Rocket will not be renewing its title sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic following the 2026 tournament, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the tour won’t be back in the market.
This year marks the eight iteration of the tournament -- all sponsored by Detroit-based Rocket -- but the company is not renewing following the July event amid changes at both the tournament and the tour. The company under its former Quicken Loans name also sponsored the event when it was played outside D.C. before moving to Detroit.
Industry sources said the tour was looking at the event as a potential Track 1 tournament for its 2028 schedule, but Rocket wasn’t willing to invest the $30M+ that’s being asked for those title sponsors. Under its current deal sponsoring a full-field PGA Tour event, Rocket was likely paying in the $15M-$18M range.
There were a number of other factors likely at play. The company was looking to keep the tournament in the heart of Detroit -- currently it’s held at Detroit Golf Club -- while the tour had been open to moving it to the greater Detroit area. Also, Rocket’s current stock price ($12.35 per share) is down nearly 38% year to date. Even as it exits its title deal, Rocket will remain an official marketing partner of the tour through the end of 2026 and may renew in the future.
The tournament this year also is under new management. Former Michigan State AD Mark Hollis is now at the helm after Intersport operated the tournament for its first seven years.
But even with Rocket’s exit, sources said the tour would still be potentially interested in the market with a new sponsor. Tour CEO Brian Rolapp last week told reporters that there had been “a lot of interest” from sponsors for both Track 1 and Track 2 tournaments. Sources also said there has been ample interest from sponsors in potential new markets the tour is looking at, which include Seattle, San Francisco, Nashville, Boston, Philadelphia and Denver.
One other wrinkle as it relates to tour title sponsorships: The tour has had discussions about potentially changing the naming conventions of some of the events in an effort to give the cities, regions or even tournaments more prominence. The following events haven’t been discussed, but for example: The Seattle Open presented by Boeing, or the Charles Schwab Colonial.
The tour’s Future Competitions Committee still has not made final decisions on what the 2028 season will look like, though those discussions are in their final stages. The PGA Tour Policy Board will hold a June 22 meeting, at which point it’s expected to vote on formal recommendations from the FCC. Rolapp is slated to address the media later that week at the Travelers Championship.
