As the American automobile industry teetered on the brink of extinction a decade ago, Tiger Woods rolled into the 2009 Buick Open on cruise control.
Woods would win at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc Township, Mich., in August by three shots over Greg Chalmers, John Senden and Roland Thatcher. It would be the 69th victory of his career, fourth of 2009 and third at the Buick.
Woods’ win closed an era in pro golf, as Buick’s parent company, General Motors, got out of the golf-sponsorship game after 51 years. It would return with the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship at Doral in 2011.
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Both Woods and GM would eventually crash in 2009. The automaker was in the early days of a government bailout and filed for bankruptcy on June 1. The move resulted in a grueling corporate reorganization, thousands of layoffs and hundreds of dealer closures. Woods would subsequently drive his Cadillac Escalade into a tree outside his Windermere, Fla., home on Black Friday five months later.
The rest, for Woods, was history and infamy.
The PGA Tour returns to Michigan this week for the first time in a decade with the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
This time, Woods is off traveling the world with his kids and girlfriend, focused on the British Open in three weeks.
But many of golf’s big names are in the Motor City ready to make a run at their share of a $7.3 million purse over four days and 72 holes. Among those in Detroit this week: Gary Woodland, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson and, of course, Rickie Fowler.
Here are the Round 1 tee times and pairings for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
All times listed are Eastern.
Rocket Mortgage Championship Tee Times – Round 1
1st Tee – Thursday
Tee Times (ET) | Players |
6:45 a.m. | Sam Saunders, Peter Uihlein, Sebastián Muñoz |
6:55 a.m. | Luke List, Scott Langley, Hank Lebioda |
7:05 a.m. | Brian Gay, Bud Cauley, Trey Mullinax |
7:15 a.m. | Andrew Landry, Patton Kizzire, Si Woo Kim |
7:25 a.m. | Brice Garnett, Smylie Kaufman, Luke Donald |
7:35 a.m. | Michael Kim, Rod Pampling, Cody Gribble |
7:45 a.m. | Troy Merritt, Satoshi Kodaira, Mackenzie Hughes |
7:55 a.m. | Vaughn Taylor, Kevin Streelman, Seamus Power |
8:05 a.m. | Alex Cejka, David Berganio, Jr., Talor Gooch |
8:15 a.m. | Nick Taylor, Harris English, Sam Ryder |
8:25 a.m. | Freddie Jacobson, Stephan Jaeger, Wyndham Clark |
8:35 a.m. | Seth Reeves, Adam Svensson, Matt Harmon |
8:45 a.m. | Will Claxton, Jim Knous, Justin Suh |
12:15 p.m. | Peter Malnati, Sam Burns, Denny McCarthy |
12:25 p.m. | Charley Hoffman, Mike Weir, Kelly Kraft |
12:35 p.m. | Billy Hurley III, Roberto Castro, Bronson Burgoon |
12:45 p.m. | Martin Trainer, Adam Long, Jason Dufner |
12:55 p.m. | Gary Woodland, Keith Mitchell, Brandt Snedeker |
