Michael Thorbjornsen wins 1st PGA
Tour title by 2 shots at the 8th and final Rocket Classic
[August 03, 2026]
By LARRY LAGE
DETROIT (AP) — Michael Thorbjornsen pumped his right fist after
making a 26-foot putt for birdie on his last hole to shoot 7-under
63 and reach 18 under to win his first PGA Tour title by two shots
at the final Rocket Classic on Sunday.
“Perfect pace, perfect read,” he said.
The 24-year-old Thorbjornsen sealed his spot in the FedEx Cup
playoff after rolling into the Motor City No. 69 in the standings.
The top 70 advance to the postseason after next week’s Wyndham
Championship.
“Just to be in the playoff for the first time is very exciting, he
said. ”It's great to be playing against the best players in the
world."
Thorbjornsen started the fourth round three shots behind leader
Davis Riley, whose rough start opened opportunities for the field.
“The start got the best of me and kind of put me behind the
eight-ball early unfortunately,” Riley said.
Thorbjornsen took advantage, surging into the lead at No. 14 with
his third of four birdies in a six-hole stretch and closing with a
clutch, curling putt that went in the right side of the cup.
He's the eighth first-time winner this season on the PGA Tour and
the second straight, following Jackson Koivun’s victory last week at
the 3M Open.
“It was such a battle, playing with some great players,"
Thorbjornsen said. "Everyone was in the mix after nine holes.”
Xander Schauffele (65) briefly led during the final round and
finished second, two shots behind Thorbjornsen.
“I played really well and he just beat me straight up, so hats off
to him,” Schauffele said.
Riley (70) was another stroke behind in third, falling out of the
lead with four bogeys.
Rasmus Hojgaard (68) was alone in fourth, four shots back.
Hideki Matsuyama (64), Matt Wallace (67), Kristoffer Ventura (68)
were another stroke back, tied for fifth.
Thorbjornsen was born in Cleveland, grew up in Massachusetts and
attended Stanford. He won the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur over Akshay
Bhatia, who has three PGA Tour wins.
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Michael Thorbjornsen poses with the trophy after winning the Rocket
Classic golf tournament, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, in Detroit. (AP
Photo/Jose Juarez)
He went straight to the PGA Tour in 2024 as the No.
1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking.
“I think it's one of the best programs in golf,” Thorbjornsen said.
“It’s changed all of our lives.”
Thorbjornsen chipped in from 35 feet for birdie at No. 12 on a day
when he accurately aimed for pins that left him with some short
birdie putts before his long one on his 72nd hole.
He had a bogey-free round, an accomplishment many other players on
the leaderboard were unable to pull off on a day that started with
rain and became windy when the clouds cleared.
Riley started with a one-shot lead and quickly lost it — and
couldn't find his ball in fescue at No. 4 after about a dozen people
helped him try — with three bogeys through six holes.
He rallied with three birdies in a seven-hole stretch before giving
back a stroke with a bogey at No. 17, taking away his chance to
possibly force the tournament into a playoff.
The eighth and final Rocket Classic drew its strongest field and
biggest crowds.
The PGA Tour is moving to a new model for 2028, effectively creating
two tours and Rocket Mortgage decided not to exercise its option to
host another tournament next year. The Detroit-based company isn’t
interested in continuing to spend $15 million a year to be part of
the second tier in the new era and didn’t want to double the costs
to be part of the elite tier.
“There have been some conversations about having a tournament here
again," tournament director Mark Hollis said. “Michigan deserves to
have professional golf.”
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