Rocket Classic Round 2: Jake Knapp Breaks Course Record in Scoring Frenzy
Rocket Classic Round 2 brought a Friday full of fireworks at Detroit Golf Club. Players took advantage of soft greens and calm winds to go low. The highlight? Jake Knapp breaks course record with a jaw-dropping 11-under 61.
Earlier this year, Knapp had broken 60 at the Cognizant Classic. On Friday, he was nearly as good. Still, he sits only T8 despite his brilliant round. That’s because the scoring across the field was just as wild, picking up right where Round 1 left off.
Low Scores Everywhere
Davis Riley bounced back hard. After a 75 on Thursday, he fired a 9-under 63 to easily make the cut.
Several players shot 64:
- Collin Morikawa
- Philip Knowles
- David Skinns
- Ben Silverman
Knowles is now tied for the lead at -14. Morikawa jumped 58 spots to sit T8, tied with Knapp and others.
Chris Kirk also went low with a 65, along with four others including Nicolai Højgaard, the young European making waves. Kirk is now tied at the top at -14.
Andrew Putnam, Gary Woodland, Hideki Matsuyama, Thriston Lawrence, and five others all posted 66s. Putnam, after rounds of 64 and 66, shares the lead. Woodland, Matsuyama, and Lawrence are part of a tight group at T8.
Big Movers on Friday
Jake Knapp gained 122 places—the biggest leap of the day.
Ben Silverman followed with +93 spots, after improving on his 73 with a 64.
Davis Riley rose 90 places after turning his week around.
Big Names Falling Back
Zach Johnson dropped 57 places but made the cut on the number with a +1 round of 73.
Patrick Cantlay fell 50 spots after a flat even-par 72.
Thursday’s leader, known as “the chef,” dropped 33 places after cooling off.
Keegan Bradley lost 20 places despite a 2-under round.
Jake Knapp Breaks Course Record: Round Breakdown
Jake Knapp’s game was locked in. Irons crisp. Chipping sharp. Putting unconscious.
He started on the back nine, making birdies at 13 and 14. At 16, he drained a 25-foot birdie putt, then eagled the par-5 17th from 34 feet. That gave him a 31 on the back.
On the front nine, he birdied holes 1 and 2 from 5 and 16 feet. He added birdies on 4, 5, 7, and 8 to finish with 11-under for the day. He made 125 feet, 9 inches of putts and ranked No. 1 in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Rocket Classic Round 2 Cut Line
The cut fell at -6, one of the lowest on Tour this year. Many big names missed it:
- Wyndham Clark, the latest bad boy of golf, shot 74 on Friday
- Matt Kuchar couldn’t go low: 69–71
- Max Homa continued his inconsistent form
- Alex Noren is still working back from injury
- Rickie Fowler had a quiet week
- Tom Kim, after a -5 on Thursday, surprisingly missed the cut
- Nick Dunlap missed yet another weekend
- Keith Mitchell imploded with a 78
- Stephan Jaeger was the highest-ranked FedEx Cup player to miss
- Cam Davis, two-time winner and defending champ, exited early
Moving Day Looms
With Rocket Classic Round 2 in the books, the tournament is wide open. Saturday’s Moving Day should bring more volatility. The leaders can’t relax. Those chasing can smell opportunity.
Expect aggressive play early as contenders try to close the gap. Momentum can shift quickly at Detroit Golf Club—especially with soft greens and reachable par-5s.
🎥 Video Highlights of the Day
Here are the highlights of the day