1:05 p.m. | Chez Reavie, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed |
1:15 p.m. | Corey Conners, Austin Cook, Chris Stroud |
1:25 p.m. | Ryan Moore, Cameron Tringale, Chad Collins |
1:35 p.m. | Josh Teater, Colt Knost, Alex Prugh |
1;45 p.m. | Fabián Gómez Chaco, Stefani Houston, Adam Schenk |
1:55 p.m. | Wes Roach, Nicholas Lindheim, Matthew Wolff |
2:05 p.m. | Dylan Frittelli, Brady Schnell, Chip McDaniel |
2:15 p.m. | Curtis Luck, Anders Albertson, Zach Bauchou |
10th Tee – Thursday
Tee Times (ET) | Players |
6:45 a.m. | Anirban Lahiri, Tom Hoge, Tyler Duncan |
6:55 a.m. | Robert Streb, Morgan Hoffmann, Joaquin Niemann |
7:05 a.m. | Brian Stuard, Whee Kim, Roger Sloan |
7:15 a.m. | Aaron Wise, Ted Potter, Jr., Cameron Smith |
7:25 a.m. | Bubba Watson, Billy Horschel, Hideki Matsuyama |
7:35 a.m. | Kevin Kisner, Rickie Fowler, Charles Howell III |
7:45 a.m. | Brendan Steele, Kyle Stanley, Jim Herman |
7:55 a.m. | Michael Thompson, J.J. Spaun, Brandon Harkins |
8:05 a.m. | Danny Lee, Harold Varner III, Beau Hossler |
8:15 a.m. | Chesson Hadley, J.T. Poston, Zack Sucher |
8:25 a.m. | Cameron Davis, Joey Garber, Viktor Hovland |
8:35 a.m. | Kyle Jones, John Chin, Ryan Vermeer |
8:45 a.m. | Sepp Straka, Chris Thompson, Austen Truslow |
12:15 p.m. | J.J. Henry, Scott Stallings, Richy Werenski |
12:25 p.m. | Jason Kokrak, Byeong Hun An, Sungjae Im |
12:35 p.m. | Hunter Mahan, Ryan Blaum, Carlos Ortiz |
12:45 p.m. | Sung Kang, Brian Harman, Ernie Els |
12:55 p.m. | Kevin Tway, Russell Henley, Jimmy Walker |
1:05 p.m. | Ryan Armour, Jonas Blixt, Stewart Cink |
1:15 p.m. | Max Homa, J.B. Holmes, Cameron Champ |
1:25 p.m. | Sangmoon Bae, Rory Sabbatini, Will MacKenzie |
1:35 p.m. | Matt Jones, Scott Brown, Ollie Schniederjans |
1;45 p.m. | Martin Laird, Nick Watney, Kyoung-Hoon Lee |
1:55 p.m. | Chase Wright, José de Jesús Rodríguez, Wes Homan |
2:05 p.m. | Ben Silverman, Kramer Hickok, Lee Houtteman |
2:15 p.m. | Martin Piller, Roberto Díaz, Doc Redman |
Rocket Mortgage Championship Tee Times – Round 2
1st Tee – Friday
Tee Times (ET) | Players |
6:45 a.m. | J.J. Henry, Scott Stallings, Richy Werenski |
6:55 a.m. | Jason Kokrak, Byeong Hun An, Sungjae Im |
7:05 a.m. | Hunter Mahan, Ryan Blaum, Carlos Ortiz |
7:15 a.m. | Sung Kang, Brian Harman, Ernie Els |
7:25 a.m. | Kevin Tway, Russell Henley, Jimmy Walker |
7:35 a.m. | Ryan Armour, Jonas Blixt, Stewart Cink |
7:45 a.m. | Max Homa, J.B. Holmes, Cameron Champ |
7:55 a.m. | Sangmoon Bae, Rory Sabbatini, Will MacKenzie |
8:05 a.m. | Matt Jones, Scott Brown, Ollie Schniederjans |
8:15 a.m. | Martin Laird, Nick Watney, Kyoung-Hoon Lee |
8:25 a.m. | Chase Wright, José de Jesús Rodríguez, Wes Homan |
8:35 a.m. | Ben Silverman, Kramer Hickok, Lee Houtteman |
8:45 a.m. | Martin Piller, Roberto Díaz, Doc Redman |
12:15 p.m. | Anirban Lahiri, Tom Hoge, Tyler Duncan |
