Rocket Classic sponsor ends partnership as players withdraw

The PGA Tour's 2026 Rocket Classic begins on Thursday, July -, 2026, at Detroit Golf Club in Michigan, marking what is expected to be the final edition of the tournament under its current sponsorship. The event, which features a $10 million purse and a field of 144 players, is the penultimate regular-season stop before the FedEx Cup Playoffs. However, the competition is shadowed by the recent withdrawal of several notable players and the impending end of a 13-year partnership between the PGA Tour and title sponsor Rocket Companies.

Rocket Companies, which has invested approximately $150 million in the tournament over its partnership, including $100 million specifically for the Detroit event, decided last month to end its sponsorship. The company cited rising event costs, upcoming structural changes to the PGA Tour schedule, and shifting economic conditions in the housing market. The 2026 tournament represents the eighth and final year of the partnership under this arrangement.

The tournament's field, while still featuring multiple PGA Tour winners and major champions such as Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Hideki Matsuyama, and Wyndham Clark, has been affected by last-minute...