Detroit Golf Club saw a new course record for the second straight day Friday at the 2025 Rocket Classic, but not all golfers had loads of birdies.
With so many low scores, the cut line hiked up to 5 under par, meaning golfers had to shoot 6-under or better through two rounds to make the weekend.
Eighty-six players did just that. Plenty of big names did not.
Of the 70 players going home early, here are five big names that did not make the cut this year, and an update on how a handful of golfers with local ties fared:
Kevin Kisner, 5 under par (68, 71)
Kisner went back to golfing this week after his stint in the booth as NBC Sports’ lead golf commentator. He shot 4-under 68 in Round 1, but a slow 1-under 71 in Round 2 left him one shot off the cut line. He struggled on the back nine, shooting 1-over 37 by carding three bogeys (Nos. 11, 12, 15) with just two birdies, both coming on the par-5s.
Max Homa, 3 under par (71, 70)
Homa’s rough stretch on Tour continues, as he shot 71-70 to miss the cut by a few shots. He birdied his first two holes of the tournament Thursday on Nos. 1 and 2, both par-4s, bogeyed No. 3, birdied No. 4 but bogeyed No. 6. He parred the final 12 holes. He had three birdies in his second round, not nearly enough to make up the ground lost on Day 1. Homa has tumbled to No. 96 in the world after being in the top 10 in 2023.
Rickie Fowler, 2 under par (71, 71)
Fowler, the tournament’s 2023 winner in a playoff, could not deliver this year, carding 1-under rounds each day. His five birdies in the first round, including four in a row from Nos. 17 to 2, were nullified by four bogeys, including two on par-5s. He had four birdies to three bogeys Friday to never threaten the cut line. He has yet to win since his Rocket victory nearly two years ago.
Cam Davis, 2 under par (74, 70)
The defending Rocket champion and only two-time winner in Detroit did not bring his best in his title defense. He had just one birdie on Thursday, then bogeyed his final three holes, Nos. 7-9, to essentially put himself out of the tournament after Day 1.
Tom Kim, 1 under par (67, 76)
Kim had a preposterous three double-bogeys in his second round, negating a bogey-free 5-under 67 he shot Thursday. That included doubles on two of his final three holes, making a seven on the gettable par-5 seventh and a five on long par-3 ninth by three-putting from 11 feet. He also made six on his third hole, the par-4 No. 12, after hooking his tee shot way left out of play.
How did locals play?
*Made cut
- *Brett White, East Kentwood/Eastern Michigan: 8-under (67, 69)
- *James Piot, Detroit Catholic Central/Michigan State: 6-under (70, 68)
- Ryan Brehm, Mount Pleasant/Michigan State: 2-under (71, 71)
- Otto Black, Pinckney: 1-under (72, 71)
- Ben Cook, Grand Rapids South Christian/Ferris State: 2-over (71, 75)
- Joe Hooks, U-D Jesuit/Wayne State: 4-over (72, 76)
- Ashton McCulloch, Michigan State (amateur): 8-over (78, 74)
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2025 Rocket Classic: 5 big names who missed cut in Detroit