12:25 p.m. | Robert Streb, Morgan Hoffmann, Joaquin Niemann |
12:35 p.m. | Brian Stuard, Whee Kim, Roger Sloan |
12:45 p.m. | Aaron Wise, Ted Potter, Jr., Cameron Smith |
12:55 p.m. | Bubba Watson, Billy Horschel, Hideki Matsuyama |
1:05 p.m. | Kevin Kisner, Rickie Fowler, Charles Howell III |
1:15 p.m. | Brendan Steele, Kyle Stanley, Jim Herman |
1:25 p.m. | Michael Thompson, J.J. Spaun, Brandon Harkins |
1:35 p.m. | Danny Lee Rotorua, Harold Varner III, Beau Hossler |
1;45 p.m. | Chesson Hadley, J.T. Poston, Zack Sucher |
1:55 p.m. | Cameron Davis, Joey Garber, Viktor Hovland |
2:05 p.m. | Kyle Jones, John Chin, Ryan Vermeer |
2:15 p.m. | Sepp Straka, Chris Thompson, Austen Truslow |
10th Tee – Friday
Tee Times (ET) | Players |
6:45 a.m. | Peter Malnati, Sam Burns, Denny McCarthy |
6:55 a.m. | Charley Hoffman, Mike Weir, Kelly Kraft |
7:05 a.m. | Billy Hurley III, Roberto Castro, Bronson Burgoon |
7:15 a.m. | Martin Trainer, Adam Long, Jason Dufner |
7:25 a.m. | Gary Woodland, Keith Mitchell, Brandt Snedeker |
7:35 a.m. | Chez Reavie, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed |
7:45 a.m. | Corey Conners, Austin Cook, Chris Stroud |
7:55 a.m. | Ryan Moore, Cameron Tringale, Chad Collins |
8:05 a.m. | Josh Teater, Colt Knost, Alex Prugh |
8:15 a.m. | Fabián Gómez Chaco, Stefani Houston, Adam Schenk |
8:25 a.m. | Wes Roach, Nicholas Lindheim, Matthew Wolff |
8:35 a.m. | Dylan Frittelli, Brady Schnell, Chip McDaniel |
8:45 a.m. | Curtis Luck, Anders Albertson, Zach Bauchou |
12:15 p.m. | Sam Saunders, Peter Uihlein, Sebastián Muñoz |
12:25 p.m. | Luke List, Scott Langley, Hank Lebioda |
12:35 p.m. | Brian Gay, Bud Cauley, Trey Mullinax |
12:45 p.m. | Andrew Landry, Patton Kizzire, Si Woo Kim |
12:55 p.m. | Brice Garnett, Smylie Kaufman, Luke Donald |
1:05 p.m. | Michael Kim, Rod Pampling, Cody Gribble |
1:15 p.m. | Troy Merritt, Satoshi Kodaira, Mackenzie Hughes |
1:25 p.m. | Vaughn Taylor, Kevin Streelman, Seamus Power |
1:35 p.m. | Alex Cejka, David Berganio, Jr., Talor Gooch |
1;45 p.m. | Nick Taylor, Harris English, Sam Ryder |
1:55 p.m. | Freddie Jacobson, Stephan Jaeger, Wyndham Clark |
2:05 p.m. | Seth Reeves, Adam Svensson, Matt Harmon |
2:15 p.m. | Will Claxton, Jim Knous, Justin Suh |
Rocket Mortgage Classic TV/Streaming Info
Thursday
Golf Channel: 3-6 p.m.
PGA Tour Live: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
PGA Tour Radio (Sirius 208/XM 92): 12-6 p.m.
Friday
Golf Channel: 3-6 p.m.
PGA Tour Live: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
PGA Tour Radio (Sirius 208/XM 92): 12-6 p.m.
Saturday
Golf Channel: 1-2:45 p.m.
CBS: 3-6 p.m.
PGA Tour Live: 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
PGA Tour Radio (Sirius 208/XM 92): 1-6 p.m.
Sunday
Golf Channel: 1-2:45 p.m.
CBS: 3-6 p.m.
PGA Tour Live: 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
PGA Tour Radio (Sirius 208/XM 92): 1-6 p.m.