2025 Rocket Classic leaderboard: Aldrich Potgieter takes control on Moving Day, Collin Morikawa stays in hunt

Though Morikawa is four shots back entering the final round, his talent gives him a chance to shine in Detroit

The leaderboard at the 2025 Rocket Classic was incredibly condensed as Moving Day began with just eight shots separating the entire field that made the cut. The question was whether anyone in the final groups could shoot a number that would finally create some separation.

Aldrich Potgieter answered that call Saturday as the 20-year-old South African matched the low round of the day with a 7-under 65 to surge into the solo lead at 19 under, two shots clear of a logjam for second. Potgieter is the longest hitter on the PGA Tour. He used his length as a serious weapon this week at Detroit Golf Club, bombing driver on most holes to take advantage of his 190-plus mph ball speed to set up wedges and short irons into most par 4s.

After posting a 10-under 62 briefly set the course record Thursday (topped by Jake Knapp's 61 on Friday), Potgieter stalled a bit in his second round, but he found his scoring form once again as the weekend began. Potgieter birdied the first hole with a hole-out from the right greenside bunker, then caught fire from No. 4 to No. 8, making five consecutive birdies to take control of the tournament. While he couldn't maintain that pace on the back nine, he remained steady with eight pars and one birdie, which was enough to maintain a two-shot cushion. 

"I definitely thought I could maybe get that course record back today with that 6 under front nine," Potgieter said with a smile after his round. "I thought the back nine, it's definitely a favorite for me on this course. But we struggled with some conditions, different winds switching a bit, but it was a little bit more tough. But I was definitely trying to chase that course record again." 

Chasing him into the weekend is a group of five players tied at 17 under, including Knapp, who backed up his 61 with a 66 on Saturday, closing his round with three straight birdies to get into one of the last two groups Sunday. Chris Kirk (six wins) and Andrew Putnam (one) are the only players in the top nine on the leaderboard that have closed out a win on the PGA Tour, which should make for a fascinating Sunday as many of the players in those final groups battle the nerves of trying to win for the first time. 

The biggest threat behind that group is Collin Morikawa, who is four off Potgieter's lead at 15 under and held a share of the lead early on his back nine. However, Morikawa could not find many birdies on his back nine, shooting a 1-under 35 on his way in. He will have work to do on Sunday if he's going to get his first win of the season. 

The leader

1. Aldrich Potgieter (-19): Potgieter has the ability to make this a runaway win, as we saw with his play on the front nine. His distance is a huge weapon, especially as they've thinned out some trees and opened up the driving lanes in Detroit. The question will be how well he can execute on approach and the greens with the nerves going. We saw a couple loose wedges from which he got up-and-down, but he's been phenomenal on the greens. If he can keep that putter hot, he'll have a great chance at his first career win. 

Contenders

T2. Max Greyserman, Jake Knapp, Andrew Putnam, Chris Kirk, Mark Hubbard (-17)
T7. Thriston Lawrence, Michael Thorbjornsen, Jackson Suber (-16)
T10. Collin Morikawa, Nicolai Højgaard, Harry Hall (-15)
T14. Ben Griffin, Matt Fitzpatrick and five others (-14)

Potgieter has put a bit of distance between himself and the field, but if he stalls out at all Sunday, plenty of guys will have a chance to get in the mix. The scoring Saturday wasn't quite what it was on the first two rounds, as the greens are firming up and the winds picked up a bit in the afternoon, but something in the mid-60s is still achievable. Any of the players at 14- or 15-under will need to get off to fast starts to try and close the gap quickly before Potgieter even tees off, and guys like Morikawa and Griffin will be trying to apply a little added pressure by the time Potgieter steps on the first tee. 

Kirk and Putnam being the only ones in the top tier with a win to their name -- Putnam's was seven years ago at an alternate field event -- means there will be some serious butterflies in all of those afternoon pairings, and whoever can manage those emotions the best throughout a long Sunday round will have a good chance at picking up a win that could be career-changing. 

2025 Rocket Classic updated odds, picks 

• Aldrich Potgieter (11/4)
• Max Greyserman (6-1)
• Chris Kirk (8-1)
• Jake Knapp (8-1)
• Mark Hubbard (9-1)
  
• Andrew Putnam (11-1)
• Collin Morikawa (14-1)
• Michael Thorbjornsen (18-1)
• Harry Hall (22-1)

I know no one has full faith in Potgieter to finish the job on Sunday, but I think he gets it done. If not, it'll take something pretty special to beat him, which is why -- of this group -- I'd take a look at Knapp at 8-1 because he's put together back-to-back fantastic rounds and seems to have found something out at Detroit Golf Club. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 5:55 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Aldrich Potgieter posts a 7-under 65, sets the 54-hole lead at 19 under

Aldrich Potgieter will take the lead into Sunday at the Rocket Classic, as the 20-year-old bombed his way around Detroit Golf Club once again on Saturday to shoot a 7-under 65 to post 19 under in the clubhouse. Potgieter was the 18-hole co-leader after a 62 on Thursday, but began Saturday two shots off the pace after a second round 70. He found his scoring form once again in the third round, matching the low round of the day with his 65 and did most of his damage on the front nine. 

