DETROIT ~ Peter Malanti arrived at the Rocket Classic as a +100000 longshot. By Thursday afternoon, his 9-under 61 to tie the course record put him atop the leaderboard.
Malanti’s odds jumped to +2700 after a career-low and course record-tying score in the first round of the eighth and final Rocket Classic in Detroit. The 39-year-old is looking to win his third PGA title, but will have to maintain momentum from Thursday’s performance through Sunday to keep up with the all-star competition.
Rickie Fowler will chase Malanti in the second round after he opened with a 7-under 63 in the first. He birdied the fourth and sixth holes, but a missed birdie attempt on the ninth put Fowler in second–an all too familiar seat for the sixteen-time second-place PGA tournament finisher. Fowler is still favored ahead of Malanti for the tournament, and was favored first overall until Ryan Gerard matched Fowler’s 63 and overtook him in odds.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
(CONTINUED) These top three finishers will secure their final first-round rankings after another 40 golfers play the course Thursday afternoon, including world No. 3 Cam Young and 21-year-old Rocket Classic defending champion Aldrich Potgieter. The final first-round group will tee off Thursday at 2:22. Listen to JR Afternoon with Ryan Ermanni live from Detroit Golf Club 2-4.
