Detroit’s Rocket Classic has new leadership

My friend Tony Paul of the Detroit News has a great story article about the leadership change at The Rocket Classic.

Because the tournament may not be extended beyond 2026, former Michigan State AD Mark Hollis has been named director. Hollis has a reputation as something of a mad marketing genius, with stunts like a basketball game on an aircraft carrier and a hockey game in an outdoor football stadium.

This year is the eighth edition of the Rocket Classic. It is doubtful whether there is any left. Part of the problem is that the PGA TOUR’s new increased event schedule makes it difficult for the Rocket Classic to attract top talent. That in turn makes it more difficult to attract audiences, and therefore corporate sponsors.

You can read all the details in Paul’s article, but I do have some thoughts.

While attendance at the Rocket Classic is clearly down (why else would a leadership change?), last fall’s LIV tournament had good energy. I’m skeptical that reliable turnstyle numbers have been released for either event, but the buzz from LIV was palpable.

That buzz comes with a caveat, however. The LIV team final at The Cardinal reminded me a bit of a fair. Although the livestock and produce are the reason for the fair, the vast majority of people go for the rides, the food and the music. Many (most?) don’t go to just one cow auction. During the LIV tournament, I couldn’t shake the idea that most people weren’t really there to play golf.

However, they had a great time.

LIV had a large center area at the entrance with food, drinks, games and activities; a very large second central area with bleachers, premium seating with a restaurant, food tents and more activities, and a third area with the merchandise tent, food trucks and an area to sit and watch the tournament on big screens (you couldn’t see any live action from that position). They were all busy.

However, aside from the central areas and around the big names, the crowds were less than I’ve seen at PGA TOUR events.

The Rocket Classic was halfway through when I was last there (which was several years ago; somehow their previous management, Chicago-based Intersport, stopped sending out invites). People seemed to be having a good time, and in my memory it was similar to LIV. They also had stuff at the entrance and I remember a lone tent with some clothes on the other side. And of course there were the stands.

No matter what they’ve done, if attendance drops, they need to double it. The mattress of the Rocket Classic must:

A PGA TOUR golf tournament is an excuse for the community to come together.

Metro Detroit has so much to offer: music, food, professional and college sports, theater, fashion, museums, outdoor activities, historic sites, strong community groups, hard-working charities, and so on. All of these people should have the opportunity to come to the Rocket Classic – not just to see a few golf shots – but to participate and interact with the community. The DIA should be there. And the Charles Wright Museum. And the Tigers, Red Wings, Lions, Michigan and MSU players (or at least alumni players).

A PGA TOUR golf tournament is an excuse for the community to come together.

There should be food trucks representing the area’s insanely diverse culinary landscape. And stands representing all the major charity and community organisations. County fairs have arts and crafts. Why is a golf tournament not possible? Hand out Rocket Classic blue ribbons.

A PGA TOUR golf tournament is an excuse for the community to come together.

Why not a concert every evening after the tournament? I’m convinced that a significant portion of the attendees at the LIV event were there just to see Imagine Dragons and Swedish House Mafia. You don’t have to travel far to find music in Motown. Bring in some newcomers from the local scene on Thursday. Maybe a battle of the bands or a rap off. The survivors of many old Motown acts play in casinos today. Why not Friday at The Rocket? Have a name headline for Saturday.

How about a fashion show? Or a classic car show? Or whatever the cool kids are into these days?

None of this has anything to do with golf. But funnel cakes don’t have much to do with livestock. And many people were at the LIV event for the music, alcohol, and atmosphere rather than the golf (a few bystanders asked me golf questions, which made it clear they knew nothing about the game).

A PGA TOUR golf tournament is an excuse for the community to come together.

It’s likely that the Rocket Classic does some – or even much – of the above. But if they do, I haven’t seen any publicity for it. A community cannot coalesce if they do not know what they are connecting with. The marketing, however, is a completely different matter. Hopefully the new leadership knows more about local media and influencers than the Chicago gang.

The bottom line is that if the Rocket Classic isn’t going to attract great talent (or even if it does), there have to be other excuses for people to attend.

Make the Rocket Classic the place to see and be seen this summer in Metro Detroit.