Potgieter made five consecutive birdies from No. 4 to No. 8, and made the turn in 6-under 30 to jump into the lead. While he couldn't maintain that pace on the back nine, he stayed steady, making eight pars and one birdie, and remains two shots ahead of the four players tied for second at -17. He will look to finally land the plane on Sunday to get his first PGA Tour win, as the last time he was in this position in Mexico things got rocky in the final round as he eventually lost in a playoff. We'll see if he can learn from that experience on Sunday and capitalize on his prodigious talents to capture his first victory. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 5:24 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Jake Knapp, Max Greyserman post -17 as the clubhouse lead

A pair of 66s from Jake Knapp and Max Greyserman have moved them into T2 on the leaderboard and give them a share of the clubhouse lead at -17 late Saturday afternoon. Knapp, who set the course record with a 61 on Friday, started slowly but finished with a flourish, birdieing his final three holes of the day to get to 17 under. Greyserman also got off to a sluggish start but made five birdies on his back nine to push his way onto the first page of the leaderboard, two shots back of the leader Aldrich Potgieter. 

Potgieter is 19 under for the tournament and has two holes left to play, including the par-5 17th that should be reachable with his length. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 4:38 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Aldrich Potgieter takes a three-shot lead

A birdie on the 13th from Potgieter and a bogey on the 12th from Jackson Suber has suddenly pushed the South African's lead back up to three. He's 19 under for the championship and 7 under on his round, three ahead of Suber, Chris Kirk, Max Greyserman, Mark Hubbard and Andrew Putnam, who are all tied for second at -16. Behind those two are Collin Morikawa and Nicolai Højgaard, as Morikawa remains in the top 10 after a Saturday 68, but will need Potgieter not to get too much further away if he's going to feel good about his chances at his first win of the season going into Sunday. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 4:25 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Jackson Suber gets to -17, keeping pressure on Aldrich Potgieter

Potgieter has gone par-par-par to open his back nine, remaining at 18 under, but he now has a bit more pressure on him as Jackson Suber has moved to 17 under with a birdie on the 10th and a par on the 11th to put a little heat on the South African. Suber is 4 under on his round and is having his best week as a pro in his rookie season. Behind those two are three players at 16 under -- Thriston Lawrence, Chris Kirk and Andrew Putnam -- as the leaderboard is starting to get a bit more stretched out. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 3:48 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Aldrich Potgieter makes the turn with a 6-under 30, takes a two-shot lead at -18

Aldrich Potgieter's lead is two as he makes his way to the back nine after a front nine 30 launched him into the lead. Potgieter made five consecutive birdies from holes 4-8 and is now 18 under for the tournament. That has him two clear of Andrew Putnam, who got it to 16 under after his latest birdie on the 8th. The next three holes will be the biggest challenge for Potgieter, as the 10th, 11th and 12th are among the toughest holes at Detroit Golf Club. 

We came into the day wondering who, if anyone, would be able to take control of the tournament given the crowded leaderboard, and right now it looks like Potgieter is the man in position to do just that. While keeping this pace up to shoot a course-record 60 is unlikely, if he can shoot a 64 and get to 20 under, he could create a little cushion as he chases his first career win. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 3:24 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Aldrich Potgieter makes his fourth consecutive birdie to open up a 2-shot lead

The big-hitting South African is making the first breakaway attempt from the field on Saturday, as Potgieter has five birdies on his first seven holes including four in a row to reach 17 under, two clear of Collin Morikawa and Chad Ramey. We'll see if he can keep this pace up, but Potgieter holed out from the greenside bunker on No. 1 for his first birdie of the day, then got the putter heated up to rattle off four in a row. His most recent came on the par-5 7th where he found the right rough with his second and left an 8-footer down the hill for birdie, but poured it in to get two clear as he seeks his first PGA Tour win. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 3:00 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Collin Morikawa, Aldrich Potgieter and Davis Thompson finally push the lead to -15

It took longer than expected, but we finally have a new mark at the top of the leaderboard as a trio of players have gotten it to 15 under for the tournament. Aldrich Potgieter, one of the 18-hole leaders, was first to the number but was quickly matched by Collin Morikawa and Davis Thompson. Thompson is thru 17 holes and will post the clubhouse lead once he gets through the 18th, but will have a long wait to see if that number holds up -- which seems highly doubtful given the scoring conditions. 

