The Rocket Classic will be played for the final time in Detroit in 2026 after Rocket Companies declined to exercise its option to continue as a PGA Tour title sponsor into 2027.
Mark Hollis, a Rocket Companies executive, confirmed the decision and said, "After nearly 13 years as a PGA Tour title sponsor, including eight years in Detroit, 2026 will mark the final Rocket Classic." The 2026 tournament is scheduled for July 30–Aug. 2 at Detroit Golf Club.
The numbers underline the scale of the exit: Rocket has been a title sponsor on the PGA Tour for 13 years and has spent more than $150 million as a Tour sponsor overall, including more than $100 million as a title sponsor during the Rocket Classic's run in Detroit. Hollis added that the tournament "raised more than $10 million for local organizations."
The Rocket Classic debuted in Detroit in 2019, becoming the first annual PGA Tour tournament ever played within the city limits and filling a void in Michigan after the Buick Open in Grand Blanc closed in 2009. Over eight editions the event drew marquee players such as Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler.
The immediate consequence is clear: Detroit will lose its annual PGA Tour stop after 2026. Local beneficiaries of the tournament’s fundraising, Detroit Golf Club stakeholders and fans who came to see major-name players will have a final summer week in 2026 to mark the end of the eight-year run.
The PGA Tour said it "remains interested in the Detroit market" and "will explore options for a new sponsor." That statement leaves the crucial practical questions unanswered — whether a new title sponsor can be found, or whether any replacement event would remain inside Detroit or move elsewhere in Michigan.
Context for the decision is already visible. The Rocket Classic followed an era without an annual Michigan event after 2009 and had been shortened from its earlier Rocket Mortgage Classic name. Industry observers have pointed to upcoming PGA Tour schedule changes, sagging attendance at some events and recent difficulty attracting top players as factors surrounding the timing of Rocket’s decision.
Still, the departure of a long-term local sponsor creates a gap larger than a single line on a schedule. Rocket’s sponsorship stretched across corporate branding and community programs; more than $100 million in title sponsorship dollars helped secure the tournament’s place on the calendar and underwrote its charitable commitments. Without that commitment, the financial case for keeping a Tour stop inside the city limits becomes harder to build quickly.
For now, the calendar is set: Detroit hosts what organizers and Rocket call the final Rocket Classic from July 30–Aug. 2, 2026. After that, the PGA Tour has signaled intent but no concrete backup. The central question going forward is not whether the Rocket Classic ends in 2026 — that is settled — but whether the Tour can replace Rocket and preserve a Detroit event, and on what timeline and terms that would happen.
