Player | R1 | R2 | Total |
| T1 | Chris Kirk | 65 | 65 | 130 (-14) |
| T1 | Philip Knowles | 66 | 64 | 130 (-14) |
| T1 | Andrew Putnam | 64 | 66 | 130 (-14) |
| 4 | Jackson Suber | 66 | 65 | 131 (-13) |
| T5 | Aldrich Potgieter | 62 | 70 | 132 (-12) |
| T5 | Mark Hubbard | 63 | 69 | 132 (-12) |
| T5 | Michael Thorbjornsen | 65 | 67 | 132 (-12) |
Cut: 86 professionals at 6-under 138 from a field of 153 professionals and three amateurs; most players to make the cut on the PGA TOUR since the 2022 Wyndham Championship (87)
Day Two Highlights
Knapp Makes History with Course Record
Jake Knapp provided the day’s most spectacular performance, firing an 11-under 61 to break the course record that had been set just a day earlier. Starting on the 10th hole, Knapp eagled the par-5 17th and made birdies on nearly every hole on the front nine. Despite this historic round, Knapp remarkably sits three shots off the lead at 11-under par. This achievement makes him the first player in PGA TOUR history to break 60 and shoot 61 or lower in the same season, following his 59 at the Cognizant Classic earlier this year.
Knowles’ Eagle Exhibition
Philip Knowles produced one of the most unusual scorecards in recent memory, holing out for eagle from off the green on three of the four par-5s at Detroit Golf Club. His pitch shots from 40, 37, and 27 yards all found the bottom of the cup, and he birdied the fourth par-5 to play those holes in an incredible 7-under par. This remarkable display helped Knowles card an 8-under 64 and grab a share of the lead at 14-under, a welcome turnaround for a player who hadn’t made a cut since March.
First-Round Leaders Struggle
Thursday’s co-leaders, Aldrich Potgieter and Kevin Roy, who had set the previous course record with matching 62s, couldn’t maintain their torrid pace. Potgieter shot a 70 to fall to 12-under and into a tie for fifth, while Roy posted a 71 to drop to 11-under and into a tie for ninth.
Morikawa Surges into Contention
Collin Morikawa, the highest-ranked player in the field at world No. 5, made a significant move up the leaderboard with an 8-under 64. After parting ways with his caddie for the second time this year, Morikawa has his former college teammate from California, KK Limbhasut, on the bag this week. The change appears to be working as Morikawa climbed into a tie for ninth at 11-under par, positioning himself for a weekend charge.
Course and Conditions
Detroit Golf Club continued to yield extremely low scores, with favorable morning conditions allowing for aggressive play. The afternoon groups faced more challenging conditions with stiff, swirling winds on what was described as a hot and steamy day. The course’s receptive greens, made even more approachable by recent rainfall, contributed to the scoring fest that saw the cut line fall at 6-under par—one of the lowest in PGA TOUR history.
Photos: Glenn Gervais – In Play! magazine
Looking Ahead
With three players tied at the top and fifteen players within three shots of the lead, the weekend promises a thrilling battle for the Rocket Classic title and its $1.728 million first-place prize from the $9.6 million total purse. The condensed leaderboard sets up what should be an exciting finish at Detroit Golf Club.
The third round begins Saturday morning with the leaders teeing off in the afternoon, as “Collegiate Day” brings an enthusiastic atmosphere to the event.