Michigan Matters: Rocket Classic's swansong and a little music
Mark Hollis, COO of Rocket Entertainment and tournament director of the PGA Tour's Rocket Classic, appears on Michigan Matters this Sunday to talk about the event coming up July 30-Aug. 2 at Detroit Golf Club, which already has a strong field of top golfers expected.
Among PGA golfers who have committed are Wyndham Clark, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, Cameron Young, and Russell Henley, to mention a few. Others are expected in the coming weeks.
Hollis said ticket prices for the tournament have been dropped and parking options improved, with more space available closer to DGC. Additionally, ticketed DGC members will have a special viewing area on the 17th hole at the event.
Hollis talked about what may be the coolest way to start a PGA event with its "Par 3 in the D" event held Tuesday night of tournament week. Fowler, Young, and other golfers will tee off from the rooftop of a building in downtown Detroit to a custom-built hole 110 yards away and five stories below.
The tournament will be bittersweet for Hollis, as it will be the last one.
After nearly 13 years as a PGA Tour title sponsor, including eight years in Detroit, Rocket decided not to pursue the option on the 2027 event. Hollis discussed reasons for the decision.
The high-profile event came to Detroit with support from Dan Gilbert, billionaire founder of Rocket Companies, who has been an unwavering champion for the Motor City. The Rocket Classic has raised over $10 million for local charities with a focus on bridging the digital divide.
When pressed, Hollis did not close the door on 2028 or the possibility of Rocket participating with the PGA down the road.
Hollis, former athletic director at Michigan State University, was asked if he had any interest in that job, which is open following the resignations of Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz as MSU's president and MSU AD J Batt amid turmoil at the university.
Then, the focus of the show turns to community theater, which is thriving, as David Carroll, founder/president of The Nicely Theatre Group, discusses the reasons why. He appears with 9-year-old Cecily Gamarra and Jennifer Horne, a communications specialist (both actors), who will appear in his production of "Oliver!" — the Tony-winning musical — in mid-July at the Berman Center for Performing Arts in West Bloomfield.
Carroll has been staging shows in Metro Detroit for several years. He began his organization after retiring from Quicken Loans. His lifelong pal, Dan Gilbert, suggested the idea, knowing how much Carroll loved Broadway, particularly musicals.
"Oliver" will mark the professional debut of Gamarro, who is being joined on stage by her mother and sister, also actors.
Horne, who grew up in Ann Arbor, has appeared in community theater productions since she was a child. She talked about the unique community of folks who are involved in regional theater.