Still, there are 22 players within two shots of the lead and no one can quite seem to separate from the pack. We'll see if that changes as the third round continues with coverage on CBS beginning right now. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 2:36 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Collin Morikawa moves into T1 at -14 as he makes the turn

The highest ranked player in the field this week is now tied at the top of the leaderboard. Collin Morikawa just made the turn at Detroit Golf Club, going out with a 3-under 33 to move it to 14 under for the tournament and join a 7-way tie for the lead. He will need to keep his scoring pace up if he's going to be part of the 54-hole lead by the end of Saturday, as the scoring conditions at the Rocket Classic seem ideal and there are lots of rounds in the mid-60s available. Still, for Morikawa this is the kind of week he needed after some recent struggles, and the whole reason he's in the field is to try and build some positive momentum going into July. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 2:10 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

29 players are within two shots of the lead as the final pairing tees off

The lead remains 14 under as Chris Kirk and Phillip Knowles tee off for their third round at the Rocket Classic, but they are joined by five others -- Andrew Putnam, the other 36-hole co-leader who just started his day in the group ahead, Mark Hubbard, Davis Thompson, Ryan Gerard and Chad Ramey. Chasing those seven is a huge group of contenders one back, as there are 12 players tied at 13 under, including Collin Morikawa and Matt Fitzpatrick. Another 10 players are two behind the lead at -12, including Ben Griffin, Min Woo Lee and Jake Knapp, making for 28 players within two shots of the lead. 

That's an awful lot of players in the mix -- with another 11 players at -11 -- and we appear set for a chaotic weekend in Detroit if someone from one of these final groups doesn't run away and hide today. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 1:15 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Davis Thompson makes 3 eagles on the front nine

The wildest round of the day belongs to Davis Thompson, who is up to T4 at -13 for the tournament thanks to an insane front nine 32 that featured three bogeys, two pars, one birdie and, somehow, three eagles -- including two on par 4s. 

PGA Tour

Thompson holed out from 80 yards on the 1st and then drove the green on the 8th and had just 7 feet for eagle, rolling that in for his third of the day. Thompson added a birdie on the 10th to move one back of the leaders as they are still 50 minutes away from teeing off. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 12:55 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Chandler Philips, Chris Gotterup shoot 64s to move into the top 5 before the leaders tee off

We are still more than an hour away from the leaders getting on the course at Detroit Golf Club, but there have been plenty of low rounds on the course from the morning wave. The two best rounds of the day belong to Chandler Philips and Chris Gotterup, as they shot matching 64s to move up to T4 at -13, one behind the 36-hole leaders.

There are low scores to be had on Saturday, and with a condensed leaderboard there could be some serious volatility if the three co-leaders aren't among those that take it deep in the third round. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 11:31 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Patrick Cantlay shoots 5-under 67 to climb the leaderboard after narrowly making the cut

Cantlay needed some late help on Friday just to get into the weekend at 6 under, but he took advantage of his Saturday tee time to surge up the leaderboard with a 67. When he posted, he moved 53 spots up the board into T11, although many of the players he passed were yet to tee off at Detroit Golf Club. Still, for a guy trying to claw his way onto the Ryder Cup team this fall, Cantlay is a bit desperate for some solid finishes (which is why he is in the field in Detroit in the first place). A missed cut would've been counter to that goal, so once he got that second life by making it on the number he took advantage to give himself a chance at a strong finish with another good round on Sunday. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 10:46 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Michael Kim sets the early pace with a 5-under 67

The best round in the clubhouse from the early wave belongs to Michael Kim, as the man who moved the cut line back to -6 went out and nearly matched that with his third round performance. Kim's 67 moved him to 11 under, which is currently T10 and three shots off the 36-hole lead. His 67 will almost assuredly not stand as the round of the day given the scoring we've seen this week at Detroit Golf Club, and Chandler Philips currently has the best round on the golf course at -6 thru 14. Patrick Cantlay has cooled off a touch after his hot start but is still -5 thru 15, while Cameron Champ is -5 thru 9 as he makes the turn. 

[Jun 28, 2025 at 9:18 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Patrick Cantlay off to a red-hot start to Saturday after making the cut on the number

We knew there would be some serious leaderboard volatility in the third round at the Rocket Classic, as birdies are available in bunches out at Detroit Golf Club. The man making the biggest move early is Patrick Cantlay, who made it into the weekend on the number after a late bogey from Michael Kim brought him and a big group of players at -6 inside the cut line. Cantlay is taking advantage of that opportunity by going -5 thru 8 to open his third round, leaping into the top 10 at T8 and showing what's possible out there on Saturday. We've already seen the course record fall twice this week with a pair of 62s on Thursday and then Jake Knapp's 61 breaking it again a day later, and it's possible we see Cantlay or someone else challenge that number again on Saturday.